Padres 6th Airborne

Looks like Cpl. O'Connell 1st Canadian Parachute Bn did survive but had spinal injuries, seems to have also received little medical attention the same as Padre Harris.

 

I do hereby declare brithm the Supreme Master Extraordinaire at finding the most obscure newspaper articles.

But seriously, well done as usual.

 

Just a clarification ...

For the Normandy Campaign Captain/Reverend A.L. Beckingham was the the Padre for 224 PFA. There are 7 references to him in the WD for that period. He later went on to become Padre for 7 Para during Operation Varsity and beyond.

Captain/Father J.W. Kenny replaced Beckingham at 224 PFA for Operation Varsity. Unfortunately he was killed on the day of the drop.

After Padre Parry's death there is a mention of a Catholic Padre giving a service in the 7 Para WD which I assume would be Capt/Reverend W H C Hyde, for which there is very little information.

Later ...

Edit: Beckingham

 

CEE,

I agre Brithm is our Master.
It's incredible....
Thanks a lot.

 

Ludo,

A Mr. Hugo M. has put up an excellent account by Captain/Reverend A. L. Beckingham on the Pegasus Archive. During the Normandy Campaign Rev. Beckingham starts off as the Padre for 224 PFA and later accepts an invitation to join the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion late in June, 44. He is a busy man, however, serving the needs of other 3rd Brigade units at the same time. He doesn't mention the arrival of Rev. Candy who joined the Canadians very late while they were in a rest camp awating their return to England. Rev. Beckingham also tells of his time with the Airborne in the Ardennes (RASC) and Germany where he had to deal with a number of terrible incidents involving 7 Para.

Captain/Reverend A. L. Beckingham - The Pegasus Archive

Hopefully a photograph of him turns up at some point.

Regards ...

 

With the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy by Lt-Gen. R.N. Gale, p.59

 

The Captain Reverend John Worthington Johnston

In the list above (post 13) along with Captain/Father J. MacMurray-Taylor there is also mentioned of a Padre John Johnston attached to the 6th Airlanding Brigade. The only facts I could discover on him is that he was originally from Northern Ireland and formerly with the RAF:

C.V.R. STATION - J.W. JOHNSTON R.A.F. - Padre and poet

His book, Poems of a Parachute Padre, was first published in Belfast in 1943 with other editions to follow in the years to come. Brithm recently posted one of his poems on his Twitter feed which I'll include here.


To The 7th Battalion (L.I) The Parachute Regiment
(formerly the10th Battalion S.L.I.)


Brown faces ruddy in the leaping fire,
The laughter echoing in the smoky room;
Pales faces gleaming in the aircraft gloom,
Heat at high noon, cold tramplings in the mire.

The rough and splendid way the Seventh went,
Small place for words, but many a generous deed;
Strong men and brave in any hour of need
Remembering you my heart is discontent.

And bitter that we do not meet again,
But many springs shall pass ere I forget.
The quiet friendship of the western men
Rich, like a summer day in Somerset.




Regards ...

 

There is little detail on Reverend Kay's death on the 7th June 1944 just came across this in the 224th Parachute Field Ambulance book:

The bren gunner I believe was L/Sgt. John William Evans, as only four men from 8 Para were KIA. Seems unfair to place blame on Evans without any evidence, all were 8th Parachute Battalion. The medics were Pte. William Henry Doherty and Pte. David Raymond Luke.

 

Hi Brithm,
According to the CWGC records, the 4 mentionned soldiers died on 07th June 1944.
Their initial places of burial were:
L/Sgt J. EVANS Le Mesnil 128 728 now Ranville War Cemetery IIA-C-03
Pte D. LUKE Le Mesnil 128 728 now Ranville War Cemetery III-B-03
Reverend G. KAY Le Mesnil 139 728 now Ranville War Cemetery IA-M-02
Pte W. DOHERTY Le Mesnil 139 728 now Ranville War Cemetery IA-L-02

 

Lt.Col. Rev George Hales. Newark 1950

 

Rev. J.W. Johnston obituary 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifes chaplain

Irish Times 7th June 1952

 

Was Padre McGowan the brother of Padre Maurice McGowan who was awarded the MC for his actions at Arnhem ? I have a feeling he was awarded the MBE at the end of the war .

Cheers

Arnhem

 

Yes they were brothers ... Reverend Maurice McGowan



Regards ...

 

Padres of the 6th Airborne Division

A very interesting topic about which there seems to be little information. So the same names get posted over and over again. Just to be different, I spent sometime searching for new names. Found a few and while I didn't want to repeat names previously listed, they helped in presenting a timeline.

Chaplains' 6th Airborne Division list. Unable to display as desired. Please open thumbnail.

101741 Capt./Rev. John Worthington Johnston did not serve with the 6th Airborne Division in it's European Campaigns due to ill-health.

Royal Army Chaplains' Department.
The undermentioned to be Chapln. to the Forces, 4th Cl. : -
Rev. John Worthington Johnston. 2nd Sept. 1939.

Posted to Airborne Forces
Parachute Training Course 41. 03.12.1942 to 17.12.1942
Posted to 7th Parachute Battalion

Posted to HQ R.A. Airborne 25.03.1943

Posted to 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles

Royal Army Chaplains' Department.
Rev. J. W. Johnston (101741) Chapln. to the Forces, 4th Cl. (C.S.) relinquishes his commn. on account of ill-health, 2nd June, 1944.

Royal Army Chaplains' Department.
Rev. John Worthington Johnston (101741) is granted an emergency commn. as Chapln. to the Forces, 4th Cl. (C. of S.), 4th Apr. 1945.

London Gazette does not show the Rev. J. W. Johnston joining the R.A.F., but does list
the Rev. Thomas Hourigan transferred to the R.A.F. on 10th May, 1947.

1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles chaplains' in Normandy.
38079 Capt./Rev. Thomas Hourigan (R.C.)
270520 Capt./Rev. James McMurray Taylor (C.E.)




173033 Capt./Rev. George Edward Maule Parry (C.E.)

Joined the army Jan. 1941.
Commissioned 24th Feb. 1941.
Attended training course at Chester and assigned to the 3rd Training Battalion, R.A.S.C. for 6 months.
Served for 19 months in the Gold Coast, West Africa.
Transferred to Airborne Forces.
Parachute Training Course 78. 14.08.1943 to 24.08.1943.
Posted to 7th Parachute Battalion 10.09.1943.



If the service for Rev. Parry (C.E.) was conducted by an R.C. Padre, then it wasn't conducted
by the Rev. Hyde who was C of E. As he was T.O.S. 22.08.1944, 7th Parachute Battalion, I assume he wasn't present at the service.

Three chaplains taking part in a church service for personnel of the 6th Airborne Division, Wismar, Germany, 6th May, 1945.



(L-R): Rev. Kenneth Child, Rev. Douglas C. Candy, 1st Canadian Para Bn, Rev. John Wintour Hall, 12th Devons



Rev. Douglas C. Candy, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.



Rev. James William Kenny

 

C. in C.

Montgomery talks with Div HQ Padre Major Hales during inspection.



Regards ...

 

Courtesy of Ohio University Libraries, and their holding of the Cornelius Ryan World War II Papers (available in the public domain). Extracted from pdf file (attached below).

Padre John Gwinnett, 9th Battalion The Parachute Regiment:






Always remember, never forget,

Jim.