D Company 2nd (Airborne) Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by JimHerriot, May 31, 2019.

  1. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Company photo, prior to heading off to North Africa.

    Please let's have some more names, and apologies for any incorrectly identified (and any spelling mistakes).

    Unfortunately many of these chaps did not make it beyond the 9th of July 1943, but those that did went on to Arnhem (by both glider and parachute).

    Good luck with it folks, the names may fade but the faces do not. Every man an emperor.
     

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  2. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Apologies for snafu in the thread title, should of course be "2nd (Airborne) Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment".

    I blame the insomnia (but I'm trying to sleep through it!)
     
  3. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Roll of Honour from a few years back, hopefully any errors have long since been corrected.
     

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  4. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Operation Ladbroke, D Company glider chalk numbers, glider type, post mission reports.

    Chalk No. 4, Waco, Landed in Sea.
    Chalk No. 8, Waco, Made landfall.
    Chalk No.12, Waco, Unaccounted for - probably landed in sea.
    Chalk No.16, Waco, Landed in Sea.
    Chalk No.20, Waco, Landed in Sea.
    Chalk No.24, Waco, Made landfall.
    Chalk No.28, Waco, Landed in Sea.
    Chalk No.32, Waco, Landed in Sea.
    Chalk No.36, Waco, Made landfall.
    Chalk No.40, Waco, Made landfall.
     
  5. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    The occupants of Glider 12 were all taken POW
     

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  6. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Dear horsapassenger, thanks a lot for adding this, very much appreciated, the chaps listed were luckier than a lot of the other guys.

    Again, thank you.
     
  7. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    In the photo the CSM is Heapy not Heap. The Officer in the centre is probably Major Phillp and to his right is Captain P R Wright
     
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  8. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Many Thanks! D Company photo duly amended and re-posted.
     

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  9. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Dear Horsapassenger, on the document you posted earlier in the thread (Chalk No.12 POW) there's no South Staffs officer named. Would any officer on that glider have been listed elsewhere?

    Thanks.
     
  10. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    No, they were shown on the manifest along with the troops. For example Major Phillp was in Chalk 4 with L/Cpl Mullett and Pte Gordon Badger. He and the two Glider Pilots were the only survivors. When the enquiries into the missing were conducted it was invariably the senior surviving officer that provided the report detailing the circumstances of the losses.
     
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  11. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Being very pedantic Eric Davies was not an MC at the time the photo was taken. He received it for his escape after being captured on Sicily. He later joined 1 Para and was wounded in both legs at Arnhem. He then escaped from the ambulance train taking him to captivity.
    I think the other officer in the photo is probably Lt E W Broadbridge
    Lt Brown was in Chalk 20 and perished
     
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  12. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Thanks again horsapassenger, I will correct accordingly (and you are not being pedantic, correctness with the chronology of the photograph is what's needed, definitely!)
     

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  13. francesca86

    francesca86 New Member

    Does anyone have any information on a Harry Ford it is my partners grandad. Services in the 2nd airborne south staffs think he was at Sicily and Arnhem too but can't find any record of him, I believe from looking at archive pics he may well of been d company. Surviving relatives not sure if he was at Arnhem or not but all info points towards him being there.

    Any help greatly appreciated
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Have you considered applying for a copy of his service records? They cost £30 but will tell you if he was at Arnhem etc
     
  15. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Hello Francesca86,

    The advice from Drew5233 is an absolute must to follow to give you and your partner the best chance of finding out about partner's grandad Harry Ford.

    Hope this is not too personal a question in the meantime, but did Harry Ford survive the War? Do you have any other details about him that you are happy to post here? (while the service records enquiry side of things is explored by you and your partner).

    Good luck with all your efforts.

    Jim.
     
  16. francesca86

    francesca86 New Member

    Hi

    He did yes I don't think he left until the late 50s, the suggestion was he was at Salerno and we have recently been there for a holiday but researching whilst we were there and knowing he was at Sicily I think he was perhaps part of the ops in Taranto instead. Family members seem quite adamant he wasn't at Arnhem but it's hard to see that he wasn't if he was in the south staffs and at Sicily, my partner recalls his grandad being most upset with the Americans as he said that a lot of his friends had drowned or been killed because the operation went wrong. How would I go about finding his service number I know his name, dob, where he was born and his regiment. I have a rough idea of when he joined but could be one of 3 years. Half of my partners family are in Australia and they have his service medals but after my partners father died a few years ago they don't want to talk about it and my partner is desperate to find out about his heritage.
     
  17. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Hello francesca86,

    The link below is the place to start in applying for service records. Have a read and take it from there if you wish;

    Get a copy of military service records

    You already have enough information to start this process, and given the time it can oft take to get a reply, the sooner started the better.

    And, there is nothing to stop you in the meantime (as long as ok with your partner too) posting Harry Ford's full name and date of birth, and place of birth, here as there are many folks (much more experienced and computer savvy than me) on WW2 Talk that can assist and guide you.

    But please keep in mind that before you have Harry's service records any other type of enquiries may just come up with "ifs, buts, and maybes" which can do no more than cloud the water and lead to (more) speculation and uncertainty.

    Good luck with all, kind regards,

    Jim.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2019
  18. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    P.S. I should have made clear, you do not need Harry's service number to apply for his records. On the application form it states "service number OR date of birth" so date of birth will do.

    All the best,

    Jim.
     
  19. francesca86

    francesca86 New Member

    Thank you Jim that's great, I will get the process started asap. We are off to Lichfield as well in a few weeks so hopefully will get some more info and guidance when we go there. Thanks again for all your help we really appreciate it. X
     
  20. Sandra Doran

    Sandra Doran Well-Known Member

    Hello Jim, thank you. Very emotional to know so many brave men died.
     
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