Bill
was born in London on 23rd December 1923. He first enlisted in the RAF and
undertook training as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. At the beginning of
April 1941 he transferred to the army and then volunteered to become a
parachutist. His first Airborne unit was 3rd Battalion of 1st Airborne
Division.
In training he had a
nerve-wracking experience when his rigging lines twisted, preventing the
parachute from opening properly. He survived a heavy landing, but had to
spend a long period in hospital. During this time his Battalion had been
sent to Tunisia, where they saw heavy fighting, followed by fighting in+
Sicily and Italy, so on recovery Bill joined the newly created 7th
Battalion, which was the first unit of the new 6th Airborne Division, then
being formed in England.
During the invasion
of Normandy, the 7th Battalion was given the task of rushing to the bridges,
which it was hoped would have been seized by glider troops, to secure their
defence, especially on the west bank of the canal. Bill was one of the first
to arrive but was soon wounded in the head by a sniper and then in the legs
by machine gun bullets.
He was
evacuated, but it took a long time for his wounds to heal and he was
finally released from the Army on his discharge from hospital in
August 1946. Bill then returned to the RAF and served for four years
as a Corporal Airmanship Instructor.
