Fred was
born in Birmingham on !7th January 1921. In June 1940, when things
were looking very black and invasion of Britain was expected
at any moment, Fred joined the Army as a Regular soldier in the
Grenadier Guards. Not relishing his static and defensive duties,
he volunteered, as soon as the call came for parachutists. He was
thus one of the pioneer members of British Airborne Forces. The
unit was at first called Number 2 Commando, then designated as 11
Special Air Service Battalion which ultimately became 1st
Battalion, Parachute Regiment.
The 1st
Parachute Brigade then went to North Africa, where after initial
hazardous Airborne operations by single Battalions, they were used
for a long time in the ground role and suffered heavy casualties. Their next major
Airborne operation was the night attack on the Primasole Bridge in Sicily.
During this hard fought and narrowly successful battle Fred was wounded by
a grenade.
The
1st and 2nd Parachute Brigades next moved to Italy, where an Independent
Brigade remained, while the bulk of the Division returned to England and
built up strength by the formation of new Parachute Battalions and an
additional glider borne Battalion.
Their next move,
after many demoralising cancellations, was to Arnhem as part of operation
'Market Garden'.
The fighting at
Arnhem saw the 1st Battalion decimated and the remnants withdrawn to the
defences around Oosterbeek. After some hectic and desperate days, Fred was
again wounded and had to be left behind with other wounded, when the remains
of the Division withdrew. He then became a POW in Stalag 11B, at
Fallingbostal, until liberated by the advancing British Forces in early 1945.
