Fred
was born in Sunderland, Durham
on 19th July 1917. He joined the Territorial Army in 1935, well
before the International situation became threatening and served
successfully in the Signals, Ordnance, Artillery and Service
Corps, as a Despatch Rider and Driver.
When War
was declared, Fred was called up to the Regular Army, and, after a
period with Signals and then Tyneside Scottish and Durham Light
Infantry, volunteered to become a parachutist in 1941.
After
training at Hardwick Hall and Ringway, he was posted 1st Parachute
Battalion and saw active service in Tunisia. He then was
transferred to 51st Highland Division and served with them in
Sicily and Italy. On return to UK he reverted to Airborne and went
with 1st Airborne Division to Arnhem where he was captured, and,
despite one bid to escape, became a POW in Germany.
After his
release he was posted to an OCTU at Catterick as Driving
Instructor, until his release at York in 1946.
Fred,
therefore, can claim to have put in a total of eleven years
service, in a variety of units and many countries, under active
service conditions.
He died in May 2003, aged eighty-five.
R.I.P.
