The 2nd battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment was chosen as the leading glider assault troops for Operation Ladbroke, the opening move of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. These are the orders they were given just days before the battle.
Operation Order No. 1 for the 2 South Staffords was signed off on the afternoon of 4 July 1943, only five days before the Allied air armada took off for Sicily. It was at about this time that the airborne troops waiting in camps in Tunisia began to be briefed on their mission. The inside walls of tents were lined with giant blow-ups of aerial photographs, while tables were strewn with maps. Although the hammering heat of the North African sun outside was oppressive, it was preferable to those stifling briefing sessions, which had to be held inside for reasons of secrecy, as the camps were not behind the tall walls of a regular barracks, but in open olive groves.
The men of the Staffords learned that they were to be part of Operation Ladbroke. It was their job to act as the proverbial tip of the spear for the entire invasion of Sicily, landing before any other forces on the night before D Day (10 July 1943). ‘C’ Company was to land by glider and seize the Ponte Grande bridge (codename Waterloo) in a coup-de-main attack that would prevent the bridge from being destroyed. ‘A’ Company was also to land by glider in another coup-de-main attack, to seize the nearby railway bridges (codename Putney). Other Staffords companies were to seize strongpoints on the roads leading to the bridges, or neutralise gun batteries.
All of this was designed to facilitate the capture of Syracuse (codename Ladbroke, hence Operation Ladbroke). Syracuse was Eighth Army’s primary objective for D Day. The rapid capture of the port was considered vital to the success of the invasion, as its harbour was needed for unloading supplies and reinforcements. But the main seaborne forces of the Eighth Army were not due to land until nearly dawn, and their closest landing beach was many miles south of Syracuse. So 1 Border Regiment, the Staffords’ sister battalion in the gliderborne 1 Air Landing Brigade, was to land at the same time as the Staffords, and then pass through their positions and seize the outskirts of Syracuse.
As described elsewhere here, the plans went wildly awry. None of the identified strongpoints were captured by the glider troops. Nor were the gun batteries. Nor were the railway bridges. No airborne troops attacked Syracuse that night. Nearly half the gliders landed in the sea, and many others either never reached Sicily or landed too far away. The one bright spot, and it was a bright spot, was the initiative of Lt Lennard Withers, in command of a single platoon of ‘C’ Company, whose Horsa glider was the only one of the four destined for the Ponte Grande that actually made it. Withers’ platoon took the bridge alone and, with some reinforcement during the night, held it long enough for it to be saved from demolition.
The transcription of Operation Order No. 1 that follows is only a selection of sections from a much longer document that came complete with appendixes and diagrams that are also not reproduced here. The formatting has been kept as it was in the original, as have spelling and other mistakes, to give the full flavour of the original. Text in italics between square brackets is editorial.
2 South Staffords Operation Order No. 1
Partially transcribed.
2-SS-OO-1-sects-5-to-26-copyright-Aurora-Publishing-v2Original copies of this document can be seen in the archives of the Staffordshire Regiment at Whittington Barracks, and in the National Archives at Kew.
my father Frank Bluff landed in Waco Glider 29 B Coy S Stafford’s
Thanks very much for leaving a reply. Your father was in fact in Waco glider Z, which also carried Lt Col Walch, a senior airborne staff officer, as an observer. As the most senior officer present on the Ponte Grande, Walch accidentally ended up in charge of the troops defending the bridge. The confusion over glider numbers arises because glider Z was 29th in the take-off sequence.
My Uncle, (whom I’m named after) WO II Robert Woollhouse (glider pilot) was killed in this operation. He is buried in Cassino.
Thanks for leaving a comment, Robert. Your uncle was not in fact a glider pilot, but Company Sergeant Major of ‘A’ Company of the 2 South Staffords. He was in Horsa glider 128, which went down into the sea off the invasion beaches, apparently because of a cable break.
Robert Woollhouse was my grand father,my brother and I have been trying to find more information about him, we know when and where he died but have been trying to find photo.
Thanks for getting in touch, Karen. He appears in a unit photo on page 24 of the book “By Land, Sea and Air”. In exchange for a donation, the research team at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum may be able to get you a copy or a blow-up. Or you could try an appeal on Facebook for other pictures – search for “Staffordshire Regiment” to find a suitable group. Somebody may have a group photo in an old album. You never know.
My husband’s grandfather was Lennard Withers. You will know that he survived this operation and received the M.C. for his efforts.
Good to hear from you, Carly. Yes, Lt Withers was one of the key figures of the operation. The colour banner image at the top of this page shows his glider, Horsa 133, coming in to land (see here for the image in full). Have you seen the detailed story of Horsa 133 here?
Does anybody know anything about Robert Williams. I believe he died during this mission and that his body was never found. His name is on panel 8 of the Cassino war memorial. Any more info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for asking, Hannah. According to the Cassino Memorial, Private Robert Williams 68594 from West Bromwich was 22 when he died on 9 July 1943. From records in the National Archives we know that he was in 9 Platoon of A Company of the 2 South Staffords, under Lt R G Williams (presumably no relation). The platoon’s target was the Putney railway bridge, and it was carried in Horsa 130 headed towards LZ 3 N [info]. The Horsa never reached the LZ, as it landed in Syracuse harbour, possibly shot down by the surrounding AA batteries (for an artist’s impression of the scene, see the background of this illustration). Some men swam for shore, others were picked up by an Italian launch, and the rest apparently drowned. About 15 men, including Robert Williams, were not seen to escape from the glider. See page 40 of “By Land, Sea and Air” for a few more details.
Can you perhaps find out any information about Sidney Arthur Craig (army number 4928295). He was my grandmother’s brother. He died on the 9th July and was part of the glider landings. He has no grave. I’m interested to know which glider he was in, how he may have died and whether there are any pictures of him.
Many thanks
Thanks for asking, Ian. I’m afraid I can find no mention of Private Craig in Operation Ladbroke, beyond the listing for the Cassino Memorial. The records are patchy. One source will have a lot of detail about some gliders, and nothing about others. Meanwhile another source will have a lot of detail about other gliders, but not all gliders. Sometimes the sources overlap. Sadly, there are some gliders we have no names for. Craig’s name should have turned up in the very comprehensive investigations carried out in 1943 and 1944 in the attempt to find what happened to missing men, but even these are not 100%. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. If you find out anything, do please let me know.
Basil Cornell took a bullet in the sea, my father Robert Kenward private 7369120 RAMC swam to him and helped get him to the beach, they were captured for awhile, does anyone know what glider they were in? Or this story.
Thanks Derek. Your father was in Waco glider 62, which was carrying men of 181 Field Ambulance and a stretcher trailer for use with a jeep. It was one of 3 medical gliders attached to 1 Border Regt (more info about these here). Waco 62 landed in the sea 200 – 400 yards off Capo Ognina. They came under fire from the Italian positions on the shore, possibly here. Cornell was shot in the back. One of the men, presumably a non-swimmer, panicked and drowned, despite the attempts of the 1st Glider Pilot, Sgt Lee, to save him. He and his copilot, US GP F/O Johnson, managed to get ashore and avoid capture. The rest of the men also swam for land, helping Cornell. They were presumably watched all the way, and were captured once ashore.
My father Sidney Grice served in the 2nd Battalion South Staffs ( Army no. 4918655).
His glider landed successfully in Sicily and he was involved in actions against the Italians. He was captured when they ran out of ammunition but was freed by the arrival of the 8th army. I have no information of which glider was involved but dad was later told it was one of the first to land. If you could provide any further information it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Thanks Vincent. I’m afraid Sidney Grice is one of the men we know nothing about. See my reply to Ian Davis above. Perhaps purely coincidentally, we do however have records of two other Grices in the Staffords in Operation Ladbroke – Sgt W N Grice in Horsa 130 and Pvt W H Grice in Waco 48. Any relation?
Hello Ian,
Thanks for your effort.
Just wish I had asked more question when he was alive.
The two other Grice are not related.
I live close to the Staffs Regiment Museum, do you think they would have more information ?
The archives at Whittington may have other information about Sidney, or perhaps group photos, but it’s unlikely they will have more information about him in Sicily. It’s worth asking, although I believe a donation will be expected regardless. Do let me know if you learn anything more.
I’m researching the WW2 war memorial of my home town Bewdley in Worcestershire: one of the casualties is Wiiliam Blackford – I wonder if you can think of any leads? Many thanks
William Blackford
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: South Staffordshire Regiment
Unit Text: 2nd (Airborne) Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 09/07/1943
Service No: 4919332
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 7.
Memorial: CASSINO MEMORIAL
Thanks Simon. Waco glider 20 carried half of 20 Platoon of D Company of the Staffords. Their target was the gun battery codenamed Mosquito, but many gliders landed in the sea [story], including glider 20, and the Staffords did not take the guns. Pvt Blackford was the only man who failed to emerge from the glider after splash-down. He was never seen again. Many of those who did escape the glider, including both glider pilots, were subsequently washed away in the heavy swell and drowned. Only two men survived to be picked up by Allied shipping in the morning. The battalion war diary says glider 20 landed in the Gulf of Gela, but this was in the American sector some 50 miles away. It is possible but seems very unlikely, and there is no other evidence for it. However, we have no direct evidence at all as to where glider 20 did in fact land.
I’m sorry I missed your response. Thank you so much – this is really precise and evocative detail…what a harrowing story. If I find any more personal information on Black ford I will of course let you have a copy.
Best, Simon
Hi there. My late father, Frank Goldsmith, was in one of the gliders which did reach land. I know that he was shot and assumed dead as he was shot through the chest. Unfortunately he only ever spoke to us once about his experiences and I was too young to take it in. He is now no longer with us and next year would have been his 100th Birthday. I was wondering if you have any further information about his involvement in Operation Ladbroke that I could share with his remaining family?
Thanks Jenni. The only record I have of your father is the mention in ‘By Land, Sea and Air’ (p46) which says the glider immediately came under fire on landing and he “was shot through his arm and lungs and left behind in the glider”. He was a private in 12 Platoon, B Company of the Staffords in Waco glider 13. There is a fair amount of information about what happened to other men in glider 13, as they reached and fought at the Ponte Grande. Key names include: Lt Deuchar, Pvt Weate, S/Sgt Wikner and in particular the American glider pilot F/O Sam Fine. There is an IWM photo of a glider marked 13 captioned as showing troops waiting to take off for Sicily, but the men are from 1 Border, not 2 S Staffords. If I ever write a ‘Glider Story’ about Glider 13 I will let you know.
Does anyone have any photos or know of any details for William Frederick Davies of the south Staffordshire regiment. He was missing presumed dead in the gliders going to Sicily. We have little information about him as he died before my mom was born and her mother didn’t speak of him.
Thanks Alison. As you probably know, Pvt W F Davies is listed on the Cassino memorial to the missing of the Italian campaigns. He was in 10 Platoon of A Company of the Staffords under Lt Clowes, carried in Horsa glider 131. Their objective on 9 July 1943 was ‘Putney’ bridge via LZ 3, west of Syracuse. 131 was towed by a Halifax piloted by F/O Muirhead. He reported a difficult tow, possibly, he thought, because 131 was overloaded. He said he released 131 at the correct spot off Cape Murro di Porco. After that nothing more was heard of 131, which apparently vanished without trace. Then some days later the padre of a seaborne unit reported that he had buried one of the men from 131 between Syracuse and Augusta, and that there was glider wreckage in the water. The flight from the cape to Syracuse towards Augusta would have taken 131 past numerous AA batteries, so it seems likely that 131 was shot down. Nobody survived the crash in the sea. The background of the colour illustration at the top of this page shows an artist’s impression of the searchlights and AA fire over the harbour of Syracuse.
Hi Ian I have stumbled across this website doing further family research and I hope very much it is still attended.
My Great Uncle Tommy – Pvte Thomas Orme Service No 4914828 is recorded as a casualty on 9 July 1943 on the Monte Cassino Memorial at panel 8. He was in “H” Coy of the 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment (I have a photo of H Coy taken in the UK). According to another Regimental source, members of H Coy would in one of the 11 gliders Nos 41,43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49 51, 52, 52a and 53.
One of the enduring questions about Tommy is whether he made it to land that night?
Would appreciate any information at all, even if inconclusive – many thanks
Thanks David. Thomas Orme was part of E Coy on the night. He was in Glider 47, which landed on a beach about 50 yards from the shore and not far from a coastal pillbox. The glider caught fire, apparently from grenades thrown by the Italians, and ammunition in a hand cart in the glider exploded. Several Staffords failed to get out in time. Your great uncle was one of them. There is a detailed account by one of 47’s glider pilots in ‘The Wings of Pegasus’, page 100. A brief report appears in ‘By Land, Sea and Air’ and also in ‘Glider Pilots in Sicily’. I believe 47 landed on the beach at either Fanusa or Arenella (see here). The last time I was there both beaches were still guarded by pillboxes.
Thank you so much for that rich information which has immediately answered all of the most pressing questions about Tommy. It is received with much gratitude. I shall be obtaining the further sources you have referred me to.
I will forward you with a scan of the photograph of “H” Company taken in the UK in 1943 prior to embarkation to North Africa shortly.
Many thanks Ian.
Dear David, I’ve learned from Ian that my great uncle (Pte Albert Edward Walters) was also in H Company of 2 South Staffs (& died in Glider 49). Would it be possible to send me a copy of the H Company photograph that you have ? Many thanks, Mark
Hi Mark,
I have now emailed you with a copy of the H Company photograph taken at Aldershot Barracks in or about March/April 1943 along with further information.
All the best with your research and happy to assist you further if I can.
Hi, My father Paul W. Mousseau was an American Glider pilot that took part in Sicily. He flew in as a copilot I believe with a British glider or power pilot. He landed at Gela I believe. Do you have any record of him by chance?
Thanks Monique. Your father was not in the two British glider operations, and the planned American reinforcement glider mission to the Gela area was cancelled. It’s possible he ended up in Sicily later. Have you asked the US NWWIIGPA for help? See contact details here.
Ian, Most impressed with your very informative replies and wondered if you could add to the sketchy info I have re my uncle Cpl Eric Bell 4863738 2nd (Airborne)Bn The South Staffordshire Regt listed on the Cassino memorial Panel 7 who perished in Operation Ladbroke. After reading many of the detailed responses I now have a better picture of the debacle but would be most grateful if you could possibly provide some specific info re my uncle, e.g. glider number,landing details etc.
Thank You
Thanks Derek. Your uncle was in glider 47. For details see my reply to David Orme above.
Hi there,
I’m currently researching Alfred White, Private, 4917899, 2nd (Airborne) South Staffordshire Regiment who died 9th July 1943. Sadly his body has never been found and is remembered on Cassino Memorial. Any additional information would be great and even a picture!
Thanks
Olly
Thanks Olly. I’m sorry to say that Alfred White is one of the men I can find no record of in Operation Ladbroke. See my reply to Ian Davis above. Most of the missing from 1 Air Landing Brigade on 9 July were drowned when their gliders landed in the sea, so that’s probably his fate.
Hi I’m trying to find out more information on my Uncle Private 4917107 John Demaine of the 2nd Airborne Bn South Staffordshire Regiment who died on Friday 9th July 1943. His body was never found. Many thanks
Thanks Michelle. Your uncle was in Horsa 131. For details, see my reply to Alison Payne above.
My late father, Lt. Col. Michael Brennan, was involved in the Sicily campaign and sometimes spoke of it. His story was once on the front page of the comic Victor.
Any information you have would be very interesting to read, particularly for my three sons.
Thanks Virginia. In Operation Ladbroke your father was a Major and 2 i/c of the Staffords under Lt Col McCardie. Your father was in glider 7, which came down in the sea. He swam ashore under fire and, after various adventures, reached the Ponte Grande bridge. His story is told in the Battalion war diary and in McCardie’s report. These appear in Junier’s “By Land, Sea and Air”, pages 43 & 60. The account spoken by your father in the comic is an accurate summary of the war diary. Other things in the comic are not so accurate – the men wore berets, not helmets, glider 7 was a Waco not a Horsa, they had no bazooka, and the bridge looked nothing like that, etc. – well, it is a comic. Your father was apparently a very popular officer – when he left the Battalion in March 44 to take up a position at the Staff College, the war diary recorded “Mike Brennan will be sadly missed. Most of us will remember him riding a horse in the advance on Syracuse”.
My grandfather was Raymond Bowditch and I understand he was a Glider Pilot as he is mentioned in another war diary
No 21 Pl (Lt E.J. Davies) Half the Pl with Lt Davies were reported by the tug pilot to have been cast off near Catania, they have not been heard of since; the other half under Sgt Bowditch landed in the sea and were picked up by naval craft.
I was wondering if you had any further information in his involvement in this campaign
Thanks Melanie. Your grandfather was not a pilot but a passenger in Waco glider 16 flown by glider pilots O’Donnell and Walker. He was in charge of 11 other Staffords in the glider, which also carried a hand cart loaded with ammunition and other equipment. The only additional information we have is a short debriefing of the pilots on what happened to 16: “Most uncomfortable tow. Tug pilot ordered Glider Pilot to release at 2220 hrs at 1800 ft approx 5 miles off coast. Glider unable to make land and came down in sea approx 3 1/2 miles off shore.” There is no report of missing men, so presumably everybody survived.
Dear Ian, I’m going to visit Syracuse in November to remember my Grandfather. He was Pvt John Raymond Davison. No 3602799. Border regiment, from Durham. He told me so many tales of North Africa, scorpions in his boots. Arnhem. But my favourite childhood story was the one that he told me of crashing into a tomato field in Sicily behind enemy lines. Most were killed on impact I believe. However he and his friend “Ginger” survived and were kept alive by an Italian boy running them water. I’m trying to find out which glider he may have been in, and where it landed. Anything really. My visit to Sicily is one of remembrance as his survival meant my Dad came to be. Thank you for anything you maybe able to tell me. Faye.
Thanks Faye. There was a Pvt Davison in Waco glider 88, which crashed through a wall into a tomato field. None were killed although several were wounded, including Pvt Davison. I won’t say any more for now, as I am working on an in-depth “Glider Story” about 88, including photos and maps. It should appear here this month.
Meanwhile get a copy of “When Dragons Flew”, if you haven’t already. See page 84.
As a guide when you’re there, I can recommend Roberto Piccione of Impavidus, email: tour.impavidus@gmail.com
Thanks so much for this Ian. Yes he had a broken leg if I remember well. He was sent home. I’m going to see what photos I can find. I’ll send them to you via email. Faye
Pte Arthur Sidney Boughey, No. 4916328, was one of four children of Ethel (nee Bostock) and Percy Walter Boughey living in Walsall. My paternal great-grandmother Elizabeth Degg (nee Bostock) was his aunt. Arthur was one of the 2Bn men missing in action on 9 July 1943 during the Operation. He was 22. He is commemorated on Panel 8 of the Cassino Memorial. My father was able to visit the memorial in the 1980s while serving with NATO on a visit to Italy.
Thanks Joanna. Arthur was in E Company, which was a composite company formed for the operation out of H Company and the Recce Platoon. Its objective was the Italian strongpoint codenamed Walsall. Arthur was in Waco glider 43 along with the company commander Major Neilson and 13 other Staffords, plus an attached medic, for a total of 16 men. This was three men more than the Waco’s normal payload, which may have had some bearing on what happened. The tug pilot reported that 43 broke loose over the sea some 10 miles west of Malta. None of the men were ever seen again.
Thank you so much Ian, this is fascinating information. My father passed away in March and I do wish I had found this website before now so he could have known this detail. About 15+ years ago he met a man (in the Staffords I think) who was on the operation and he told my father that he had seen the Waco glider that Arthur was in break early from the tug. Regrettably I don’t know who he was but he must have been able to see what happened from a window. You have confirmed this happened to Arthur’s glider. Knowing also that it was off the coast of Malta is interesting to us. My dad stopped off there in 1957 from Jordan to Tripoli and he would have been really interested to know that Arthur had been lost near Malta.
There is part of the body of a glider in the Army Air Corps Museum at Middle Wallop and many a time we’ve visited and stood in it and we have remembered Arthur and the men in that operation. In the 1980s and 90s dad guided a number of battlefield tours at Arnhem and Normandy and the involvement of the gliders was always of special interest to him with Arthur in mind. Thank you again Ian.
This site and your research is absolutely amazing. The detailed accounts highlight that these were individual men each with their own story. It has been invaluable as my daughter has a school project writing about family and her great great uncle Cyril who returned from Sicily with a smashed up leg and hand. We have sketchy info from the family but we believe he was part of Operation Ladbroke. Cyril Bowdler 2nd battalion South Staffordshire 49923109 Duty location Sicily. You have taught us so much about this, thank you!
Thanks Jo, so glad to have been a help. I have no record of Cyril Bowdler, but the records are incomplete, so it does not mean he wasn’t in Operation Ladbroke.
Hello. This is a wonderful site and is very helpful in understanding more about this operation. We will be visiting Sicily at the end of this month and would like to learn any information you have about my great uncle, Maj. Edwin George Ballinger. He died on July 9, 1943 at the age of 26, and left his wife and 2 year old son (my uncle), as his survivors. Thank you for any information you can provide.
Horsa 132 was one of four Horsas due to land in LZ 3 South next to the Ponte Grande bridge. It carried 17 Platoon of ‘C’ Company of the 2 South Staffords, plus part of Company HQ under Major Ballinger. The company had the coup-de-main task of seizing the bridge before the Italians could blow it. This task was eventually accomplished by the Staffords in Horsa 133, which was the only Horsa to fulfil its mission [story]. 132 was not so lucky. It seems it was struck by Italian fire while approaching LZ 3. It crashed into a high dyke lining the north side of the river Anapo [here], 400m west of the bridge, in full view of the Italian defences. Later inspection found the right wing and undercarriage in the river, and the tail unit on land not far away. The rest of the Horsa had burned and disintegrated in a violent explosion, probably caused by the 60lbs of explosives aboard the glider. Only three men survived, badly injured. Bodies were buried temporarily on the spot before later being moved to the local CWGC cemetery. If you want a local guide to the battlefield, I can recommend Roberto Piccione (tour.impavidus@gmail.com)
My grandfather Geoffrey henry Major was a member of the 2nd South Staffordshire’s, but we don’t know much more than that is there any possible hope you might know more ?
Sorry, but I have no information on Geoffrey Major. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t in Operation Ladbroke, as there are gaps in the records.
Thank you for trying, he didn’t talk about his experiences to anybody really and what he did say to family was slim and vague. We have his jacket and beret with the south Staffordshire emblem and his service medal, but all the rest of his medals and items were lost due to family troubles and estrangement.
My dad, Ernie Walters of the 2nd South Staffs, was in charge of one of the gliders that was cast off early by the Americans. The glider was reputed to only float for a short time. My dad organised the soldiers on the wings and it floated. In the morning, a British patrol boat took them off and as the last soldier stepped off, it sank. Ironically, my dad was told that the landing site was potato fields and if they had landed they would probably have died.
Your father was the Lt i/c the Platoon HQ & Scout Section of 19 Platoon, D Company, due to attack the ‘Mosquito’ gun battery. He was in glider 28. He left an account which is in the Staffords archives at Whittington Barracks.
Hi Ian, reading the information you’ve provided above is truly amazing. Do you have any information on my grandads cousin Bertie Clemson of the 2nd bn. south staffs. KIA 9.7.43, no body found. Many thanks in advance Royston Clemson.
Thanks Royston. L/Cpl B Clemson 4920544 from Birmingham, born 28/3/15, 5’7″, 129 lbs, eyes blue, light brown hair, was posted as missing after his glider, Horsa 130, was shot down into Syracuse Bay. After investigation it was determined he never escaped from the glider and must have drowned. For more info about 130 see my reply to Hannah above.
My great uncle L/Cpl Victor Davies 5440746 was one of the many not to make it that day. I’d be grateful if you have any information you may have on him
Thanks Mark. No luck I’m afraid. You probably already know that he is remembered on the Cassino Memorial
My father and his younger brother both served in H Company, 2nd Battalion of tge South Staffordshire Regiment. (I still have the Regiment photo taken in 1943). My father survived the the war but his brother I believe was missing after Scicily landings. He’s remembered at the Casino Memorial but I don’t know much more than that. Also I don’t know much about his army service prior to his death around about June or July 1943. His name Robert Guest from Bromley Kent
Thanks Ann. Robert Guest was one of 3 anti-tank gunners in Waco glider 49, which was carrying a jeep. See my reply [here] for details of the crash. The two injured gunners, Bryce and Guest, were trapped. One was in the jeep, jammed between an ammunition box and the dashboard, with his legs cut to the bone. This man had a Birmingham accent, so presumably was not your uncle from Bromley. The other man, presumably your uncle, was caught between a tree and the jeep in such a way that the glider pilots, Firth and Maynard, could not assess his injuries. The glider was under sporadic fire. Firth went looking for help but failed, and on his return half an hour later saw the glider surrounded by Italians. Maynard had been captured. Presumably Bryce and your uncle were extracted from the wreckage and given medical attention by the Italians. Maynard was later killed, but not by the Italians. He was a prisoner in an Italian gun battery when it was attacked by glider troops. A grenade thrown over-enthusiastically by none other than the 2 i/c of the Brigade inflicted stomach wounds. Maynard died later in hospital. There was an A S Guest (your father?) in Waco 47. See my reply [here] for what happened to 47.
Hi Ian,
Very informative information provided which is is helping alot of people
My Grandad Edward Lazenby was in B company South Staffs and took part in this operation and later Arnhem. I don’t know alot about my Grandads war experiences but I do know he said to my late dad thank God we had a Navy so Im assuming his glider may have landed in the sea? Any information would be greatfully received Thanks
Thanks Ian. I’m afraid I’m no help to you, as I can find no reference to a Lazenby in the records.
Hello, I’m trying to find a bit more information for a friend re her relative Gordon Samuel Badger, Private 4917930, 2nd Battalion (Airborne) South Staffordshire Regiment who died on 9th July 1943. I believe he was in D Company, Chalk No 4, reported as landed in the sea with Major Philip. Would you have anymore details please?
Thanks Graham. Your information is correct. Pte Badger got out of Waco 4, but his lifebelt was not inflated and he was wearing about 30 lbs of equipment, having not heard the order to release it. He was under the wing when suddenly the glider settled, forcing him underwater. He was not seen again.
Hi, I’ve just come across this superb website whilst researching my Grandad, Pt Arthur Sawyer, 2nd Battalion South Staffordshire, B Company. Service Number: 4919457
Grandad didn’t mention the war much at all, my Dad says he served at El Alamein, Norway, Arnhem, Caen and, as he possessed the Italy Star, Sicily.
We’re currently in dialogue with Whittington Barracks in an attempt to trace information, but he seems really elusive, which probably kept him alive! We are fairly sure he was B Company and know the research team have photos.
Any details would be hugely appreciated. We also know he was a driver for a Sgt Major Heapy.
Thanking you in advance, Paul
Hi Paul – No luck with Staffords records for Ladbroke, I’m afraid, but there are large gaps. CSM Heapey is mentioned in the war diary for Ladbroke as being in D Coy, but there is no record of which of the ten D Coy gliders he was in (6 of which landed in the sea). Other thoughts: I believe the Italy Star was also awarded for the Taranto operation (Slapstick). Caen seems unusual, as 1 Airborne Div took no part in D-Day Normandy. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Hi Ian, thank you so much for the very swift reply and for your time researching this, as mentioned, anything is incredibly appreciated as we really don’t know a lot about Grandad’s excursions!
I’m glad you found some information re: Heapey, perhaps he may be the key in finding out more when I get back in touch with Whittington? I know they have photos of all the companies before Ladbroke commenced, I’ll mention D Company, although Dad & I were under the vague impression Major Cain was my Grandad’s C.O. (he was at Market Garden).
Caen is a huge question mark admittedly, something that needs much deeper research. I was also under the impression he was at El Alamein as he got shot through the shoulder ‘in the desert’ (which desert though?), but it doesn’t make sense unless he was in a different unit.
So many small snippets and stories and we don’t really know much at all really!
In addition, one of his best friends was a chap called Harry Grainger, whom we can only presume was a Pt. in the South Staffs, again only a vague guess really.
Thanks once again Ian, huge thumbs up!
Hi Ian, having just come across this web site and read all the questions posted by other interested families, I hope you can give me some insight into a cousin who was killed on the 9th July 1943 while serving with the South Stafford, 2nd airbourne battalion Service Number: 4919074. His name is on panel 8 at the Cassino Memorial. Private William Fredrick Davies born 6 November 1919. Service Number: 4919074
Would be great to learn some more about him especially in light of reading so many of your replies to the multitude of questions posted on this site.
Many thanks
Jeffrey Morgan
Thanks Jeffrey. See my reply above to Alison Payne on 21 Feb 2021.