7th Bn., Parachute Regiment, A.A.C.

Hi Michael

My late Father, Frederick Edward Adams served under your GrandFather in the 7th (LI) Battalion. I know he was at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day and I had the honour to accompany him to the 60th anniversary celebrations before he passed away last August. I've gathered a fair bit of info about that particular campaign but am very vague about the rest of his military service apart from knowing he was involved at Arnhem and the Rhine jump. I was wondering if i may take you up on your very kind offer and ask if you (or indeed anyone else that may be able to help) could search your records for me? I believe he was in A coy and have his army number if that is any help?

Thanking you so much.

Wendy Adams

 

Hi All

Well after much googling I have finally found this wonderful forum. My Grandfather - CQMS Stanley C Savill (3244621) also served under Lt Col Pine-Coffin. He was killed on the 14th June 1944 (I believe near Ranville where he was buried). My Grandmother (now 93) was 6 months pregnant with my mother at the time. We have the battallion photograph (the big long one) complete with signatures on the back of some of his closest comrades. My mother also has the letters of sympathy from Lt Col Pine-Coffin and one from Maj Steele Baume. I suspect there may be some more letters. I would desperately like to hear any information on my grandfather. We got back from Normandy last month, with a couple of copies of "The Tale of Two Bridges", and are slowly working through it.

Thanks again, Steve.

 

Steve,
Some time ago I gained the following information from Terry Martin.who was the C Company C.S.M. and was with Stan Savill when he was killed on the 14th June 1944.

C.S.M. Martin and C.Q.M.S. Stan Savill were standing in the yard of a stud farm in the village of Herouvillette, whilst in the process of organising a hot meal for the men, a salvo of shells exploded killing C.Q.M.S. Savill and wounding C.S.M. Martin, two other men were also wounded.

Wendy,
Have sent you an email requesting your father's regimental number, as there were several men called Adams in the battalion.

Yours
Michael

 

Hello, I have just read this thread regarding the 7th battalion Parachute Regiment. Of particular interest was the post on 11th November 2008 by Pmcleary regarding the death of his uncle Shane Kearney.
My father was present at this sad event and told me about it a few times. Because Lt. Kearney was such a popular young officer I believe it affected a number of people greatly.
From what I can gather he was very close to battalion HQ when he received a small shrapnel wound high up in his groin. This severed the artery there and despite the ministrations of many members of the regiment, including senior officers he could not be treated. I think what a lot of people felt at the time was such an inocuous wound should not have led to his death. Apparently the medic there was trying to shape a cork from a bottle to try and plug the wound, of course this proved fruitless.
My father told me about it because he said such concern was being shown to Lt. Kearney that the direction of the fight they were involved in at the time virtually came to a standstill as senior officers tried to help.

Sorry if my info is distressing to Pmcleary, or anyone else, but I thought there may be interest in learning how this brave soldier lost his life.
(My father was CQMS Bill Cooper)
Regards Matt Cooper

 

Thank you Matt Cooper for the information relating to the sad death of my Great-Uncle, Lt Shane B. Kearney 7th Bn.
There is somewhere in our family, with one of his surviving sisters, a letter from a sergeant in his battalion which is completely in line with what you said; I wonder if it may have been from your father.
Having served since September 1939, Shane was killed as the result of a ricochet in the closing stages of action in Operation Varsity near Hammelkind only a couple of months from the end of the war.
We understand that he and his company were clearing a wood. At the apparent end of the exchange Shane stood up to lead the advance and was hit by a fluke ricochet which made his death which followed a while after in the company of his friends and fellow Paras all the more tragic.
As you infer, he remained conscious throughout and it must have been a desperate situation but the letter refers to his dignity and calmness; again things which had a profound affect on his helpless friends around him.
Shane was also my father's godfather and uncle and we have cherished his memory through the generations of our family.
He was a scholar and a fine sportsman as well as being by all accounts from those who knew and served with him an outstanding young man with so much to live for.
He joined the ranks of the London Irish Rifles at the very outbreak of the war and later the Parachute Regiment on its inception fighting in Italy, D-Day (7th bn fought at Pegasus Bridge) and the Ardennes at the Battle of the Bulge before falling in Operation Varsity.
He was promoted through the ranks to officer and was posthumously mentioned in despatches.
He joined up in early September 1939 with his two brothers, Brendan and Tom. Brendan, a boxing champion and rugby player died on manoeuvres with the Irish Guards Armoured Regiment in similarly tragic circumstances surrounded by his friends following a fluke accident.
Tom was also in the Irish Guards and fought with the Chindits Special Forces in Burma and was the only one of the brothers to survive the war. Both were sergeants and I understand all three brothers played for Barnet Rugby Club.
The Kearneys were immensely proud of their Irish Catholic heritage. Brendan's wife was pregnant at the time of his death. Brendan was convinced the baby was a boy and called him Kevin. In fact the baby born after his death was a girl and her first born was a boy, whom she named Kevin and so the wheel turns.
Their sister was my grandmother Isabella: deputy headmistress of the Sacred Heart Convent in Upminster. Pmcleary's - my father's cousin - mother was another sister, Peggy.
Their father John, whose name I carry, was a District Inspector with the RIC. A book has been written about him and his relationship with Sir Roger Casement, whom he befriended in custody.
Shane's Major would have been the later actor Richard Todd, who recently died, and one morning two years ago on Regent Street I met an old Para collecting for Poppies who was an RSM in 6th airborne and enplaned the same time as Shane for D-Day - he was brave and fortunate enough to have lived 60 years longer than my uncle and I wondered how many of 6th Airborne may still be able to remember Shane or to have served with him.
We especially remember Shane and his comrades who fought with him at this time: March 25th 2010; the 65th anniversary of Operation Varsity and will visit Shane at Reichswald on Saturday March 27th, the anniversary of his death at the age of 26, to pay our great thanks and deep respect for his life and sacrifice and the lives and sacrifices of the brave men and women with whom he fell.
With oak leaves and in remembrance: Shane Brendan Kearney.
David J. A Butler (Kearney)

 

John Humphreys was my Grandfathers cousin. He did not die as a result of injury during the the war, but sadley as a result of being knocked down in a traffic accident shortly after returning from Dieppe. I am currently compiling a family tree and found this out by tracing the family back to The Bull and Butcher which the family ran many years ago ! Hope this helps.

 

Hello,
Would anyone happen to have any information regarding Jack Hawley or Nicky Archdale. They were apparently friends of my uncle's (Lt. Shane Kearney) from the 7th.
Thank you, Robert Burkhart

 

Robert,
Nick was the only officer to have gone through the whole of the war with 7 Para without being wounded, if you want me to pass on your details please email them to me.
Yours
Michael

 

RE Cpl. J F Chalmers 7386532 RAMC attd 7th Bn The Parachute Reg.


In respect of the above. I just thought I would mention I will attending the 70th birthday party of the son of Cpl. James Chalmers later next month. His wife is still alive, and will be 93 in May. Does anybody know if the book A Tale of Two Bridges is still available. I like to be able to give him more info. on a Father he never knew. Although I know with passage this may no longer be possible.

 

Dear Lou,

Thanks for that. No new editions, but I have got a almost new copy of Amazon

Mark.

 

A very interesting thread thanks for posting the information and helping out Michael.

I have been travelling to Normandy for the D Day commemorations for many years , formerly with my great friend John " Monty " Montgomery from A Company who has sadly now passed away , every year Monty would visit the grave of Bill Bowyer at the Church at Benouville and i have carried on that tradition. Monty was in Benouville with Lt Hunter i believe.

Usually we meet up with Cyril Cook and other veterans from 12th Bn.

Monty presented a photograph of his platoon which had all the names on the back to Arlette Gondree on the 60th anniversary , it was still in the Cafe last june.

best regards

Paul

 

Dear MICHAEL PINE-COFFIN,
My name is Justin and I have been researching the history of my Grandfather’s army career. After some years now, I have found out he was in the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Battalion.
My Grandfather never spoke about his time in the army apart from when he would have a drink or two and even then it would be the smallest pieces of information. One piece of information he would talk about was when he got injured by shrapnel but he could only remember being in a wet and muddy trench after being hit by the shrapnel.
I know from his service book that he fought in two campaigns, 25/12/1944 and 24/3/1945 North West Europe.
After reading your post dating September 13[SUP]th[/SUP] 2008, re: 7thBn, parachute regiment A.A.C, I noticed the actual accounts of L/Sgt Doug Simmons, he mentioned where he was hit by shrapnel and had to dive through a hedge into a muddy ditch, once in the trench he mentioned there was a man in the trench with him, named pte Bullock.
My Grandfathers name is Ronald Francis Frederick Bullock, I am hoping that you could help me further as I feel I have so much to learn. Any information would be highly appreciated.
If you think I could help you with any information I may have, then please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thank you
Justin….

 

Justin,
I Have Pte 14642780 R Bullock. Next of Kin. Wife Mrs Bullock 99, Moorfield Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry. He completed Parachute course 97.

L/Sgt Doug Simmons was a section commander in 7 Platoon and Sgt Cox was the Platoon Sgt of 7 Platoon.

Plane Chalk number 210 contained Sgt Cox, L/Sgt Simmons and Pte 14642780 R Bullock, Cpl Christopher and Pte Hillyard who both were killled on the 27/03/1945 were also in this stick.

I suspect that this is your grandfather, yours Michael

 

Michael,
That's all correct and i can't thank you enough for the information.
This means that i have the right battalion and i can now continue with my search for more info on what my Grandfather did during the war.
I still need to resource the information on the 24,25 and 26/3/1945, If you know of anywhere i can get this information from it would be much appreciated.
Thanks again, Yours Justin

 

Hi,
I recently visited Pegasus Bridge en route to the ferry and wished I had done some preparation. My father's cousin was C.S.M Clifford Martin and between us we have possibly identified him as being with "C" Coy. He didn't speak much about his war service but said that he jumped into France at 00.20 on 6 June, his plane was hit as he jumped and he took some time to find his unit. He was then wounded in the chest and arm and evacuated on 17 June. I have found lots of interesting possible links on this and other sites but some inconsistencies (for example he is nicknamed Terry or Jerry which we never heard of). My dad had managed to identify him in the large battalion photograph taken in May 1944. If anyone has any information on him it would be really great to hear it as my Dad would be interested and so would I when I revisit the area am able to properly educate my children.

At the risk of repeating myself, here is an extract of my dad eulogy for Cliff when he died in 2007

"1st September 1939 Cliff joined the Somerset Light Infantry. The B E F used many commandeered civilian vehicles and left a trail of broken down and damaged trucks all over France. Cliff was one of the young men sent as a general help to a RAOC unit picking up the pieces, like Frank he was evacuated from Brest and arrived at Plymouth. He was asked by the RTO for home and Regiment, ''Devon & Somerset''- get on that train son, almost nonstop to Scotland.

He was on leave when his Battalion became 7th Bn (Light Infantry) Parachute Regiment, asked why he volunteered, he didn’t a friend did it for him. I was very proud as a school boy to hear him on BBC Radio Reconnaissance give a talk on the Parachute Regiment.

He left RAF Fairford (a CSM by then) at 23.30 on 5th June 1944, landing near Caen at 00.20. His aircraft had been hit and with others he was separated from his Coy, rejoined, was wounded in arm and chest and evacuated 17/6/44, the Battalion returned to UK in Sept '44.

On Christmas Eve 1944 the Battalion, with other British regiments, were sent to the Ardennes to assist the Americans, they returned to UK in February 1945. He took part in the Rhine Crossing, jumping at 10.15 on 23rd March 1945 near Hamminkeln, returning to UK in May 1945. I extracted some info from him in our regular talks but he would not divulge any more. I often asked about the famous British actor who was an officer in his Bn and said recently that he was the first man to jump, Cliff reckoned that as MTO your man was probably the last. Cliff said I will put it this way ''the actor was never invited to the top table at Reunions''. One of Cliff's last parades in the Army was to act as Right Marker for the Airborne contingent on the Victory Parade."

Look forward to hearing from anyone

Mark

 

Mark,
I did have the pleasure to speak on the phone with Terry Martin in 2005. I believe it was his daughter who answered the phone and told me that I had the wrong number as no Terry lived at the address. Luckily she clicked that Clifford was also known as Terry during his army days. No one seems to know why he was called Terry but it was quite common to have nick names etc. I can confirm that 5674525 CSM Martin had the initials C.E. But was always known as Terry, in fact this is the first time that I have discovered that his first name was Clifford. He was on Jump course 41 and was described as being very good.

He was with C Company through out the war. I can not give you the exact chalk number of his plane for D-Day, but he was in either stick 127,128,129,130,131 or 133, these sticks were allocated to C Company, they were meant to be the first to land and then rush to the Bridges to relieve the OX and Bucks. Many of the men in C Company were from the Ox and Bucks, including the O.C Major Bartlett, who was also in Terry's stick . In fact most were dropped North of the DZ. Terry confirm that the stick were in the process of jumping when the plane was hit and not all the stick got out including him as the pilot took evasive action. When he did finally jump he landed miles away amongst the 3 rd Parachute Brigade, he was on his own and the first man he met was Brigadier Hill. He spent several days fighting with the 3rd Parachute Brigade before returning to 7 Para.

Richard Todd is recorded as being Number one in chalk 134, which was also my grandfather's plane. So he would have been the first man to have jumped from that plane, I have the details of this plane as some of the men were captured and debriefed after the war and the full details of the stick were recorded at the time. Richard Todd became the transport officer later on in the war.

Terry jumped on the Rhine drop in stick 208.

I have him on the April 1944 photograph sitting third row up on the right hand side, he is the third soldier to the right of the officers, who are wearing ties.

Hope this is useful, I also have a picture of Terry on the ranges and one taken in Germany.

Yours
Michael

 

Hi Michael, Having just joined this site I was intrested in your post,I have in the past 6 months found a branch of the family that was unkown to us and my second cousin L/Cpl Alfred Henry James Beard died on the D Day landings and am trying to find out about his time in the 7th

regards
Flyingfish 1304

 

L/Cpl 5678355 Beard was killed when his plane was shot down on D-Day. His stick contained men from the Mortar Platoon and the Machine Gun Platoon. All the occupants of the plane were killed and are now buried at La Delivrande.

I am afraid that I have very little information on him, I can tell from his service number that he was from the Somerset Light Infantry and was probably from the original 10th Battalion.

I do have a list of the other men in the same plane and should be able to work out which platoon he was in. I might have a photograph as well, which was taken on a training exercise in Wales however I do not have it to hand at the moment. Can you please email me, if you want a copy of the photo, which was a group photograph of either the machine gunners or the mortar men who were killed in this plane.
Yours
Michael

 

Thanks michael thats more than we knew, my E Mail is flyingfish1304@btinternet.com Many thanks

Dave