The 7th Parachute Battalion (L.I.) was commanded by Lt. Colonel Geoffrey Pine Coffin. The 7th was originally the 10th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry but was changed over to the airborne role for future operations. It landed as part of the ^th Airbourne Div on the night of June 5/6 1944. Can you imagine jumping out of an airplane, at night, behind enemy lines with a name like Pine Coffin, that, my friends is tempting fate [ 22. January 2003, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: Smoke286 ]
What a horrible name... to have in such operations..I bet he was often said " Excuse me..." whenever he told what his name was!
Pine-Coffin's role on D Day was a little overshadowed by the actions around Pegasus Bridge. He and his men reached John Howard's Oxs & Bucks, and set up a defensive position at the crossroads in Benouville - they then held it until the Special Service Brigade arrived from Sword Beach. For his bravery as commander, Pine-Coffin was decorated -with the DSO I think. He survived the war and died in the 1990s; he was part of a long serving family. Two of his uncles died in WW1, and another relative with the RAF in 1943: GEOFFREY TRISTRAM PINE-COFFIN Sergeant 568487 Flt. Engr. 102 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died on Wednesday 14 July 1943 . Age 24. Cemetery: MAUBEUGE-CENTRE CEMETERY, Nord, France Son of William and Emily Pine-Coffin; husband of Bridget Pine-Coffin, of Chelsea, London.
There was an actor with the name of Tristram (SP?) Coffin---he was popular in the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. Most famous for doing many many Western movies and always as the bad guy. And he did several episodes with the Three Stooges--always as the bad guy.
