The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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219151 Pte. Joseph Westby British Army 7th Battalion Parachute Regiment C Coy Durham Light Infantry from:Nottingham My dad, Joseph Westby wanted to be a soldier after seeing his uncle Joe in uniform - he had served in India. As he was too young to join up my Dad joined the Home Guard. When he was old enough he joined up with the Durham Light Infantry. He was sent to Sleaford, Lincolnshire where he did his sixteen weeks initial training. He was one of a group of six men who volunteered to join the Parachute Regiment. He was sent to Derbyshire for parachute training and on completion was posted to Bulford barracks in Wiltshire. His company was dropped into Normandy in the early hours of June 5th. Their objective was to secure the River Orne and the canal and to take out the enemy gun battery at Morville. He returned to England in September 1944. In December 1944 he was married. In March 1945 he was hospitalised in Belgium having sustained a broken leg. He was demobbed in 1946 and returned to Nottingham, where he still lives. G Westby Add to this record.  Related Content: Parachute Regiment Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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