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Pte. Walter Jack Champion
British Army 5th Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment
from:Ryde, Isle of Wight
Walter Champion was working in his uncle's bakery (Wyatt’s) in Pangbourne, Berkshire, when called up. He had previously joined 4th (Pangbourne) Home Guard. He then joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 12th of December 1941 at Brock Barracks No. 17 Infantry Training School.
On D-Day, he landed on Juno Beach as part of No. 8 Beach Group and then served on the beach until 8th of August 1944, when he transferred to the 5th Dorsetshire Regiment. On 27th of August 1944, he was promoted to acting Lance Corporal but decided he preferred to "be one of the lads", as he put it. He served as batman to his company commander (possibly Major Meade, not sure). When his officer was posted to Division HQ, he was invited to go too as it would be safer, but he turned down this opportunity saying that if his mates had to face front-line danger then so should he.
When his battalion crossed the Rhine, he was on leave, but he was in the area around Hannover when Germans surrendered on VE Day. His battalion was the closest to the location of surrender.
He participated in the following actions:
- D-Day landings
- Falaise Gap.
- CrossIng the Seine at Vernon on 27 August 1944
- Market Garden with XXX Corps at Nijmegen.
- Various actions around southern Netherlands and Aachen
- Periphery of the Battle of the Bulge, covering US left flank.
- Tripsrath (Dorset Wood)
After the war, he served in Berlin and was transferred to HQ XXX Corps on 20th June 1946, just before 5th Dorsets were mothballed. During that time, he helped to guard Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison. On 18th October 1946, he demobbed and went into the Reserve.
He died in October 2014, just before his 92nd birthday. He was a great chap and a wonderful father-in-law to me.
