William Robert Fletcher, son of William and Mary Fletcher and husband of Joan Fletcher, of Anfield, Liverpool, enlisted into The West Yorkshire Regiment and later volunteered for airborne forces.Corporal Fletcher successfully completed parachute training on course number 134 at RAF Ringway, from 16 September to 6 October 1944. His course report stated ‘good example in stick, good performer’, he was then posted to 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion.

He took part in the 6th Airborne response to the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes during Winter 1944-5.

Cpl Fletcher was killed in action on 6 January 1945, aged 25, and was buried in Bure, Tellin, (Belgium) temporary burial ground. He was later reinterred in Hotton War Cemetery on 21 May 1947.