Pte Joseph Henry Birtles was the son of Joseph and Louisa Birtles, of Kidsgrove, Staffordshire.He was enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps and qualified as a military parachutist on course 32 which ran at RAF Ringway from 15 to 21 October 1942.

He subsequently served with 127 Parachute Field Ambulance and took part in the Italy campaign prior to deploying to the South of France for Operation Dragoon.

Pte Birtles died on 15 August 1944, aged 24 years, and is now buried in Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles.