Captain. James Roland Elliott was a member of 2^nd (Oban) Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery, RA.

James Elliott was born on the 13 September 1916 and came from Riversdale, Strabane in Northern Ireland.

He served in the 188^th (Antrim) Fortress Battery, RA. (TA) for two years (1937 – 1939), and was then granted a commission, as a Second Lieutenant, in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (Supplementary Reserve of Officers) on the 1 April 1939.

James served in the 8^th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, which was mobilized on the 24 August 1939, with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in France and Flanders in 1940. He was an early volunteer for Britain’s Airborne Forces, and served as a Parachute Training Officer at, what was then called the Central Landing Establishment, RAF Ringway, from 1941 to 1942.

On the 1 August 1942 he was formally transferred to The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps. He was posted to the 2^nd Parachute Battalion on the 25 December 1942. At this time they were in Tunisia in North Africa, and fighting in the ‘line’ as ordinary infantry. The War Diary states: ‘Capt. JR Elliott, MBE and 47 OR’s joined Bn at J. 2153 as reinforcements. This party left UK on 27 Nov, landed at Algiers on 6 Dec and reached 2 Bn via No 1 IBD [Infantry Base Depot] (Fort de Leau) and HQ 3^rd Bn Para Regt.’

He had been awarded the MBE for his service as a Parachute Training Officer.

He had been promoted to War Substantive Lieutenant on the 24 November 1940, and then to the rank of Temporary captain at the same time. However, on arrival in the 2^nd Parachute battalion he had to revert to the rank of Lieutenant.

His rank of Temp/Captain was restored when he took over the post of Adjutant on the 9 March 1943. He served through the rest of the Tunisian campaign, but missed the parachute operation in Sicily (July 1943), due to a motorbike accident, so he was placed in charge of the 1^st Reinforcements. By August 1943 he had been posted out of the 2^nd Parachute Battalion and appears to have taken up a post as a Liaison Officer to the American Airborne Forces.

He was posted to the 2^nd (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, RA on the 8 January 1944, where he took over as Second-in-Command and Battery Captain ‘O’ (Operations).

On Monday, 18 September 1944, Capt Elliott, along with five men, a jeep and trailer were loaded on board a Horsa glider at RAF Blakehill Farm, ready to take part in the 2^nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’. Their glider was being piloted by S/Sgt. R Browne and Sgt S Auty of 5 Flight, ‘D’ Squadron, The Glider Pilot Regiment and was Chalk Number 773. The Dakota tug-aircraft was from 233 squadron, RAF and being flown by Flt/Lieut A Cody, DFC, DFM. However, due to mechanical trouble with the glider the Dakota/Horsa combination was forced to land prematurely at Andrews Field aerodrome, near Chelmsford. The load was transferred to the Dakota which returned to Blakehill Farm later that same day (16.25 hours). Here they were allocated a reserve glider, and both glider pilots and their passengers would take off with the 3^rd Lift.

Flying Officer Alan Hollingsworth was the Navigator aboard this aircraft: “Towing a heavily loaded glider in formation in a Dakota was always a slow tedious process and very exacting on both the pilot of the tug and the glider pilot, especially in the turbulence inevitably generated by a large formation. Just as we were approaching the coast of Essex we hit a very heavy patch of bumps and our glider had to let go. He glided down and landed at the US 8th Air Force base at Andrews Field near Chelmsford. We followed him down hoping that we would be able to take off again and re-join the formation. Unfortunately one of the tow-rope connectors was damaged in the landing process and after spending the afternoon watching the great ‘Balbo’ flying overhead, we loaded the contents of the Horsa into our aircraft and flew back to Blakehill Farm. By the time we had transferred the load to another Horsa it was too late to take off again that day and we had to wait until the morrow- Tuesday, 19 September”. ^[1]

The Unit War Diary states: ‘Air passage from Britain to Holland was fairly successful.  During the passage to the Landing Zone four gliders fell short; one, containing 2 i/c Bty, came down in England.’

On the next day, Tuesday, 19 September, their ‘new’ glider, but with the same glider and tug crew took off again, Flying Officer Alan Hollingsworth: “The rest of the Squadron was stood down that day and we took off alone for Arnhem towing our new glider. We were instructed to arrive over a place called s’Hertogenbosch at 1600 hours and join a formation of Stirlings to fly into the LZ at Arnhem with them in case there was ground fire. (Until this time operation MARKET GARDEN had been largely peaceful - none of the aircraft in our Group (No.46) had even been shot at.) We duly made our way to s’Hertogenbosch and we were overtaken by the promised Stirlings as we flew on into the Arnhem area.

 As we approached the LZ there was very heavy light-flak and we were hit several times and so was the glider we were towing. The intercom through the tow rope went dead, the glider turned over on its back and dived into the ground (*). We followed him down and then hedgehopped back to Nijmegen. From there we flew on to our base at Blakehill Farm at normal height. When we taxied in from the runway, we were conscious of a noise like a shower bath and a strong smell of Avgas. The tower ordered us to switch off all electrics and leave the aircraft at once .... ‘Uncle Fox’s’ wing tanks had been perforated like a colander and until we landed, air pressure had kept the fuel from leaking out. And, quite unknowing, we had smoked all the way home .... We certainly were badly holed and it remained a crew joke for months afterwards that the aircraft batteries under the navigator’s seat saved my manhood”. ^[1]

(*) Note: Although hit by flak the glider landed okay, and the passengers were able to unload the jeep and trailer.

He was taken prisoner on the 20 September and sent to Oflag 79 in Germany.

After the war he served in various officers posts in the Territorial Army or the Reserves until at least 1959, and retired with the rank of Major.

James Roland Elliott died on the 18 March 1985 in the Isle of Man.

NOTES:

[1] ‘Tugs and Gliders to Arnhem’, by Arie-Jan van Hees.

Written and researched by R Hilton.