Private. Harris Levy. HQ-Company, 11th Parachute Battalion.

Harris Levy was born on the 30 September 1917, in London, [1] and was Jewish. Harris Levy enlisted into The King’s Royal Rifle Corps on the 15 February 1940. [2]
He did Parachute Course 57 at Ramat David, 1 to 11 August 1943. [3] He served in the Signals Platoon, Headquarter Company, 11th Parachute Battalion, probably as part of the ‘C’ Company Detachment, with his friend L/Cpl. Harold Cook.

On Monday, 18 September 1944, he took off in a Dakota aircraft of the 314th Troop Carrier Group, USAAF from Saltby aerodrome, bound for DZ. ‘Y’, at Ginkel Heath in Holland as part of Operation ‘Market-Garden’. He jumped successfully and made it to the RV.

He took part in the advance in to Arnhem, and the failed assault on Tuesday, 19 September, which saw the remnants of the 11th Parachute Battalion driven back to Oosterbeek. He along with RQMS. Dave Morris, Harold Cook, Jimmy Kerr and one other took up a defensive position in Vredehof House on the junction of Fangmanweg and Weverstraat.

They were to hold out here for five days, until overrun by German Forces, during which he was wounded in the legs. RQMS. Morris would write of him: “Your son’s conduct and courage was of the highest order and I was proud and honoured to fight with him. He stuck to his guns until he was carried out (wounded in both legs) and even then asked to go back”.

He was sent to the Kriegslazarett 4/686 in Apeldoorn, for treatment. Harris was then sent to Stalag 9C, at Bad Sulza in Germany, on the 15 October, and given the POW No.52901. [1]

Harris was discharged from the Army on the 14 November 1946. [2]

NOTES:
[1] German POW Cards.
[2] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer and Enlistment Book 13, page 13.
[3] Parachute Course Report. Ramat David.

Written and researched by Robert Hilton