Ronald Michael Scott was born in Bombay, India on the 1 July 1916. He was of Anglo-Indian origin.

In 1939, he travelled from his then home, Johannesburg, up to Aden, at the outbreak of war, to enlist.

He joined the Royal Artillery on the 2 September 1939, and served in the 9^th Heavy Battery of the 5^th Heavy Regiment, R.A. in Aden. ^[1a]

He was serving in the 5^th Coastal Defence Regiment, R.A. in the Middle East when he volunteered for Airborne Forces in 1943. ^[1b]

He joined the 11^th Parachute Battalion in Palestine and did Parachute Course 59 at Ramat David, 9^th – 21^st August 1943. His age was recorded as 27 at the time, and he was one of 47 men from the battalion on the course, of whom 40 passed and qualified as Army Parachutists. ^[2]

Upon completion he was assigned to ‘B’ Company.

In December 1943 the battalion returned to the United Kingdom, and were initially billeted in the Leicestershire area, with ‘B’ Company at Kibworth, but from early May 1944, they were billeted in Welby Lane Camp, Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire.

On Monday, 18 September 1944 he took off from Saltby aerodrome in a Dakota aircraft of the 314^th Troop Carrier Group, U.S.A.A.F. bound for D.Z. ‘Y’ at Ginkel Heath in Holland as part of Operation ‘Market’.

He jumped successfully, and took part in the following Battle of Arnhem, including being a part of ‘Lonsdale’ Force, before withdrawing back across the Lower Rhine on the night of the 25^th/26^th September 1944.

After he’d had his survivors leave, he was promoted and, ‘his first order was to guard young paras, who had refused to go to Arnhem. Ron refused to do this, so was broken down and sent back to the Royal Artillery. The remainder of his war was spent in the Runstedt push [what became known as the Battle of the Bulge] ending in Cologne.’ ^[3]

He transferred back to the Royal Artillery on the 8 November 1944. ^[1b]

‘Ron and married Jean in August 1946, having six children between them and living in Kibworth in one of the new houses that had been ‘built for heroes’. He worked as a railway signalman until 2 years before his death on 11th December 1982, aged 66 years.

‘He went back to Arnhem only once in 1980, for a commemoration event, where he tried to find the grave of his friend James ‘Ginger’ Odell, who he had been with when he was killed during the battle. Sadly, he never found it.’ ^{[3] & [4]}

NOTES:

[1a] Royal Artillery, Transfer & Enlistment Book.

[1b] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer & Enlistment Book 14, page 11.

[2] Parachute Course Report. Ramat David. August 1943.

[3] From his daughter, Shelley Marsden. 23 June 2026.

[4] 6089728. Pte. James Edward O’Dell. KIA: 20-21 September 1944. First buried beside Ploegsweg, Oosterbeek. Now Arnhem/Oosterbeek War Cemetery 26. B. 17.

Written and researched by Robert Hilton