Private Gordon Elliott

Gordon Elliott joined the Navy as a boy sailor during The Second World War but ‘jumped ship’ to volunteer for airborne forces.

Private ‘Snowy’ Elliott qualified as a military parachutist on course 150 which ran at RAF Ringway from 24 January to 8 February 1945. The course report states: ‘Pte Elliott, Tried and worked hard throughout the course.’

He was then posted to 4 Platoon, B Company, 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion (7th Para Bn) He took part in the Rhine Crossing on Operation Varsity and the Advance to the Baltic.

After campaigns in North West Europe Pte Elliott went with 7th Para Bn to the Far East and then Palestine.

Although he was not a Normandy Veteran, up until ill health prevented he was a frequent visitor to Normandy on 6 June, where he was able to meet his former 7th Battalion colleagues. Both he and his wife Joan were well known in 7th Battalion circles and were the unofficial 7th Battalion historians/archivists; having been acknowledged for supplying relevant information regarding the history of that Battalion. His heart and soul was with the 7th and the Parachute Regiment.

Gordon died 21 October 2014.