Private Leslie Gouldthorpe

Les Gouldthorpe was born in 1923 in Scunthorpe and worked as a herdsman prior to enlistment into the Army.

He was attested into 70th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment on 19 December 1941 and completed his basic training at the 22nd Infantry Training Centre, Warwick, in early 1942.

Les was posted to The Dorset Regiment briefly in 1943 before a further transfer to The Army Air Corps and worked for one year at The Depot and School Airborne Forces until a posting back to the Dorsets in March 1944.

For the next few months he worked at No 2 Infantry Training Centre on permanent attachment to 8th Battalion, The Devon Regiment, and was posted to 4th Battalion, The Dorset Regiment for overseas service in August 1944.

Les then fought in the campaigns in North West Europe with the battalion from Normandy through to the Weser. During these operations his battalion was involved as ground forces in Operation Market Garden advancing through Nijmegen and assisting in the recovery of the remnants of the 1st British Airborne Division across the Rhine on 25/26 September 1944.

He returned to the UK in June 1945 and shortly after transferred to 4th Battalion, The Devon Regiment, with whom he remained until demobilisation in 1946.