Private Richard E Jesson

Richard Elmer Jesson was born and lived in Vancouver, Canada. He was a Diesel Mechanic and enlisted in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps on 1 August 1941. He was 5’ 6 “, 147 pounds, Brown Hair, Grey Eyes, with 20/20 vision.

Private Jesson successfully completed parachute training at Fort Benning on 14 October 1943 and joined 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. He sailed from Halifax, Canada, to Liverpool, England and jumped with the Battalion into France on 6 June 1944 as part of Operation Overlord (Normandy Landings).

Pte Jesson was killed in action on 17 August 1944, aged 23, and is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial to the missing.

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