Lieutenant Howard T Walley

Howard Trevor Walley was born on the 24 January 1923, in Cardiff. He was educated at Sutton High School for Boys (1937-1939).  Howard was the son of Arthur Walley and Ethel Walley (nee Hitt). Stepson of Constance Walley of Plymouth.

He was granted an emergency commission, as a Second Lieutenant, in the Royal Regiment of Artillery on the 5th December 1942, and was promoted to war Substantive Lieutenant on the 5th June 1943.

On the 16 June 1943 he was attached to the 1st Airlanding Light Regiment, RA. whilst they were in North Africa. He remained with them until at least August and then at some stage after this was posted to the 64th Light Battery, RA in Italy. He was made the ‘A’ Troop Leader on the 5 June 1944. On the 21 June 1944, the Battery was assigned to the 2nd (Independent) Parachute Brigade Group, and was converted to an Airborne unit.

He is likely to have taken part in Operation ‘Dragoon’, in Southern France, in August 1944.

In October 1944 he sailed to Greece with the Battery, to support the 2nd (Ind) Para Bde Group, as part of Operation ‘Manna’. To begin with the British were well received by the Greeks as liberators, but after the Germans had been driven out of the country a civil war broke out. The 2nd (Ind) Para Bde Group found itself under fire in Athens and the 64th Battery was tasked with safeguarding certain key positions around the City. One of these was an Infantry Barracks, and early in the morning of the 13 December 1944, it came under attack and Lieut. Howard Walley was killed.

He is buried at PHALERON WAR CEMETERY, ATHENS, GREECE. 17. A. 10.

Note: On the official Casualty Reports he is still listed as 165th Field Regiment, RA. and he is incorrectly listed by the CWGC. as being attached to the 7th (US) Army.