Corporal Reginald Chick

Reginald Chick, born in Bedwellty, Monmouthshire, was the son of Ernest and Evelyn Beatrice (Tomkins) Chick, of Kettering, Northamptonshire. He married Nancy Winifred (Hold) Chick in July 1943. He enlisted in the Grenadier Guards and volunteered for Airborne Forces.

He successfully completed parachute training and was posted to B Squadron, 1st Special Air Service Regiment, Army Air Corps, where he took part in Operation Bulbasket. Corporal Chick was Captain John Tonkin's personal radio operator and was equipped with a two-way radio set. He was dropped in on the morning of 7 June 1944 north of Bouesse with the party of Lieutenant Tomos Stephens by a Stirling aircraft of 620 Squadron. The flight took off from RAF Fairford at 2240 hours and arrived at the DZ just over three hours later, dropping the men at 0151. This included eight troopers, Lieutenant Stephens and nine containers. 

Chick was murdered by a Nazi firing squad on 7 July 1944, aged 23 and is now buried in Rom Communal Cemetery, Southern France.