Sapper Arthur William Peachey

Arthur William Peachey was a sapper with the 3rd Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers. He completed his jump training at Ringway, Manchester as part of course 62 from the 26th of April 1943 to the 4th of May 1943. He received an extremely high recommendation which reads "Good performer. Jumped extremely well. Best in section". 

Peachey dropped into Normandy during Operation Overlord with the task of destroying the bridge at Troarn as part of the 3rd Squadron's no.1 troop (which also included Tim "Rosie" Roseveare as OC). However, there was considerable confusion as it emerged the 3rd Para Squadron RE had jumped over the wrong DZ. After Captain Roseveare managed to organise a rendesvouz and commandeer a jeep from the RAMC, Peachey was one of several men to join him en route to the bridge at Troarn according to the plan. As Major Shave describes:

"The O.C. with Dave Breeze, Sergeant hannah, Lance-Sergeant Irving and Lance-Corporal Knight, Sappers Moon and Peachey, disappeared in a cloud of dust, their jeep bristling with automatic weapons". 

Whilst Sapper Moon was left behind by accident at a barbed wire roadblock, the jeep continued rapidly onto Troarn, which was now on high alert after the men were forced to shoot a German sentry. Roseveare later recalled:

"There seemed to be a boche in every doorway shooting like mad. However, the boys got to work with their Sten guns and Sapper Peachey did very good work as rear gunner with the Bren gun". 

Leaving Troarn, the heavily encumbered jeep (carrying half a ton of explosives) began careering across the road as it made use of a steep hill to escape. This effect was even more accentuated in the trailer, in which the unfortunate Peachey with his Bren gun was a passenger. Peachey was thrown from the vehicle, fracturing his ribs and subsequently forced to hide from the Germans. Sergeant Hannah claimed that he "was, by this time, perched on the tow bar between the keep and trailer; he swore that if he had not been there the trailer would have been lost".

After being found Peachey was taken prisoner, recovering in Rennes military hospital before being sent to the POW camp Stalag XII-D. He was mentioned in dispatches "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services" in the London Gazette, dated 22nd March 1945.