Private Horace Robinson

Horace Robinson, was the son of William Henry and Agnes Robinson, of Barnsley, Yorkshire; husband of Nellie Louise Robinson, of Smithies, Barnsley. He enlisted into the Durham Light Infantry in June 1941, but later transferred to The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and was serving with the 2nd/4th Battalion when he volunteered for Airborne Forces.

The 2nd/4th Bn, KOYLI was part of the 138th Infantry Brigade, 46th Infantry Division in the United Kingdom, from 1940, and had sailed for North Africa to take part in Operation ‘Torch’, in January 1943.

Horace did Parachute Course K41 in Palestine, 13 to 19 May 1943.

He was a member of the Defence Platoon, 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters on Operation ‘Slapstick’, which was the naval landing by the 1st Airborne Division at the Italian port of Taranto in September 1943.

He was killed in action on the road south of Castellaneta on the 11 September 1943. He was 33 years old when he was killed.

Horace now lies at rest in Bari War Cemetery, II. A. 20.

NOTE: From available Records it appears that the men of the Defence Platoon, 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters were not shown as members of The Parachute Regiment until late 1944. Therefore Pte. Robinson and his five comrades killed on the 11/09/1943 are only shown as attachments on the CWGC web-site.