Private William McCutcheon

William ‘Bill’ McCutcheon was born on the 22 June 1918, and originally enlisted into the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the 20 August 1937, in Glasgow. His service book states he was a 'barman' before enlisting. [1]  [2]
He served with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers, in India, from the 6 September 1938, until the 7 November 1940, when he returned to the United Kingdom. [2]
He volunteered for Parachute Duties and served with ‘L’ Troop, in the 11th Special Air Service Battalion in 1942. [2]
When the 11th SAS Battalion was being converted to the 1st Parachute Battalion, in August 1941, Fusilier. William McCutcheon was posted to 14 Platoon, under the command of 2/Lieut. WH Ewart-James, as part of ‘U’ Company. This Company did not last for long, as it was broken up, and the men posted to other parts of the Battalion. [3]

In early 1942, and by now under the new rank of Private, William McCutcheon became part of No 1 Detachment of the Mortar Section, attached to ‘T’ Company, 1st Parachute Battalion. With them he went to North Africa in November 1942, to take part in Operation ‘TORCH’. [4]

He fought right through the North African campaign, in Tunisia, which saw all Axis Forces surrender in May 1943. It is not known if he took part in the parachute operation in Sicily, in July 1943. However, he did take part in Operation ‘Slapstick’, which was a naval landing by the 1st Airborne Division at the Italian port of Taranto in September 1943. By this time he was serving in the Mortar Platoon. [5]

He returned to the United Kingdom with the 1st Parachute Battalion in December 1943. Whilst he was based at Grimsthorpe Castle, which was where the Headquarters of the 1st Parachute Battalion was based, along with Headquarter Company, ‘Bill’ would visit the nearest town of Bourne. This is where he met his future wife.

At some stage he undertook a Drivers Course, passed and was posted to the 1st Parachute Brigade Headquarters, Motor Transport Section. With them he went with the 1st Sea Tail to France on the 15 August 1944, as a follow-up to any airborne operation that was launched. [2] This turned out to be Operation ‘Market-Garden’, and the Sea Tail moved all the way up to Nijmegen in Holland, before the remnants of the 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn across the Lower Rhine. He returned, with the Sea Tail, to the United Kingdom on the 5 October 1944. [2]
On the 8 May 1945 he went with the 1st Parachute Brigade Headquarters to Denmark, to oversea the surrender of the German occupying forces there. He again returned to the United Kingdom on the 4 June 1945. [2]

He was released to the Section ‘B’ Reserves on the 29  April 1946. [1] William McCutcheon died in 1987.

NOTES:
[1] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer and Enlistment Book 04, page 14.
[2] Discharge and Service Book. 1946.
[3] War Diary. 1st Parachute Battalion. August – October 1941.
[4] War Diary and Order Of Battle. 1st Parachute Battalion. 1942.
[5] Nominal Roll. 1st Parachute Battalion. September 1943.