Major Geoffrey Rothery

Geoffrey Rothery was born on the 29 June 1903.

Lieutenant. Geoffrey Rothery joined the 3rd Parachute Battalion at Hardwick Hall in Chesterfield on the 28th September 1941. He had come from The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

He was immediately promoted to Acting Major and took command of ‘C’ Company.

Upon completion of the selection and formation of ‘C’ Company he led them to R.A.F. Ringway to carry out Parachute Course No 3. This course was for the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 1st Parachute Brigade and it commenced on 5 December and was completed on 13 December 1941. The course comprised of 7 Officers and 235 men of the 2nd and  3rd Battalions, under the overall command of Major G Rothery of the 3rd Battalion. They carried out two descents from a balloon and five from Whitley aircraft to qualify as Army Parachutists.

‘C’ Company, like all others who attended a Parachute Course, were granted leave on completion and would join the rest of the 3rd Battalion at Wentworth Woodhouse, near Sheffield, where they had moved to and would remain for several months carrying out further training.

On the 24 February 1942 Major Rothery was posted to the Headquarters, 1st Parachute Brigade, at that time still located at Hardwick Hall.

In November 1942 he sailed to North Africa with the 1st parachute Brigade Headquarters, to take part in Operation ‘TORCH’.

On the 8 January Major Rothery joined the 2nd Parachute Battalion and took over command of ‘B’ Company, which was located in the Beja area of the front line in Tunisia.

Major Rothery was killed in action on 10 March 1943 aged 39 years. The son of William Umpleby Rothery and Clara Rothery and husband of Kathleen Rothery of Kirkburton, Yorkshire, he is buried in Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery in Tunisia, plot 4-A-4.