Private James A Pleasance

James Anthony Pleasance enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps and volunteered for airborne forces in early in 1942.

Private Pleasance attended parachute training course number 12 at RAF Ringway, between 20 March and 1 May 1942 and was posted to 16 Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC (16 PFA).

He served in North Africa on Operation Torch and Sicily on Operation Husky, after returning to North Africa he took part in the invasion of Italy in September 1943, travelling by seaborne flotilla to Taranto in support of the rest of 1st Airborne Division on the East coast of Italy.

In September 1944 he jumped into Arnhem on Operation Market Garden where he was taken a Prisoner of War.

At Arnhem 16 PFA lost five men and the entirety of those remaining were taken prisoner. One of those killed was Pte Pleasance's best friend Pte Alfred ' Stan' Hope.

Pte Pleasance was sent to Stalag 8C in Sagan, Poland.