Colour Sergeant Joseph B Ponting

Joseph Bernard Ponting enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment.

He volunteered for airborne force in June 1943 and attended parachute training course number 73 at RAF Ringway from 19-28 July 1943. His course report stated ‘Pte Ponting: Cheerful, confident above average.’

Private Ponting was initially posted to the Airborne Forces Holding Unit before being posted to 3 Section, 1 Platoon, A Company The 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (3rd Para Bn).

He went to North Africa, arriving in late August 1943 and then on to Italy before returning to the UK in December 1943. Pte Ponting went with 3rd Para Bn on Operation Market Garden, jumping into Arnhem on 17 September 1944. He was taken a Prisoner of War. He was held in both Stalag 12A, at Limburg and Stalag 4B a huge camp of some 16,000 men at Mulhberg, Germany. He was eventually sent Stalag 4A in November 1944. Private Ponting escaped during the hunger march on 26 April 1945.

After the war Colour Sergeant Ponting served in Germany with 2 PARA.