Lance Sergeant Ronald A L Golden

Ronald Arthur Leslie Golden from Southsea, Portsmouth enlisted into The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers as a boy soldier on 7 March 1934. He enlisted when he was 15 years and 5 months of age, then a school boy from a children’s home.

Boy Soldier Golden was posted to China in October 1934.

He was appointed an Acting Bandsman on 10 October 1936 while serving in Malaya. Where he was later posted to 1st Bn, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 31 May 1937.

On 27 October 1938, his eighteenth birthday, he became Fusilier Golden and was posted to India.

Whilst in Delhi Lance Corporal Golden volunteered for airborne forces in January 1942 and was posted to The 151st Parachute Battalion. (151 Para Bn) 151 Para Bn was re-designated 156 Parachute Battalion and joined the 4th Parachute Brigade at Kabrit in Egypt in 1943.

In October 1944 L/Cpl Golden was posted to the Depot Airborne Forces and then two months later to The 9th (Essex) Parachute Battalion (9 Para Bn).

He was accidently injured while on duty and admitted to M H Tidworth (Military Hospital) in November 1944, while there he was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and he returned to his unit by January 1945.

He was promoted to Acting Corporal in the end of January 1945 and married Audrey Golby at the Registrar Office Chesterfield on 24 February 1945.

Cpl Golden went on Operation Varsity (the Rhine Crossing) in March 1945, and then the Advance to the Baltic. He was then promoted to Lance Sergeant.

Whilst serving back in the UK he was posted to the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment in July 1945 and went to Parachute Depot in January 1946 at Hardwick Hall and was demobbed later that month.