Private Raymond Morris

Private Raymond Morris was the son of Archibald and Edith Morris, and husband of Doris Morris, of Harding, Yorkshire. After initial enlistment as part of the Royal Armoured Corps, he transferred to 11th Parachute Battalion. Serving with the 11th Battalion, part of 4th Parachute Brigade, Private Morris emplaned with the main body of the Battalion at RAF Saltby on 18 September 1944 bound for Arnhem, during the Second Lift of Op Market.

The Battalion dropped at approx 14:30, and remained on the drop zone until approx 17:30, when orders where received to proceed into Arnhem under command of the 1st Parachute Brigade. Marching all night, the Battalion arrived in the area of the St Elizabeth's Hospital where they 'dug-in' in the grounds of the Hospital, and the surrounding area.

Following a number of confused hours without communications and in danger of being surrounded, the Battalion was ordered to withdraw to the Oosterbeek area were they formed part on the defensive perimeter. The Battalion remained here in constant action until they were evacuated on the night of the 25-26th September.
 
During the course of the Battle both Private Morris and another soldier from 11th Battalion, Private Crabb, were taken prisoner and finally ended up in a POW Camp in the Czech Republic. Both men were subsequently reported Killed by a shell during a bombardment at 03:00hrs on 16 December.

Private Morris died on 16 December 1944, aged 21 years old. He is now buried at Prague War Cemetery, Czech Republic.