Private Frank Pitchford

Private Frank Pitchford, husband of Mary Pitchford, of Dundee, served with HQ Coy, 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion. He took part in the Ardennes offensive in the winter of 1944-5. Before this he took part in operations in Normandy, where he was wounded 16 June 1944.

Archive records suggest that Frank enlisted with The Black Watch in 11 August 1943, before volunteering for the airborne forces later that year. 

Frank conducted parachute training at RAF Ringway on Course 90. This course ran from 1 to 13 November 1943. His instructor noted this about his performance.

"Good throughout, excellent leader type, confident, self reliant, good parachutist"

He was badly wounded and later died of wounds inflicted by an exploding German mortar shell at 10 am on February 12 when he was apparently standing in a doorway in front of the battalion headquarters at Keizersbosch in Neer.

Fieldgrave : Roggel (L) (Roggel had a field hospital)

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