Private Frederick Whitehead

Private Frederick Whitehead originally enlisted into the 2nd/4th Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment. The Battalion was turned over to airborne duties in May 1943 and renamed the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion and assigned to the 5th Parachute Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division.

Pte Whitehead attended Parachute Training Course No 72 which ran at RAF Ringway from 12 to 23 July 1943. The course was attended by 335 trainees most of whom were from the 13th Battalion. One Battalion member died on the course after his parachute failed to open.

He parachuted with the Battalion into France as part of Operation Overlord and fought in the Normandy campaign.

Pte Whitehead died on 12 June 1944 and is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.

Cemetery photograph reproduced by kind permission of CWGC.