Private Thomas W Molloy

Thomas William Molloy was the son of Percy William and Ethel Daisy Molloy, of Landbeach, Cambridgeshire.

He was enlisted into The Royal Engineers during World War II and later volunteered for airborne forces, qualifying as a military parachutist on course 87 which ran at RAF Ringway during October 1943.

He was subsequently posted to 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion and took part in the advance Normandy landings to liberate North West Europe shortly after midnight on the night of 5/6 June 1944.

The battalion achieved its primary tasks and held Ranville until mid-June when it was moved to Le Mesnil, where it remained for most of July.

On the evening of 18 August the battalion was lying up near Goustranville and received orders  for a night march and day attack on the enemy holding the village of Putot-en-Auge.Although the village was captured, the battalion suffered 70 killed, wounded or missing including Pte Molloy.

Pte Thomas Molloy died on 19 August 1944, aged 21 years, and is now buried in Putot-en-Auge Churchyard, Normandy.

Churchyard photograph courtesy of CWGC.