Private Albert L Hitchen

Private Albert Lans Hitchen was the son of Albert and Mary Hitchen, of Mirfield, Yorkshire, and husband of Annie Hitchen, also of Mirfield.

He was enlisted into The Royal Artillery and volunteered for airborne forces not long after the formation of 1st Parachute Brigade, qualifiing as a military parachutist on Course 18 which ran at RAF Ringway from 13 to 21 July 1942.

Pte Hitchen later served in HQ Coy, 3rd Parachute Battalion and was deployed on operations in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Arnhem, where he was a member of the Signals Platoon.

He died of his wounds  in St Jospeh Mental Hospital Apeldoorn on 24 September 1944, aged 28 years old. He was initially buried in the adjacent cemetery and is now buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Arnhem.