Corporal Arthur A Rattray

Arthur A Rattray, son of John and Helen Rattray, of Withington, Manchester, enlisted into the Gordon Highlanders and transferred to the London Scottish Regiment.

Private Rattray volunteered for airborne forces in September 1941, he was one of the earliest volunteers for airborne forces. After his selection training at Hardwick Hall he was posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion (2nd Para Bn) and then sent on No 1 Parachute Course to RAF Ringway. This course was for members of C Company, 2nd Para Bn and A Company, the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment of the 1st Parachute Brigade and it ran from 3 to 15 November 1941.

Pte Rattray and the rest of the battalion spent a year preparing for operations and finally in mid 1942 the 1st Parachute Brigade was warned off for overseas service.

He was sent to North Africa on Operation Torch. He then went to Italy with the 2nd Para Bn and dropped into Sicily on Operation Husky.

Corporal Rattray jumped into Arnhem on Operation Market Garden with Assault Platoon, Headquarters Company, 2nd Para Bn on 17 September 1944. He was Killed in Action, aged 24 on 20 September, he was originally given a field burial alongside others in ruined buildings by the road in an area near the Rhine Bridge. Cpl Rattray was reinterned at Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 29 October 1945.

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