Staff Sergeant Colin H Hopgood

Staff Sergeant Colin Harold Hopgood was born in 1918, the son of Frank Harold and Lily Hopgood. Before his enlistment Colin was employed at the Co-op in Gravesend and was living at home with his parents, in Gravesend, Kent. He initially enlisted with the Royal Engineeers (TA) and was subsequently posted to 4th Chemical Warfare Group in late 1940.

He transferred to Airborne service in 1942, joining the Army Air Corps in late August 1942. He was posted to the 2nd Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment and rose through the ranks before transferring to 1st Wing at some stage in early 1944 as an Acting Staff Sergeant, where he trained for the proposed glider insertion to North West Europe.

Leaving the UK from RAF Brize Norton on 5 June 1944, He took part in the glider insertion to Normandy during Op Overlord flying a Horsa carrying a 13th Parachute Battalion jeep and trailer, motorcycle and five soldiers.

The glider he was flying with Sgt Daniel Phillips (Horsa CN35, Glider 133 - towed by an Albermarle Mk No 1823 from 297 Squadron RAF) crash landed at Saint Vaast En Auge on 6 June 1944. The glider should have landed at Ranville (12 miles S/E), but it was hit by flak crossing the coast of France, that damage to the glider caused control problems because of which its pilot released the tow. The glider crashed into trees, killing the two pilots.

Three passengers, Cpt Daisley, Pte Aldred (his batman) and Sigmn Davis (a despatch rider) died in the crash. The remaining two Airborne soldiers were later found sheltering in a washhouse near the crash site. They were fed by a villager for two days, before being captured trying to escape to Allied lines.

Staff Sergeant Hopgood died on 6 June 1944, aged 26 years old. He is now buried at St Vaast-en-Auge Churchyard, Normandy.