Acting Sergeant Frank Sparrow

Frank Sparrow was born in Solihull, Birmingham, England, to George Sparrow and his wife Edith Simons of Birmingham. He was the brother of Cyril Sparrow 2nd Lt. in Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 'Jack' Sparrow (Later name change to Kenton) was my father and I have produced this profile.

Frank grew up in the family home on Preston Road, Yardley, Birmingham, various family members serving in the military tradition, in various conflicts.

In the 1930's Frank worked for the Birmingham City Council (The Corporation at the time) as a labourer/dustman, married 1932 Minnie Ethel Preece (1904-1952) of Bordesley Green, they had one child also named Frank setting up home at No: 75 Pretoria Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham . Frank was a good footballer. He played for South Birmingham Boys, Birmingham Boys, England Boys and Walsall FC. 

In 24 September 1940 Frank joined up in the military at the age of 30yrs to be sent to 591 Squardron (Antrim) Royal Engineers, regimental No:1941985 and trained as a sapper, todays equivalent of a combat engineer.

Franks Army Form E531 upon enlistment describes him with the trade of working for the Corporation as a dustman, straight from the streets of post depression Birmingham as 5ft 4ins tall, 163 lbs, 37 inch chest, fresh complextion, blue eyes, brown hair, religion C of E, despite living standards of the time strong, passed A1 fit and from our modest working class origin was to rise to heroic levels of achievement, national heroism and sacrifice.   

After extensive further selection he was accepted into the airborne within 591 Sqn. As this squadron was converted to parachute and gliderborne engineers, those not passing selection were posted or returned to other units. Frank completed his jump training at Ringway Course No: 69B and became one of the British army's early paratroopers early in the Second World War, when the War Office recognised the essential need for an airborne assault capability. The course lasted from 21 June 1943 until 1 July 1943. It was noted that Sapper Sparrow had "Good control".

591 Sqn. then re-fitted, converted and trained as an air portable para unit to provide an engineer assault capability at the forefront of assaults, counter attacks and invasions together with other clandestine operations requiring specific demolition, disablement and obstacle crossing expertise. 

Frank trained extensively with 591 Squadron in the build up to the D Day invasion around the Bulford barracks, Netheravon Airfield, Salisbury area. The squadron was attached and detached to train and become an essential part of various small airborne 'coup de main' units of the 6th Airborne Div, who were chosen to deliver and execute very specific and surgical pre invasion attacks on crucial military targets of specific note and tactical importance. They were intelligence cleared for access to vital information, reconnaissance photos, enemy engineering specifications, models and full scale mock up or like constructions of pre invasion D Day targets such as the Merville Battery (that had to be neutralised as it could deliver devastating German artillery fire throughout the Sword Beach and beach to inland bridgehead area), also essential bridges to the immediate north flank of the Normandy invasion beaches, one now famously known as Pegasus Bridge, and a number of other bridge crossing points over river and canal features between the full weight of German troops, mechanised armour and mobile artillery. In addition it was recognised that in order to secure the extensive inland airborne drop zones and glider landing areas, pre invasion airborne engineers would have to parachute in and clear these areas of enemy counter measures such as anti glider poles, wired and mined and also to sow counter mine fields in anticipation of counter attack and cut lines of communication, disable specific key roads by cratering in conjunction with pre invasion activities of the French Resistance. As a reference to orientation the far opposite flank of the D Day landing was the American airborne and marine commando operations made famous at Point du Hoc and areas around St Mere Aglise, there were many other less known but equally as important.

Frank and his comrades were some of the first in, some of the first actions of 591 Sqn. para engineers are portrayed in the opening scenes of the film 'The Longest Day', the glider assault on Pegasus Bridge, the engineers sprinting straight for the bridges to disable any bridge demolition charges despite the fire fight going on around them, this action typified so many few similar assaults happening in the night of the 5 June 1944, by parachute and glider prior to the dawn amphibious landing on the beaches D Day 6 June 1944.

Frank fought right through till the September of 1944 when the situation had stabilised, the unit was withdrawn back to Bulford to regroup, refit, receive casualty replacement or the return of casualties then retrain and update on new equipment and tactics, the first home leave was then allowed.

In late 1944 over Christmas of 1945, 591 Sqn. was involved in the later German counter attack offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge, in part connected with the support of the surrounded and beleaguered town of Bastogne.

Back at Bulford engineers training then recommenced in earnest for the final mass air assault to cross the Rhine and into the heart of the then Nazi Germany. 591 Sqn. were again chosen to be the first engineers to parachute or assault in with other glider troops to seize key bridges around the chosen Rhine crossing beach head near Wesel & Hamminkeln.

Frank was allocated to be one of the first of the units in No: 1 Troop under Capt. Harborn alongside No: 2 Troop to parachute in and secure or demolish specific bridges, again either to prevent counter attack once the drop/ landing grounds were known to the enemy or to hold the respective bridges to facilitate a quick break out off the Rhine beach head under Capt. Beaumont.

Franks new young unit O I/C a Lt. Ken De Watteville of No: 1 troop was leading one of a number of sticks ready to jump the Rhine, however last minute it was decided that one stick would have to go by Horsa Glider, divided into six detachments in one of six first early assault gliders already allocated. The subalterns had to literally draw sticks who would go by glider now and the youngest, De Watteville drew the short stick. De Wattevilles unit including Frank crammed into and amongst the equipment in the six these with the other assault troops, some still original surviving from the more famously known airborne element of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment ( 'Ox & Bucks') coup de main parties of D Day, Pegasus Bridge fame.

On the early morning of the 24 March 1945, amidst a mass tactical smoke screen to cover the amphibious commando assault build up on the Allied banks of the Rhine, watched personally by Eisenhower and Churchill from a hill in the allied lines, a mass artillery bombardment raked the far bank and known enemy targets, troop defences, artillery, anti aircraft batteries followed by a pounding by air bombing, rocket and cannon staffing by ground attack aircraft a mass airborne armada of aircraft for the paratroop insertion and mass towed glider formations approached.

Ahead of them were the five initial assault gliders containing the troops, engineers, jeeps, trailers and demolition charges to secure the initial most essential bridges between Hamminkeln & Wesel including the Ringenberger Strasse Bridge, Frank rode in either Glider 3 or 6, the manifest not being very specific with change overs and equipment for a silent assault, the following gliders some 35 minutes away carrying the bulk of airborne assault troops, heavy gliders such as Hamilcars carrying Light Tanks, Anti Tank Guns, more Jeeps, Trailers, mines, explosives, ammunition, fuel, water, rations and Amtrak Bulldozers.

Despite the tremendous pounding the east bank of the Rhine received, coupled with a movement of German troops to the banks of the Rhine in false anticipation of an amphibious landing that otherwise weakened defences inland Gliders 1 to 6 swooped in low and silent through the smoke screen and debris of bombing before any sign of the following mass airborne invasion. They were met with a tremendous enemy anti aircraft fusillade from well concealed 88mm artillery pieces, flak guns and small arms fire, many built into farm buildings, hay stacks or unable to move for the threat of being seen by the many ground attack aircraft who had to vacate the landing ground airspace for the airborne assault. The air cover was extensive above tiered at mid to high altitude to dominate the operational assault area, but could no longer assist in the airborne assault.

Some gliders landed literally on top of German positions and exited straight into the fire fight, only two gliders arrived safely, allied artillery were unable to assist initially due to the proximity of the enemy and had to divert fall of shot or bombardment totally due to circling and landing gliders on the landing zones and parachutist descending on the adjacent drop zones.

Out of six Horsa Gliders only two arrived safely of which only one in the intense circumstances arrived intact at the right place, Gliders 1,4 & 5 appear to have faired best but not unscathed, most received intense fire in the air and crash landing, some receiving direct fire over open sights in the ground role, from 88mm flak gun when landed on the ground, coming to earth either side of the road adjacent to the railway embankment to the south of Hamminkeln while the assault troops from the other gliders seized some of their objectives supported by those parachuting in simultaneously nearby. Post combat report accounts for the following:

Glider No:1- Overshot the landing zone and sustained damage on landing but otherwise all ok, got straight into the fight.

Glider No:2- Hit the trees on final approach under fire, crashed, crew killed and medics/ soldiers on board injured/wounded.

Glider No:3- Landed under fire then enemy engaged in the ground role from nearby, no survivors.

Glider No: 4- Landed and achieved objective.

Glider No: 5- Landed and achieved objective.

Glider No: 6- Landed under fire and immediately engaged by heavy enemy ground fire from nearby enemy artillery position and small arms fire, got straight into the fight, only two on board survived, McManus and Stobie engaging the enemy returning fire and finding cover from a range of 50 meters, killed by machine gun/small arms fire.  

Immediately after the action when the amphibious troops crossed and major features, high ground and forest feature secured Franks mates were able to get over to the crash sites of Gliders 3 & 6 immediately to the east of the smaller River Issel astride the track between Zum Weisenstein Road and Bruchweg, near the American drop zone area to the immediate north of Hamminkeln, they retrieved Franks body together with his comrades and taking care of the necessary in the circumstances buried them all in a shallow grave in a nearby orchard by the diving road, marking and recording it for graves registration a short time later, then rejoined the fight, (the orchard I understand is still there).

Frank died age 35 years, recovered most likely from the wreckage of Glider No:3 and interred alongside some of his fellow airborne engineers comrades of No. 1, Troop, Cpl. Rogers (Glider3), Sappers Dobson, Bean, McHugh, Keyworth, McManus & Stobie (Glider 6), soldiers L/Cpl Stephens, Pvt. Fry, Lt De Watteville (Glider3) and aircrew of the glider S/Sgt Gatt, Cpl Eaton, Sprs. Adams, Job, Driver Field in Reichwald Forest War Graves Cemetary, near Kleve, in rows A & B, Frank in plot 39 row B grave 11.

Franks family and his wife Minnie were understandably grief stricken, Cyril I understand was the rock (I always remember him as a solid, correct and stern man), younger son Jack then aged 17-18 yrs (my father) was then enlisted and went to the far east.

I am still carrying out extensive research to ensure the memory and exploits of my Uncle Frank, together with others, are gathered together and recorded in appreciation of his sacrifice, with so many others on the alter of freedom, may this freedom never loose any amount of recognition nor appreciation in these changing times. 

Minnie fell ill in 1952 and died en route to Birmingham Hospital in the ambulance leaving young Frank junior, my grandad George took care of administering the estate.

Due to the twists and turns of fate and family dispersal I never met Frank, I regretfully learned that he had died not long ago, but remember my Gran and Grandad, Uncles and Aunts fairly well in the Sparrow family.

I continue to research, assemble and save for prosperity Franks wartime account, as a relation, ex soldier, parachutist and civil servant in the MoD.

Should any Sparrow family members look into this, following a need to know more, I have much more detail to disclose and would gladly like to meet after so many years.