Sapper Frank Wolfe

Sapper Frank Wolfe was enlisted into the Royal Engineers and volunteered for airborne forces in 1943.

He qualified as a military parachutist on course 82, which ran at RAF Ringway in September 1943. The course notes record: 'Jumped well, keen and hard working'.

He was posted to 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers and took part in the D-Day landings to Normandy, during Op Overlord.

On the night of 5-6 June 1944, Sapper Wolfe flew to Normandy onboard Short Stirling EF 295 with a parachute stick of Airborne Royal Engineers. The aircraft crash-landed near the village of Grangues, in Normandy.

Four men died as a result of the crash, but seven others survived before being disarmed and taken prisoner by German forces in the area. Although the circumstances are unclear, at some stage during the night Spr Wolfe, along with Cpl Kelly, L/Cpl Fraser, L/Cpl Branston, Spr Wheeler and Dvr Thomson, all of 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, were shot. Spr Guard, part of the Royal Engineers contingent of HQ 6th Airborne Division, was also killed.

The victims of this incident are now recorded on a memorial, close to the village where the shooting took place.

Sapper Wolfe died on 6 June 1944, aged 22 years old. He is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.