Private James Christopher

Private James 'Jimmy' Christopher was born in Liverpool in May 1925.

He joined the 87th (West Liverpool) Home Guard shortly after his 17th birthday in July 1942, and volunteered to join the Army in March 1943 with the Cheshire Regiment (following his elder brother, who was a Regular in the 2nd Battalion). Jimmy completed his basic training at The Dale, in Chester, and was posted to 4th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment in May 1943, stationed along the West Coast of Cumberland (following a spell on garrison in the Orkney Isles). Jimmy was posted with one Company from the Battalion, based in Workington, before the Battalion were relocated South to Shorecliffe Barracks, Folkstone in August 1943.

Early the following year, Jimmy volunteered for Airborne Forces, and was posted to the Depot in March 1944. He gained his wings at RAF Ringway on Parachute Course 112 in late April 1944. His course comments were: Excellent jumper. Morale excellent.'

After a brief spell with the Holding Unit in May, he was posted to 10 Platoon, C Company of 156 Battalion on 5 June 1944. He had joined the Battalion in time to take part in the Battle of Arnhem, during Op Market Garden.

Jimmy dropped at Arnhem on 18 September 1944, where he eventually reached the 'Oosterbeek Perimeter' with the remnants of his Company and fought in the North East sector. Around 23 September 1944 he was injured whilst sheltered in a trench with his mate, Pte Walter Ellis (from Wigan). His right ankle was broken by the hard wooden handle of a German 'stick' grenade which exploded in the trench. Despite this, he carried on fighting until early on Monday 25 September when he was finally taken prisoner, having run out of ammunition with his position overrun.

He was taken first to the 'Airborne Hospital' at Apeldoorn, before being transported to Stalag XIIA, at Limburg, near Frankfurt, which functioned as a transit camp from which he was sent on to Stalag IVB Muhlberg, near Dresden. Whilst a POW, he was sent to various working camps. He managed to escape once, although he was quickly recaptured and returned to the main Stalag.

As the end of the war approached, he was released by the Russian Army on 22 April 1945, and finally repatriated to the UK on 27 May. Jimmy returned to Airborne Forces, but was injured again on his first practice parachute jump. As his ankle had received no treatment while a POW, (being left to simply heal itself) his weakened ankle broke again on landing. He was sent to Hospital in Morpeth to have it treated properly. During his recuperation, he married Olga in Workington on 22 August 1945.

His recovery complete, he joined R Company in the reformed 1st Parachute Battalion on 3 December 1945. He served with them for around 18 months in Palestine, returning home in June 1947. He was officially released from military service on 17 September 1947.

After his demobilisation, he returned to Workington and settled down spending most of his life as a steelworker. He and Olga had two sons and two grandsons.

After around eighteen months of heart trouble, Jimmy Christopher died suddenly of a heart attack on 19 June 1983, aged 58 years old.