John Anthony Dene

Lieutenant Colonel John Anthony Dene was the commanding officer of the 4th Parachute Battalion between 1942 and 1943. He was born on 6 June 1912 in Bodmin, Cornwall to Colonel Arthur Pollard Dene and Elsie Beatrice Yvonne Koe. 

On the 28 January 1932, as an officer cadet at Sandhurst, Dene was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI). He was promoted to Lieutenant on 28 January 1935 and during the war advanced to a temporary Lieutenant Colonel as CO of the 4th Parachute Battalion. He completed his parachute jump training on course 9 from 2 to 14 March 1942 where he is listed as "Major Dent". The attached comment states "the course was very successful and the co-operation of army officers extremely helpful". 

Whilst the 4th Parachute Battalion was formed with Lt. Col. M.R.J. Hope Thompson as CO, he left in July 1942 to take command of a newly formed Indian Parachute Brigade. As a result, Dene became the 4th Battalion's CO in the same month. He was still their commander when they set sail for North Africa on April 15, 1943. On September 8, Dene sailed with the Battalion for Taranto in Italy aboard H.M.S. Sirius. However, a few days later Dene was captured whilst on a forward reconnaissance. The padre of the 4th Battalion, Reverend Downing, gave this account:

"He [Dene] decided to make a reconnaissance, no doubt in search of some work his battalion could do, but he was unlucky, and his driver was just able to get the jeep away and bring us the news". 

He was made a POW (no.2908) and held in camp Oflag 7B in Eichstatt where he stayed until he was freed at the end of the war. On 11 January 1946, now reverted to a Captain from his temporary rank, he was placed on the half pay list on account of disability. On April 20 he retired on account of disability, being granted the honorary rank of Lt. Col. Then on September 13 1949 Dene joined the Staffordshire Yeomanry, a TA unit of the Royal Armoured Corps. He was promoted to Major on May 31 1953, backdated to the day he joined the TA. Finally, on September 30 1955, Dene was formally given his final rank of Lieutenant Colonel. 

Dene married Mary Anson on February 22 1940 in St Mark's church, North Audley Street, Westminster. They had three children: Margaret, John and David. Dene and Mary divorced in 1960. He subsequently remarried with Judith Ramsden in the same year. 

John Anthony Dene died in 1997 at age 85.