Sapper John Bretherton

John Bretherton, son of James and Ellen Bretherton; husband of Patricia Bretherton, of Amesbury, Wiltshire, enlisted in the Royal Engineers and then volunteered for airborne forces.

Sapper Bretherton successfully completed his parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 38 from 20 November to 1 December 1942. He was posted to A Troop, 1 Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Spr Bretherton was killed in action on 20 September 1944, aged 27, in the Van Limburg Stirum school near the Arnhem Rhine Bridge. He was buried in Arnhem Communal Roman Catholic Cemetery and was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 27 August 1945.

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Grave image by Bob Hilton.