Private John F Handford

Private John Frederick Handford enlisted into the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and volunteered for airborne forces shortly after the formation of No 1 Parachute Brigade during World War II.

He attended Parachute Training Course 20, which ran at RAF Ringway from 27 July to 3 August 1942. He successfully completed 2 balloon jumps and 2 aircraft descents but suffered concussion on his 3rd aircraft descent. (Whether this was from hitting his head during the exit from the Whitley or on the landing is unrecorded.). After recovering he subsequently qualified as a military parachutist and went on to serve with the 2nd Parachute Battalion.

He had embarked with the Battalion to North Africa, where they were due to take part in Operation Torch. Pte Handford took part in a Boxing tournament arranged on the troop ship, but was badly injured during one of the contests, and died shortly afterwards. The Battalion war diary reports he was buried at sea on 9 November, 1600hrs.

Pte Handford was married to Peggy and left behind a son and a daughter. His son John, featured in two of the photographs, followed his father into the Army but sadly also died in service in tragic circumstances while based in Germany in 1962.

Private Handford died on 9 November 1942, aged 28 years old. He is now commemorated on the Memorial at Brookwood Military Cemetery, near Pirbright, London.