Private John H Mortimore

John Herbert Mortimore was born and lived in Devon, he enlisted in the Royal Artillery and volunteered for airborne forces.

Private Mortimore successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course No. 97, from 3 to 15 January 1944. His course report stated:

“Needs driving, nervous, average performer”.

He was posted to C Company, 9 Platoon, 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

Private Mortimore was killed in action on 6 June 1944, and was given a field burial at Benouville and re-interred to Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France, on 29 May 1945.

From “The Pegasus and Orne Bridges: Their Capture, Defences and Relief on D-Day” by Neil Barber. 

John Butler and members of 9 Platoon, C Company had been sent on a patrol to the west of Le Port and had reached the far end of a wooded spur:

“At dawn we ran into a patrol of Jerries about twice the size of ours. After a bit of a firefight, with one man wounded, we were forced back to our perimeter where we joined the other defenders. On the way back to our main line at one point we were able to see Paras lying on a bank near the village of Le Port in an obvious ambush position, but with their backs towards us and also the Jerry patrol which was coming towards us. The Jerries were passing a farm and an orchard at that time but once past they would be able to see the Paras with their backs towards them. The patrol Sergeant then ordered a rifleman named Mortimore to run out and warn the Paras. This Mortimore did, but after running about halfway to them he was hit by fire from the Jerry patrol. He lay still for a bit then began to painfully crawl on. He was still being fired at by Jerry and may have been hit again but he kept on crawling until he was about 200 yards from the Paras where he reared up on his knees and shouted and warned them and in doing so was finally shot and killed by the Jerries.”

John Butler: Mortimore gave his life to warn those men. That is what the Victoria Cross is all about, but Mortimore received no decoration or recognition. There was no office there to make a recommendation.