Private John W Bull

Private John William Bull was the son of John William and Gertie Bull, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

After initially enlisting into the Durham Light Infantry he volunteered for airborne forces and qualified as a military parachutist on Course 97 which ran at RAF Ringway from  3 to 15 January 1944. He was subsequently posted to the 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion and took part in the Normandy campaign.

In spite of a scattered parachute drop on  6 June 1944 the battalion captured Ranville. It fought around Breville and by early July was occupying positions at Le Mesnil. On the day that Pte Bull died the battalion positions were subject to heavy enemy shelling, resulting in several fatalities.

Private Bull died on 10 July 1944, aged 19 years old and is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.

Cemetery photograph courtesy of CWGC.