Lieutenant Joseph W Glover

Joseph Winston Glover was born on 16 October 1908 and came from Wigan in Lancashire. By 1942 he had served in a Cavalry Regiment, The 4th Hussars, for over 12 years and was granted an emergency commission as a Quartermaster in the Pioneer Corps on 20 July 1942.

In his capacity of a Quartermaster he was posted to the 10th Parachute Battalion, then stationed in Kabrit, Egypt on 6 March 1943.

Here he was to help with the forming up and equipping of the battalion, prior to its move to Ramat David in Palestine. He was officially transferred to the Army Air Corps (Parachute Regiment) on 16 March 1943. Lt Glover oversaw the move not only to Palestine, but also along the North African coast from there to Tunisia to join up with the rest of the 1st Airborne Division. He was then involved in ‘Operation Slapstick’, the landings at Taranto in Southern Italy in September 1943. In December 1943 he returned with the battalion to England, and billeted in Rutland.

As a result of a discussion about which birds could fly, Lt Glover captured and trained Myrtle, a chicken, to parachute. Myrtle completed the required number of training jumps and was awarded a set of wings.

In September 1944 the 4th Para Brigade prepared for the second lift into Arnhem. Lt Glover, along with Myrtle, was the first man out of the plane over the drop zone. On Thursday 21 September, Lt Glover was wounded in the hand and made his way to the dressing station. The next day he was taken to St Elizabeth Hospital as a POW, and then to Apeldoorn.

On 15 October, Lt Glover escaped the hospital and made his way to Otterloo where he joined the evacuation of British troops across the Rhine.

From the southern bank of the Rhine, Glover was taken to a hospital in Nijmegen, and at the end of the month flown back to England. Upon going home Glover discovered that his wife had given birth to their third child, John Winston, on the 24 September.

He was awarded the US Bronze Star for his part in the battle, which was announced in the London Gazette on 14 November 1947.

On the 1 October 1946 he transferred to the East Lancashire Regiment on a short service commission. Then on 27 November 1947 he was granted a permanent commission in the 4th Hussars and promoted to Captain. In July 1953 he was promoted to Major and then in December 1960 to Lieutenant Colonel.

‘Pat’ Glover retired on 16 October 1963.

Lieutenant Joseph Winston ‘Pat’ Glover died in March 1996 at York.

For a detailed account of Lt Glover and Myrtle, see below.