Corporal Leslie A McCreesh

Leslie McCreesh enlisted into the Royal Artillery and later volunteered for airborne forces during World War II.

After attending preliminary training at Hardwick Hall he moved to RAF Ringway for Course No 61B and 62 which ran from 26 April to 3 April 1943. The course was cut short because of the need for battalion reinforcements in North Africa, and the men became jump qualified on 5 descents. The course instructor's notes record that Leslie was a "Cool, efficient type. Enjoys work. Excellent."

He was posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion and served with the Assault/ Anti-Tank Platoon in Support Company.

He saw action with the battalion in Sicily, Italy and Arnhem, where he was wounded and taken as a Prisoner of War.

Corporal McCreesh died in Canada on 9 February 2017.

Further details are available from Mark Hickman's Pegasus Archive under the biographies section.

Profile photo courtesy of Bob Hilton.