Lieutenant Leslie P Shand

Leslie Protheroe Shand was the son of Lt-Col Norman Protheroe Shand MC, and of Eva Margarita Shand (nee Thurburn), of Salthouse, Norfolk. He had attained a Bachelor of Arts degree before joining the Army and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 13 June 1943.

After volunteering for the airborne forces he attended Parachute Training Course 74 which ran at RAF Ringway from 23 July to 3 August 1943. The course notes record that he was a very good officer and good jumper.

On qualifying as a military parachutist he was posted to 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers and served with No 2 Troop during the Normandy campaign.

No 2 Troop, under the command of Captain Jackson, was tasked with supporting the 9th Parachute Battalion in the destruction of the Merville Battery which threatened the left flank of the British invasion force. In the event the troop, inserted by glider and parachute, was so badly scattered that 9 Para were forced to attack and destroy the battery without sapper assistance.

Lieutenant Shand died on 24 July 1944, aged 22 years old. He is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.

Cemetery photograph courtesy of CWGC.