Private Roger Lovell

Roger Lovell was the son of Bertram Lovell and Gladys Lovell, of Gravesend, Kent. 

Roger’s father served in the First World War in the tank corps. He was awarded the Military Medal in 1918. Whether this influenced Roger to enlist in the Royal Armoured Corps in 1941 we do not know. He transferred to the Army Air Corps on the 15th September 1943 and was then posted to the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion on the 19th October 1943. 

On the early hours of the 6th June 1944, Private Lovell landed by glider at Ranville in France as part of Operation Overlord (Normandy) 

Pte Lovell was injured and evacuated to the UK in early August 1944 but we have no more information as to his injuries.

He returned to home on the 25th September 1944 and embarked for the Ardennes on Christmas Eve as part of HQ Company, 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. During the battle of Bure, Roger was mortally wounded on the second day of the battle when the Battalion HQ was hit by heavy shell fire. He was evacuated to the RAP field station at Ciney but died of his wounds. 

Roger was buried at the cemetery at Ciney but later he was re-interred to the Allied Forces cemetery at Hotton, Belgium.