Private William L Elliott

William Lynas Elliott was the son of Margaret Elliott, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, he enlisted in the General Service Corps, and volunteered for Airborne forces.

Private Elliott successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 84 from 20 September to 1 October 1943. His course report stated “Poor start, but improved with each descent, finished confidently”. He was posted to 12th (10th Battalion The Green Howards [Yorkshire Regiment]) Bn., The Parachute Regiment, and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

The 12th (Yorkshire) Battalion of the Parachute Regiment landed in Normandy at 0050hrs on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Overcoming a dispersed drop, the secured the village of Le Bas de Ranville by 0400hrs. The Battalion came under heavy mortar and artillery fire and repelled attacks from 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The Battalion then moved out to bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal.

On 7 June, they defended the bridges south of Ranville coming under attack from enemy Panzers and Infantry. During 9th June 1944, part of the Battalion aided 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles’ assault on Sainte-Honorine. At the time of Elliott’s death, the under-strength Battalion was part of an assault on Breville. During the attack, the Battalion lost 126 of its troops. Private Elliott was killed in action on 12 June 1944, aged 20, and was given a field burial at Amfreville and was re-interred to Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France, on 20 June 1945. His headstone bears the inscription: "He died that we might live".

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