Gunner William N Watson

William Watson was born in Netherton, Lanarkshire and enlisted into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1940.

By 1944 he was serving in the 64th Light Battery, RA, in Italy, when it was converted to the airborne role, to support The 2nd (Independent) Parachute Brigade Group.

In October 1944 he sailed to Greece with the Battery, to support the 2nd (Ind) Para Bde Group, as part of Operation ‘Manna’. To begin with the British were well received by the Greeks as liberators, but after the Germans had been driven out of the country a civil war broke out. The 2nd (Ind) Para Bde Group found itself under fire in Athens and the 64th Battery was tasked with safeguarding certain positions including a stadium. However, by the evening of the 5th December 1944 this position was becoming untenable and they had to withdraw. During the withdrawal Gnr. William Watson, along with Gnr. Michael Comerford, was killed.

He is buried at PHALERON WAR CEMETERY, ATHENS, GREECE. 16. E. 13.

The son of James and Agnes Niven Watson; husband of Elizabeth Rae Watson, of Overtown, Lanarkshire, he was 32 years old when he died.

Note: On the official Casualty Reports he is still listed as 165th Field Regiment, RA.