Private Arthur J Wanstall

Arthur John Wanstall was the son of Arthur John and Emily Wanstall, of Faversham, Kent.

He enlisted into The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment before volunteering for airborne forces shortly after the formation of 1st Parachute Brigade in World War II.

He qualified as a military parachutist on course 13, which ran at RAF Ringway in May 1942, and was posted to 10 Platoon, T Company (Coy), 1st Parachute Battalion (1 Para Bn). Wanstall sailed with 1st Para Bn to North Africa for Operation Torch later that year.

After several months hard fighting 1st Para Bn was sent to occupy positions close to the Beja-Sedjenane road in the Tamera Valley in March 1943. Shortly after their arrival, the 1st Battle of Tamera started, when 1st and 2nd Para Bn positions were subject to an attack by four regiments comprising German, Austrian and Italian troops.

During this attack S Coy (1st Para Bn) position's were over run and Lt Col Pearson, Commanding Officer of 1st Para Bn, ordered T Coy to mount a counter-attack to retake the positions. Although this task was achieved, there were several casualties including Pte Wanstall.

Pte Wanstall died on 8 March 1943, aged 21 years old, and is now buried at Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia.

Cemetery photograph courtesy of CWGC.