James Ratcliffe | ParaData

James Ratcliffe worked as a warehouseman before he enlisted into the General Service Corps in Formby, Merseyside in November 1942.

Private Ratcliffe served with The Royal Artillery when he volunteered for airborne forces in April 1944.

He qualified as a military parachutist on course 166 at RAF Ringway in late May 1944, his course report states ‘Pte Ratcliffe Good jumper. High morale. Well disciplined. Good pupil.’

Pte Ratcliffe was posted to 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion and went to Normandy as a battlefield replacement and served in The Ardennes and Rhine Crossing.

He was demobbed in 1947.

By Wendy George

Date not known
12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion (Private)

Operations

Event

Ardennes

After the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advance through France and Belgium, the German Army had succeeded in stalling the Allied offensive along their line of defence at the German border - the ‘Siegfried Line’.

Event

Normandy (Operation Overlord)

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division in action for the first time.

Event

Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity)

Operation Varsity was the largest single airborne operation in history. On a single day, over 16,000 men were inserted by glider and parachute into western Germany. Around 8000 of those came from the British 6th Airborne Division, flying aboard 243 C47 aircraft and 440 gliders.

Decorations

Photos_1

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Medal Set of Pte James Ratcliffe.

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Group photos_1

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Army Footfall team, date unknown.

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Latest Comments

Eric Ratcliffe said:

Private James Ratcliffe, on the right.

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Private James Ratcliffe

12 Oct 1924 - 03 Sep 2006

Service History