Lieutenant William Henderson Skinner {Willie} – September 20th 1944

William Henderson Skinner was born in Dalmuir, Old Kilpatrick in 1920 to Alexander and Margaret Skinner. Having attended Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow and achieving his Higher Leaving Certificate in March 1937, he completed his entry exam to study English at the University of Glasgow in 1937. However, instead of University, he served an apprenticeship with LMS Railway Company as a Civil Engineer based at St. Enoch Station, Glasgow, as well as attending evening classes at the Royal Technical College (Glasgow). In his spare time he enjoyed studying wireless communications.

‘Willie’ enlisted into the Territorial Army on the 19 June 1941 at Ripon as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. On the same day, he passed his test as a Pioneer (Surveyor Engineering) Class 3 at No. 3 TBRE (Training Battalion Royal Engineers). He was promoted to Acting Unpaid Lance Corporal at Newark on the 3 March 1942. After 21 days it was decided he should be granted pay for his new rank. On the 17 June 1942 he was attached to No.2 TBRE.

He was posted to 142 OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit) on the 27 July 1942. On the 17 January 1943 he was discharged, having been appointed to a Commission in the Corps of Royal Engineers as a Second Lieutenant and posted to Airborne Div R.E at Bulford. Shortly after, on the 24 January 1943 he joined No.2 Parachute Sqn RE and completed his parachute course by the 9 March 1943. From the 23 April 1943 to the 11 September 1943 he served as part of the BNAF (British North Africa Force), during which he was promoted to Full Lieutenant on 17 July 1943. On 11 September 1943 he became part of the CMF (Central Mediterranean Force), was posted to 261 Field Park Coy on the 27 November 1943. 261 Field Park Coy was traditionally from the West Country. As a child, following his Fathers death, Lt Skinner had lived for a short time with family in Chepstow and knew the area well from his holidays there.

Whilst the main body of the 261 Field Park Company proceeded to France on 14 August 1944, a detachment was kept back in England for further airborne operations under the command of Lt Skinner, Sgt Flower and LSgt Potter. During this time they were attached to 9 Fd Coy RE. On Monday 18 September 1944 he was flown in a Horsa glider (Chalk No 968, piloted by glider pilots of D-Squadron) from RAF Keevil, with 5 men, a jeep and trailer with stores to LZ ‘X’ on the South Western outskirts of Wolfheze in Holland. His task was to link up with the 4th Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers and proceed to their allotted defensive sector on the North Western outskirts of the town of Arnhem.

Lt Skinner was captured on the 20 September 1944 North of the Railway crossing at Wolfheze. Rounded up with other prisoners from the 4th Parachute Brigade he was shot, along with other POW’s, on the Dreyenseweg, North of Oosterbeek, and killed. Lt Skinner died on 20 September 1944, aged 24 years old. He was initially buried at Renkum General Cemetery, before being reinterred at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.