Group photo of the Anti-Tank Platoon, 2nd Parachute Battalion, Barletta, Italy, November 1943.

Back row, L-R: Unk, Pte. J. Hart, Unk, Cpl. A. Rattray, Unk, Cpl. L. McCreesh, Unk, Unk, Unk, L/Cpl. E. Higginbottom, Unknown

Centre, L-R: Unk, Unk, Cpl. J. Blackman, Sgt. P. Buchanan, Sgt. T. Lesslie, Lt. R.H. Levien, Sgt. F. Welsh, Sgt. W. Nelmes, Unk, Pte. D. Hasler, Unk.

Front, L-R: Pte. C. Waddilove, Unk, Pte. H. Hindmarsh, Unk, Pte. J. Higgins, Unk, Unk, Pte. P. Murray

Note from Robert Hugh ‘Loopy’ Levien.

"I have an original copy of the [Anti-Tank Platoon] photo, taken at Barletta, and I can give a rough breakdown of everyone’s character and abilities, at that time; most were very young and still developing, but as to their names, that was of no significance to me. On my right, next to Sgt. Leslie is Sgt. Buchanan. Originally in ‘C’ (Scottish) Company, and a Pte at Bruneval in Rodney Section. Sgt. Welsh you are in touch with, but has he declared himself as M.M? He was a Pte in Drake Section at Bruneval under Lt. Naoumoff, and was awarded the M.M., still as a Pte in North Africa. They were both devoid of education, but not of intelligence, probably brought up in the Gorbals, a natural understanding of tactics in battle and completely honourable towards those that treated them fairly.

Middle row, [second from] right, smiling, is Dougie Hasler, my batman, who followed me from the Q.O.R.W. Kent Regt into Para, but was an individualist and didn’t really like the job.

Top row, standing, one from the left is Pte. Hart. When I had been transferred from ‘S’ Coy to ‘B’ Coy I met him in the Inter-Coy Boxing Competition and he was approx. the same weight, but shorter and thicker, and stronger. My better style was to no avail."