Sergeant Albert W Pilbeam

Albert William Pilbeam was the son of Albert and Gertrude Pilbeam and the husband of Beatrice Pilbeam, of Crouch End, Middlesex. He enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps, and volunteered for airborne forces.

Sergeant Pilbeam successfully completed his parachute training and was posted to 133 Parachute Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgt Pilbeam was a member of R Section who were supporting the 10th Parachute Battalion. This unit was in action near the Amsterdamseweg in northern Oosterbeek and he was killed here on 19 September 1944 aged 26 , and was first given a field burial with other casualties on the Wekeromseweg just north of the Amsterdamseweg. He was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 20 August 1945.

Albert left behind a widow Beatrice, who in 1945 lived in Crouch End, Middlesex. 

Please note that Albert is wearing a Parachute regiment cap badge in his profile photograph. Not an RAMC cap badge. It was fairly common practise at this time for medics 'attached' to Parachute battalions and was part of The War Establishment.