Lance Sergeant Douglas R Shales

Douglas Robert Shales, the son of Oscar and Loiusa Shales and husband of Florence Shales, of Birkenhead, enlisted into The Border Regiment, and volunteered for airborne forces.

Lance Sergeant Shales successfully completed parachute training on course 72 at RAF Ringway from 12 to 23 July 1943. His course report stated ‘A competent and cheerful N.C.O. and jumper’. He was posted to 4 Platoon,B Company, 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion.

He fought in the Normandy campaign and took part in the 6th Airborne Division response to the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, during Winter 1944-5.

L/Sgt Shales was killed in action on 3 January 1945, aged 25, and was buried in Bure, Tellin, (Belgium) temporary burial ground. He was later reinterred in Hotton War Cemetery on 22 May 1947.

If you are part of L/Sgt Shale’s family and would like to complete this biography, you can apply to the curator to do so. To do this you will need to become a member of ParaData and select the 'friend or family member' option on the registration form. If you would like to find out more about becoming a member please visit our registration page.

Members of ParaData can submit their material by clicking on the 'add your info' button below.