Lance Corporal Edward Orbell

Lance Corporal Edward Orbell, son of Frederick and Bertha Orbell, of West Croydon, Surrey,enlisted into the Sherwood Foresters and later served in the 2nd Parachute Battalion. It is believed that he saw service in North Africa with the 1st Army, before taking part in the Italian campaign.

By later 1944, he was part of the Intelligence Section at Battalion HQ of 2nd Parachute Battalion and took part in the Battle of Arnhem, during Op Market Garden.

Lance Corporal Orbell died on 18 September 1944, aged 31 years old, and is now buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Arnhem.

Harold Back was a good friend of Edward. In Harold's Q15 of his Readers Digest interview for Cornelius Ryan he stated the following- Were any of your friends killed or wounded on the day of the drop or on subsequent days?

The comradeship and closeness of personnel in every Battalion of the Division had to be seen to be believed. Therefore, each and every one of us lost friends either killed or wounded, and this battle was so intense, that the 1st Airborne Division was virtually finished as a fighting unit. I personally lost several close friends, not on the actual day, but subsequent days, one in particular of the ‘I’ Section. [4756150. L/Cpl. Edward (Ted) Orbell. KIA: 20/09/44]