Private Harry W Jenkin

Harry William Jenkin was born in 1920 and came from the village of Boldre, Hampshire. He was working as a van driver before the war.

Harry enlisted into The Hampshire Regiment on the 25 October 1938. [1]

At the age of 22 he volunteered for Airborne Forces, whilst in the Middle East, and did Parachute Course K47 (with the 11th Parachute Battalion), at Ramat David, Palestine, 18 – 22 June 1943. [2]

Upon completion he was assigned to ‘A’ Company, and possibly took part in the parachute operation on the Mediterranean island of Kos in September 1943.

Upon his return to England he married Mary Ancliff, at New Milton, in January 1944.

On Monday, 18 September 1944 he took off in Dakota aircraft of the American 314th Troop Carrier Group from Saltby aerodrome. He was bound for Drop Zone ‘Y’ at Ginkel Heath in Holland as part of the 2nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’.

He jumped successfully and linked up with the rest of ‘A’ Company at the battalion R.V. (Rendezvous), but the orders for the battalion were changed and they then started to make their way into Arnhem itself to support the other units of the 1st Parachute Brigade trying to fight their way through to the main road bridge.

By the early hours of Tuesday, 19th September, they had reached the western outskirts of Arnhem & linked up with the 1st Parachute Battalion and the 2nd Bn, The South Staffordshire Regiment (Airborne). The plan that was quickly formulated was for the 11th Para Battalion to follow-up the attack by the 2nd Bn, South Staffs along the Bovenover/Utrechtseweg to Arnhem Railway Station and then to push on through to the 2nd Para Battalion at the Bridge.

As things got underway Maj-Gen. Urquhart, who had been hiding in a house nearby managed to escape and returned to his Headquarters where he changed the plan and ordered the 11th Para Battalion to attack north over the railway line by way of the Oranjestraat. The Commanding Officer, Lt-Col. G. Lea, attempted to reorganise his battalion for these new orders, but it was too late for ‘A’ Company. Under the command of Maj. D.A. Gilchrist they had already moved forward of the St Elizabeths Hospital and got caught up in the battle, with some of them moving into the railway cutting, whilst others were caught in the open area between the St Elizabeths Hospital and the Municipal Museum. Approx one third of the Company managed to withdraw in fairly good order back towards Oosterbeek, but were temporarily cut off from the rest of the battalion.

Private. Harry Jenkin is listed as killed in action on Tuesday, 19 September 1944, but has no known grave.

The son of Frederick William and Frances Leah Jenkin; husband of M E Jenkin, of Lymington, Hampshire, he is listed on the Groesbeek Memorial to the Missing, panel 9.

NOTES:

[1] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer & Enlistment Book 11, page 65.

[2] Ramat David Parachute Course Report. June 1943.