Private James J Dempsey

James Joseph Dempsey was the son of Mr and Mrs J Dempsey and husband of Irene Dempsey, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

He was enlisted into the Royal Irish Fusiliers before volunteering for airborne forces during World War II.

Private Dempsey qualified as a military parachutist on course 8 in February 1942 and was posted to 10 Platoon, T Company, the 1st Parachute Battalion (1 Para Bn) and went to North Africa on Operation Torch.

He was killed in action on 5 February 1943, aged 24 years old, during a counterattack by German forces while 1 Para Bn held recently taken positions on Djebel Mansour.

Pte Dempsey has no known grave but is commemorated on the Medjez-El-Bab Memorial at the Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia.

Memorial photograph courtesy of CWGC.