Corporal John Hutton

John ‘Jock’ Hutton served with the Black Watch before he transferred to airborne forces in late 1943.

Private Hutton undertook parachute course 98 which ran at RAF Ringway from 10 to 21 January 1944. The course report states ‘Pte Hutton: Jumped equally well from any position, very quiet.’

He was then posted to Mortar Platoon, 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion and jumped into Normandy on 6 June 1944 (D Day). On 22 June he was wounded in the stomach from mortar fire during a patrol.

After being evacuated to England, he recovered in time to re-join his unit to fight in the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), the Rhine Crossing (Operation Vasity) and advanced across Germany to the Baltic.

After the war in Europe 13th Battalion moved with the 5th Brigade to the Far East, returning to rejoin the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine in 1946, where it was disbanded and absorbed into the 3rd Parachute Battalion.

‘Jock’ Hutton went on to serve as a RSM in Rhodesia Squadron SAS.