Lance Sergeant Reginald Elwell

Reginald Elwell volunteered from The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was parachute jump trained at RAF Ringway on Course 44. This course ran between 28 December 1942 and 8 January 1943. His instructor noted this about Reginald's performance on this course:

"Exits rather faulty. Cheerful disposition, showed improvement"

He then became a member of 8th Parachute Battalion, HQ Coy.

On 13 June 1943, members of 8th Para Bn were on training Exercise Bluebell, and jumped at 15:55 hours over the Firth of Tay in Scotland. The Battalion's war diary records that eight men from this jump landed in the river. Another man, RSM Parsons landed on a sand bank was able to get ashore with help and reported to the police. Initially, no trace of the others was found and they were presumed drowned. This included Reginald.

He is now commemorated on the Memorial at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.