Driver Sydney Churchyard

Sydney Churchyard, son of Alfred and Susan Churchyard, of Brandon, Suffolk, enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps and volunteered for airborne forces.

Driver Churchyard was posted to 253 (Airborne) Composite Company, RASC and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Dvr Churchyard was killed in action on 21 September, aged 22, when the RAF Stirling LJ-830 of 620 Squadron, based at Fairford, was damaged by Flak and made an emergency landing in a wood near Bosbeekweg, Bennekom. Of the two air despatchers on board only Dvr Churchyard is known and it is possible that he fell from the plane as his body was found, and he was originally buried, at the edge of a wood near the Renkumse Beek brook. He was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 8 January 1946.

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