Lance Corporal William H Short M M

06 Jan 1945

William Henry Short, son of Henry and Rosa Short, of Langport, Somerset, he enlisted into The Royal Artillery, transferred to The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and volunteered for airborne forces.

Private Short successfully completed Glider training and was posted to 2nd (Airborne) Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.

He took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy) and was awarded a Military Medal for his actions on 25 August 1944 at the village of Manneville la Raoult , where he took over commanded of his section when the section command was wounded. He attacked the enermy 'firing his bren from the hip'.  

Lance Corporal Short MM went to the Ardennes, during Winter 1944-5.

L/Cpl Short MM died of wounds on 6 January 1945, aged 22, and was buried in Ciney Temporary Burial Ground (Belgium). He was later reinterred in Hotton War Cemetery on 21 May 1947.

Profile image from Bob Hilton.

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Service History

William H Short

Medal Citations_1

  • L/Cpl Short's citation for Military Medal, October 1944.

    L/Cpl Short's citation for Military Medal, October 1944.

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