Private William Mercer

William Mercer, son of Charles and Kate Mercer, of Manchester, enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps and volunteered for airborne forces.

Private Mercer attended parachute course 43 at RAF Ringway on 20 December 1942 to 2 January 1943. The course report states: 'Pte Mercer-Worked hard. Good'. He was then posted to 127 Parachute Field Ambulance, RAMC.

He later took part in the amphibious landings in Italy in September 1943, on board a mine layer, HMS Abdiel. Unfortunately, HMS Abdiel struck a mine in Taranto Harbour causing significant casualties and loss of life, including Pte Mercer.

Pte Mercer died at sea on 10 September 1943, aged 23.

He is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial.

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