Name
Arthur Joseph Parsons
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
14/07/1943
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
5989862
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
and No. 3 Commando
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SYRACUSE WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
VI. D. 2.
Italy
Headstone Inscription
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON ARTHUR. REST IN PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St. John's War Memorial, Hitchin St. Mary's Church Memorial, Hitchin, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
He was born in Hertfordshire and was an apprentice at Hitchin builders John Willmott & Sons and before the war had been in the Territorial Army. When he was called up at the outbreak of war he was resident in Hertfordshire and joined the Beds & Herts Regiment but later transferred to No. 3 Commando and was engaged in many raids on enemy territory including the Dieppe raid His Service Number was 5989862. He was killed in action with the invasion forces on Sicily during Operation Husky and at first had been reported as missing.
The landing on Sicily initially took place during the night of the 9th/10th July 1943. The previous day there had been a gale and the sea was still very rough. No. 3 Commando landed near Syracuse but was later withdrawn to land again further along the coast. north of Augusta. The intention was to capture the bridge near Lentini about eight miles inland. A night march was made but heavy German opposition including tanks forced a withdrawal to the coast. Close to the sea Pte Parsons and several others found a former Italian gun-pit and tried to get the wooden-wheeled gun into action in order to combat the heavy German weapons. One of the party, Pte F.R North, was just outside the gun-pit when a mortar shell landed in it, exploding the ammunition and killing and wounding several men, including Pte Parsons.
He is buried in Syracuse War Cemetery in Plot 6, Row D, Grave 2 in Italy. He was the only son of Alfred Joseph and Florence Lily Parsons of 31 , Waltham Rd, Hitchin
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Mr F.R. North - Commando comrade, Herts Pictorial dated 1st Sep 1942 & 2 1st March 1944
