Page 254 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

WHITCHURCH – Charles Benjamin died in sniper re immediately ceased, saving several lives.
January 2016 aged 85. Private Ben Whitchurch was born in Bristol in 1931. After school he became an apprentice butcher before being called up for National Service with 1 Glosters; soon he was off to Korea. By late April 1951 the battalion had been cut off from the rest of the British 29th Independent Brigade and, at the Imjin River, were ghting for their lives. At the height of the battle, a Chinese sniper was harassing the Battalion. All attempts to neutralize him had failed. The battalion’s 17 pounder anti-tank guns were secured on higher ground. Ben volunteered to double up on his own and, under re, to “have a bash” at engaging the enemy position. On arrival he loaded a shell, laid the gun on and opened re. The
BEN VOLUNTEERED TO “HAVE A BASH” AT ENGAGING THE ENEMY POSITION
He was subsequently Mentioned in Dispatches. Ben spent two and a half years in captivity. Scavenging for rewood was an abiding memory. Conditions were appalling often only having potato peelings and rice to live from. On return to UK he had no wish to return to butchery opting instead for work with a fruit and vegetable shop in Bristol. Later he moved on to shift work with Ashton Containers in support of Wills Tobacco. He married Rose on 16th June 1962. Subsequently he worked for 32 years with SWEDA Cash registers before being made redundant in his early 60s. Typically he went out looking for employment and gained work in a supermarket. Finally, between the ages of 70 to 80
he worked at the Kingswood Community Centre. Ben returned to Korea, representing the Regimental Association, on ve separate occasions. A delightful man and good friend to his Regiment and Association, old and new. He leaves his widow, Rose, and his son Tim to whom we send our condo-
lences.
YOUNG, Geoffrey Douglas – died 9th June 2017, aged 96 years. He was awarded the Dutch Bronze Star of Meritorious Service during, one of only four awarded to 43rd Wessex Division, and the Commander-in- Chief 21st Army Group Certi cate for Outstanding Good Service during the NW European campaign. He was also Mentioned- in-Despatches in 1945 for MARKET GARDEN operation.
gallantry during the
‘makeshift mine eld clearance expert’ in Holland in 1945. He was to remain a driver throughout the Normandy and Holland campaigns as the OC B Coy jeep driver demanding constant movement between B Company HQ , the RAP and Battalion HQ bringing resupplies forward especially an early morning tea call, and ferrying casualties to the rear. In this he was often alone, forced to run the gauntlet of enemy res, reliant on his own military skills of map reading, situational awareness and a sense of service to his comrades. His efforts in collecting paratroopers who had made it back across the Scheldt from Arnhem was recognised by the award of Dutch Bronze Start for Meritorious Service. On 20th September, in actions around Nijmegen, he was shot in the neck and blown up; he survived but the bullet remained lodged in his neck until 1946.
IN actions around Lochem, Young found himself haphazardly collecting prisoners; on one occasion, around Driel, whilst picking up a wounded soldier, he was taken captive and awaiting interro- gation at a farm that came under German artillery bombardment, suddenly found his captors surren- dering to him; another, when again out on his own, a German soldier surrendered and then helped lift two casualties onto the makeshift stretchers who were delivered to the RAP before YOUNG handed the soldier over to Battalion HQ.
Young was demobbed in 1946 and returned to the family road haulage business in Shrewton, retiring in 1984 and moved to Salisbury and was a volunteer in the Wardrobe Museum for the next 17 years. YOUNG was a member of the Normandy Veterans Association, the Market Garden Association and the 43rd Wessex Divisional Association alongside his membership to his Regimental Associations. He was an active member of the British Legion from the end of the Second World War to 2005.
Young passed away on 9th June 2017. He is survived by his wife Margrit, whom he met as an interpreter in Hannover in 1945 and married in 1947, and a son and daughter.
IN ACTIONS AROUND NIJMEGEN, HE WAS SHOT IN THE NECK AND BLOWN UP; HE SURVIVED BUT THE BULLET REMAINED LODGED IN HIS NECK UNTIL 1946
Private, Sapper, Gunner and then Private Young was born on 13th October 1921 in Shrewton where his Father owned a road haulage company. He attended school initially in Shrewton and then the Modern School in Salisbury having been unable to sit the entrance exam to Bishop Wordsworth due to illness and left in spring 1938 at 16 years. Initial interest in the RAF was waylaid by 4WILTS whom he joined to gain experience prior to compulsory National Service but the RAF continued to beckon and he sat the Entrance Exam in October 1939 and passed but by then A Coy had been mobilised and deployed as KP Defence of RAF Boscombe Down and he wished to remain with his ‘army’ friends. However, being under age, he was transferred to the RE, attended a searchlight course and posted to 394 Company RE based in the New Forest tasked with defence of Southampton where he witnessed the rst 100 bomber raid on the docks. In June 1940, Searchlight units were transferred to the Artillery and with them went Gunner YOUNG. On 3rd February 1941, his elder brother, Keith, reclaimed him for 4WILTS and Private Young joined the Battalion in Kent.
His upbringing had gifted him a driving licence and between 1942-44, he drove HGVs and jeeps for of cers and the Assault Pioneer platoon - experience of this latter was to place him as
252 REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
THE RIFLES