4 para?

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- 24th September 2019 at 5:05 am #17484
  
  Bob Middleton
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  Hi all.
  My dad spoke little about his time Italy but passed on a shocking story of the shooting of a child by a sentry at night and then details of the situation his feet ankles were smashed in. He wore his boots out in some very strange places throughout his life but was never limited in any way by his injuries. I cannot work out if he landed at the boot bottom or up at Anzio. I know the only place he ever wanted to visit was Italy and loved the coast. Spoke of the Black mountains in the north east a little but no detail.
  I have tracked some war diaries from the paras but 2 para and…. I didn’t know he was a para til the day of his funeral and am sure the bishop said it was 4 para but I cannot find anything about 4 para in Italy.
  Very confusing. If anyone can help in,any way it would be much appreciated. He was very young – aged only 16 when invalided back home – by which time I believe Cassini hill had been taken by the poles and Indians. He spoke of a polish bear that lifted / shifted shells and traveled in the front of a jeep!
  I’m named after him. Any paras remember “black bob”?
- 24th September 2019 at 12:09 pm #17485
  
  Frank de Planta
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  Bob.
  
  4 Para were part of 2 Independent Parachute Brigade and were at Cassino between the Third Battle in Mar 44 and the Fourth Battle in May 44. 4 Para had responsibility for the town itself.
  
  The Brigade landed by sea at Taranto on 9 Sep 44 as part of Op SLAPSTICK. From here they pushed northwards as part of an operation to clear away elements of the German 1 Parachute Division. Whilst the rest of 1 British Airborne Division went to UK for preparations for D Day, 2 Independent Parachute Brigade stayed in Italy.
  
  To be absolutely certain about his war service, you need to go to http://www.gov.uk and search for Obtaining a Service Record’. As next of kin and with a death certificate, you get it for free.
  
  That Service Record will confirm which battalion he was in.
  
  Regards
  
  Frank
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