Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Private J. Whittaker, 13th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps, who was part of the platoon which mistakenly dropped deep behind the lines on D-Day, 6 June 1944. With a broken arm he evaded capture for 3 months living with three others in a French barn near Port L’Eveque, and after recovery he dropped again into Germany in Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945 and was badly wounded during the battle of Wunstorf airfield on 10 April 1945

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S.E. Asia 1945-46 (14410473 Pte J Whittaker AAC) the medals all somewhat later issues, minor edge bruise to last, nearly extremely fine (4) £400-£500

Joseph Whittaker was born in Salford, Lancashire, on 4 November 1924 and initially enlisted into the General Service Corps on his 18th birthday. After initial training was posted to 70th Welch, he transferred into the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion on 13 October 1943. He was part of 9 Platoon, ‘C’ Company that jumped into Normandy on the night of the 5-6 June 1944. Aboard aircraft 325 were 19 Paratroopers and a motorcycle belonging to 9 Platoon, 'C' Company. The story is taken up in 13 - Lucky For Some: The History of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion by Andrew Woolhouse, quoting the following Paratroopers:

‘Private Len Cox (9 Platoon, 'C' Company):
"We emplaned and were waiting in the aircraft for take-off when the engines spluttered and then went silent. We had a mad de-bus and were loaded into another Dakota. The flight as far as the French coast was OK, but then we ran into heavy flak and seemed to fly on and on. It wasn't until the third run in that we actually jumped; something or other went wrong on the first two."

Corporal John Mescki (9 Platoon, 'C' Company)
“Our officer, Tiger Lee, was the first out. No. 2 was his batman, Dougie Sharp from Cheadle, No.3 was a fellow called "Nutter" [Private Charles Hadley from London] who had a water diviner strapped to his leg and this got stuck in the door and the dispatcher kicked him out. I said, "Don't kick me out, don't push me," because I didn't want to spiral. So just jumped out and when I jumped out it was very quiet, beautiful, and quiet, just the noise of the aircraft and my chute popping open. After landing carried on about another 50 yards and I'm lost here, because I thought there was electric and telephone wires going across the field and I knew from the photographs of the DZ that there was no such thing, so I was pretty lost I to came another hedge and intended to jump through it, but got stuck half-way. Then I heard some footsteps and I thought, ‘Oh, hell, I've had it,’ but it turned out to be 2 friends, one who had broken his arm [Private J. Whittaker] and the other who had burned his fingers on his chute [Pte S. Fell].
We went straight down this road together and heard a noise like a tank, so said, ‘Let's get behind the hedge and throw some grenades.’ So we pulled the pin from out grenades, ready to throw them over the hedge, and who should come riding past were a man and a woman. Luckily, we kept the pins and rings and pushed them back on, peeked out and they disappeared round the next crossroad.
We got back on the road, realising we should go in a northerly direction, when a Typhoon came over. I thought it was going I to strafe us, so we dived in the hedgerow and found a little path along into a wood. I said, ‘If we stay off the road, we'll make it.’ After I a while I saw this farmhouse, and got my binoculars out and looked at it. There, was smoke coming out of the chimney, but it was well protected from the road. I thought we could get round the back without anyone noticing and I went round and saw the door was open. It was now getting on for about 6 o'clock in the morning. knocked on the door and this French lady came. She didn't look surprised; she just looked at me and said, ‘M'sieur?’
I asked her if there were any Germans in the house and she said no and so I said, ‘I've got 2 wounded comrades, can you look after us?’ She said yes, enter if you wish. I said can you give us any idea where we are and she showed us on a little tiny railway map where we were. I said the British will be here in 3 days, will you hide us? She said yes, and took us out 3 months”.’

Whittaker, Fell and Mescki remained in the barn for three months and were eventually liberated when their battalion reached Pont L’Everque. Fell would later be killed in Operation Varsity.

After liberation, Whittaker returned to the UK malnourished and he was sent to Swansea to recover from his ordeal. He was to rejoin his battalion in February 1945. On 24 March 1945, he would jump into combat in Operation Varsity, when the battalion advanced into Germany, and by 7 April had reached Petershagen, in between Osnabrück and Hanover. It continued to proceed east by motor transport and encountered enemy forces defending Wunstorf airfield at around 14:30 hours, although earlier reconnaissance reports had indicated that it had been abandoned, resulting in the ambush of the leading elements crossing the bridge to approach it, and heavy casualties. Whittaker was wounded by a high explosive shell to his left arm.

After the surrender of the Japanese, Whittaker sailed to Singapore and the Far East and was involved in the round up of ‘stray’ Japanese servicemen on the Malay-Siam border. In November and December 1945 he served in Java to help put down the Indonesian Rebellion. There was an infamous mutiny of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion in May 1946 due to poor conditions. He was discharged in November 1946, his services no longer required; it is not known if he was one of the 251 mutineers whose charges were later dropped.

In 1958 Whittaker rejoined the Territorial Army and the Royal Artillery for a year. He subsequently applied for the Efficiency Medal (Territorial), but this was refused, with his records stating ‘Very Naughty Boy’. He died in Salford on 1 September 1991.

Sold with copied service papers and other research, which states that his Second War medals were issued in November 1980; and his GSM in December 1982.