Men of the Campaign:

Major John Frederick Bernard BLATCH - Glider Pilot Regiment, Second in Command Number 2 Wing

Commissioned into the Territorial Buckinghamshire Battalion of the Regiment in August 1939. He served with the Battalion in France and Belgium in 1940. He was wounded during the withdrawal to Dunkirk and after evacuation rejoined the Battalion in July 1940 as Regimental Signals Officer. In February 1942 he transferred to the Glider Pilot Regiment and by the time of Arnhem was Second in Command of its Number 2 Wing.

After Operation Market Garden he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross:

“Major Blatch took off on 17th September 1944 from Broadwell, but owing to very bad weather was compelled to land in England, this he succeeded in doing safely; the next day he again took off in his glider and over Holland the tug aircraft was hit by flak and Major Blatch's glider had the whole of one aileron shot away, thereby causing him to force land, this he succeeded in doing successfully just inside the British lines near the Albert Canal. Major Blatch then succeeded in contacting HQ Airborne Forces at Nijmegen and made determined efforts to rejoin the Wing in the Arnhem area; but failed to do so. Had it not been for his flying skill, it is certain that the load he was carrying in his glider, which included senior officers, would have suffered serious injury.”

Distinguished Flying Cross