Parachutist mortally wounded on first day

A FALLEN D-Day parachutist is buried at Checkendon church.

Lieutenant William Temple parachuted into action on D-Day and helped the Allied forces take control of Pegasus Bridge before he was mortally wounded.

He died from his injuries 10 days after the battle and is buried in St Peter and St Paul’s Church.

William Anthony Binger Temple, who was known as “Bill” to his friend, was born on September, 20 1914, in British Columbia.

His father Anthony, a solicitor from Dorset, emigrated to Canada where he met and married Gwendolen Marion Binger.

But on April 5, 1916, when William was just one, Anthony was killed in action in France while serving the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He was 36.

Following their loss, William and his mother left Canada in 1922 to start a new life in England. William spent time in Mexico as an agricultural student in the Thirties and then emigrated to Texas.

On November 3, 1939, he enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment.

He gained commission on May 17, 1940 and was posted with the 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in Northern Ireland amid concern that Hitler might try to stir up trouble there. On December, 6, 1941 he married Patricia Muriel Britton, at Checkendon church and the couple moved to Ireland. When the decision was made to create a parachute force he applied to join.

On June 16, 1943, Lieutenant Temple was posted to the 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment. On June 6, 1944, during the D-Day landings, he parachuted into action at drop zone Ranville to relieve the glider-borne “coup de main” force at Pegasus Bridge, near Caen, a strategic objective.

Lt Temple’s unit, tasked with securing this area, played a vital role in the mission’s success. A and B Companies were heavily involved in fending off enemy counterattacks.

Lt Temple was badly wounded in the first few hours after landing in France. He was evacuated to England and died on June 16 at St Mary’s Hospital in Portsmouth, aged 29.

In a letter written in November 1944, his widow said: “I didn’t think he had much chance but the doctors were hopeful and he rallied wonderfully but had a sudden relapse about 3am… and died in about five minutes. I couldn’t believe it possible at first and was so dreadfully lonely.”

He is buried at Checkendon church where his gravestone reads: “Templa quam dilecta,” which is Latin for “Temple how beloved”.

It also bears the inscription: “They storm heaven’s gate one step ahead. We on the pitted runways, labour.”

His daughter, Charmian Mary, was born on October 24, 1944.