Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lance-Corporal A. L. Ross, 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Airlanding Brigade, who was killed in action during the glider landings on Sicily in July 1943

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, in original card forwarding box addressed to ‘Mr. R. T. Rowbery’ in Staffordshire, with Army Council condolence slip in the name of ‘L.Cpl. A. L. Ross’, extremely fine (3) £250-300

Arthur Levi Ross was killed in action on 9 July 1943, aged 29 years, while serving as a Lance-Corporal in the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, a component of the 1st Airlanding Brigade.

“Operation Ladbrooke”, the Allied airborne assault on Sicily, commenced on the night of 9 July 1943, when nearly 150 gliders were despatched from North Africa, including those selected to carry the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion, South Staffordshires. Due to bad weather, confusion and not a little panic on the part of the mostly inexperienced pilots of the C-47 tow aircraft, most of the gliders were released either in the wrong place, or too far out to sea. As a result, 73 gliders crashed into the sea, and while some occupants managed to make it ashore, a good deal more drowned. It is likely that Lance-Corporal Ross was among the latter, for he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial.