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Sergeant Donald Wyatt
Unit : No.9 Flight, "G" Squadron, No.1 Wing, The Glider Pilot Regiment
Army No. : 5393017
On Sunday 17th September 1944, Sergeant Donald Wyatt flew a Horsa glider, towed by a Stirling of 620 Squadron from Fairford, to LZ-Z near Wolfheze, carrying a 75mm Pack Howitzer, Jeep and crew of "F" Troop, No.3 Battery, 1st Airlanding Light Regiment. He is remembered in the following account by Lieutenant Mike Dauncey, also of "G" Squadron:
"That afternoon [Wednesday 20th September] the Para chaps were withdrawn to our houses for a rest. We took over the area to the North of our area [on Weverstraat, Oosterbeek] with a mixed bag of glider pilots, parachutists and airborne infantry under Lieutenant Max Downing on the left, Captain Mike Corrie with Lieutenant Frank Derbyshire in the centre and myself on the right. It took a bit of sorting out, but once that had been done the situation looked far better. That evening we spent digging in and getting to know the men a little. I had Staff Sergeant Halliday and Sergeant Wyatt, both of whom were invaluable. There was no doubt that the others looked to the glider pilots to lead, which we did."
Sergeant Wyatt is officially listed as being killed in action on Thursday 21st September. Dauncey recalls the incident, though he believed that it happened on the following day:
"We had another fight with the Germans but they were driven off easily. The self-propelled gun was back again; unfortunately he got us this time. Sergeant Wyatt was killed and eight men were wounded. Major Croot was with me and we were both cut slightly at the hand. No glider pilots were with me now." In an alternative account, Dauncey writes: "2 Attacks on our position today. A self-propelled gun scored a direct hit on us from 50-80 yards. Sgt Wyatt was killed instantly and 8 other wounded."
Donald Wyatt was buried in a field near the Van Hofwegen Laundry, a short distance from the Church. He was subsequently reinterred in the Oosterbeek Cemetery, plot 30.A.5. He was 21.
My thanks to Philip Thorne for this information.