Captain Patrick Robert Nesbitt Stewart
Unit : "E" Troop, 212th Battery, 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, RA.
Army No. : 93906
Awards : Military Cross
Captain Stewart was the commander of "E" Troop during Normandy and the Rhine Crossing. Following severe casualties suffered during the latter, he was promoted to Major and awarded the Military Cross for his conduct throughout the war.
Major Stewart landed in Normandy on 13th June 1944 and manned an Observation Post in the Le Mesnil sector for over two months. On account of the close country he frequently had to move out with patrols to protect him when registering and engaging targets. His work during this period and during the advance to the Seine was distinguished by a ready willingness to accept obvious danger in order better to shoot his guns.
At the crossing of the Rhine on 24th March 1945 this officer's glider was heavily engaged by flak. In spite of the fact that both his signallers as well as his assistant had been wounded, Major Stewart extricated his wireless set and proceeded to register targets on the River Issel. Owing to heavy casualties he was the only Observation Post of his regiment in action for a great part of that day.
In the advance East into Germany Major Stewart again distinguished himself as Forward Observation Officer with the leading company in the break out and later as Battery Commander in which capacity he showed outstanding ability and courage and set a magnificent example to his battery until he was wounded at the end of April.