Captain Reginald Sydney Foot
Unit : "B" Company, 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment
Army No. : 138194
Awards : Military Cross
This officer's glider caught fire on landing and was at once attacked by a group of Italians. This attack was driven off and four Italians killed. Captain Foot then collected two isolated parties of troops and proceeded with his small party to put into practice his Company plan of attack on his objective. He led this attack in person and was wounded. His force suffered heavy casualties. Large numbers of the enemy called on Captain Foot and his party to surrender; he refused to do so and eventually led his men through the wire to a covered position. Here he was attacked by Italian patrols and personally shot two of the enemy with his rifle, wounding a third. Eventually Captain Foot rejoined the main body and eventually took command of his Company where he continued to do excellent work. Throughout the fighting Captain Foot gave great assistance to his Commanding Officer. He showed consistent courage and resource of the highest order.
Captain Foot continued as Second-in-Command of "B" Company and participated in the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. As the glider in which his commander, Major Cain, was travelling had been forced to ditch soon after take-off, Foot commanded "B" Company until Cain caught up with them via the Second Lift. He resumed command as the Battalion was becoming involved in the heavy fighting to force a path through to the bridge on Tuesday 19th September. Cain recalls meeting the now wounded Foot; "As I arrived I met Reggie Foot with his left arm around a man's shoulder and a pistol in his right hand, his good-natured face as red and cheerful as ever. He had a bullet in his left thigh and told me that John Phillp had also been wounded in the thigh or groin and was now safely in hospital. Reg limped off, laughing at his 'Blighty one' and saying that he would be with me again in a couple of weeks." Foot was taken prisoner, however.