Gunner Robert W. Mortimer

Unit : No.2 Forward Observation Unit

Army No. : 14296320

"Bob" Mortimer was born in January 1924. He joined the Royal Artillery in 1943, and later volunteered for the Airborne Forces, completing parachute course 133 at R.A.F. Ringway as part of the No.2 Forward Observation Unit contingent. The following is his account of his service with this unit.

The Unit in which I served, No.2 Forward Observer Unit, R.A. (Airborne) was a parachute trained one whose function was to provide Forward Observer Officers plus an assistant and a wireless operator attached to the Para Battalions and to secure counter battery/mortar fire and engage other targets that the guns on the West bank could deal with. We must have been one of the smallest units in the army, because our War Establishment totaled 100 comprising 1/3 members of the Royal Canadian Artillery and 2/3 from the Royal Artillery.

The date was 17th September 1944, and the place was Tatton Park near R.A.F. Ringway, No 1 Parachute Training School (now Manchester Civil Airport). At 7.15 a.m. I and three others found ourselves standing in a large basket suspended from a tethered barrage balloon at a height of 700 feet. It was soon my turn to sit at the edge of the hole cut in the floor, and with a static line clipped to a strong point, out I went and within about one minute was safely on terra-firma after an uneventful flight and making a bee line for the YMCA tea van.

After another balloon descent our stick graduated to a Whitley, at that time an obsolescent bomber converted to a parachute dropping role. We dropped in "Slow Pairs" that meant two went out on the first approach to a dropping zone, and then the aircraft completed a circuit and dropped another two. My turn soon came and I was sitting facing aft with my legs in the hole cut into the fuselage and when I made my exit I saw the tail wheel pass a few feet away from my face. On reaching the ground and in a moment of euphoria, sitting on the ground pulling in the rigging lines to pack up the canopy, I heard someone calling "LOOK OUT". On looking round I could only see other members of my unit packing up their parachutes, so I thought someone was pulling my leg. At the next instant there was a WHOOSH, and a pair of size 10 boots narrowly missed my head. It appeared that the occupant had been calling frantically as he tried to avoid me.

On completing another balloon drop, this time after dark and several jumps from the Douglas C. 3 Dakota to reach the number of jumps required, I then received the extra 2/- per day.

Later in the year, I had the first experience of travelling in a Horsa glider. Being of all wood construction and with only a plywood 'skin' you had to be careful where you trod.

Various exercises followed - one of which proved nearly as hairy as the real thing. This time the aircraft was a Stirling that featured a large wedge-shaped hole from which to depart. I found myself in full battle order, i.e. steel helmet, small pack on the chest between two ammunition pouches, a sleeveless coverall over that then the parachute with my Sten secured by the harness. On my right leg was a kit-bag containing my wireless. This was secured by a quick-release strap around the ankle, and another around the knee. In practice, once airborne, a quick release was pulled and the bag was paid out on 20 feet of rope.

I was jumping number 16 in a stick of twenty, and in spite of it being November I found myself sweating freely, especially after receiving the order to "hook up", someone knocked out a fire extinguisher from its hook. This started to fizz so it was rapidly passed hand to hand and then flung through the hole.

The Green light soon came on after a flight of about half an hour, and we started to move. However, I found that due to my sweat covered eyes, I got slightly off centre of the fuselage and on coming to the hole and the weight of the kit-bag pulling me through, my chin hit the side momentarily stunning me.

On recovering my wits I found that the slipstream of the four engines had blown the knee strap on the kit-bag free and that the bag was hanging from the ankle strap with the quick release out of reach. Luckily I managed to haul in the 20 feet of rope coiled on the side of the bag to pull up the bag and so release it just before landing flat on my back.

On the 24th March 1945, Mortimer took-off in a Horsa glider for the Rhine Crossing, as part of Captain Geoffrey Forde's team, along with Gunner Craven.

Although members of 2 F.O.U, R.A. went in by parachute on the Rhine Crossing, a few like myself had to go in by glider. I happened to be the FOO's driver/wireless operator and had to take the jeep equipped with the 22 set. Like most parachutists I didn't relish the prospect, although we had all had glider training in advance.

On Saturday 24th March 1945, I found myself having breakfast at 2.30 a.m. Not knowing when I would have another meal I laid into the greasy bacon (something I came to regret later on).

We took off from R.A.F. Shepherds Grove in a Horsa that carried my wireless, jeep, trailer and two motorcycles. Up front were the two pilots and a Captain in our unit, No 2. Forward Observer Unit, R.A. Another gunner and I sat in the tail facing forward and the tug was a Stirling.

All the U.K. departing aircraft during 'Operation Varsity', as the Rhine Crossing was known, rendezvoused over Hawkinge before crossing the Channel. The weather was perfect and we cast off from the Stirling at 11.10 a.m. Unfortunately the smokescreen on the west bank of the Rhine had drifted across the river and obscured our landing zone. Flak was heavy and hits were scored. Geoffrey [Captain. Forde] was badly wounded, but subsequently made a good recovery.

It was more horrendous for him and the pilots seeing what lay ahead. Sitting in the tail vision was very limited.

* Geoff's account [see here] of 'rifle fire' was more like machine-gun fire, because I could hear it riddling the tail (what seemed like a few inches from Gnr. Craven and I). In the cockpit I believe that a 20mm shell landed and a fragment perforated the compressed air tank (used to operate the air brakes or rather, flaps). After returning to the U.K. a portion of the aluminium casing of the tank was removed from Geoff.

* With reference to Geoff's account of our capture, there probably was a sprinkling of Home Guard, but the one who relieved me of grenades from my pouches by means of lifting them by the ring that held the split pin preventing the striking lever to operate, did not appear to be one of them.

Following B & B provided by our hosts, myself and companion were released from Stalag XIB by units of the 7th Armoured Division (the Desert Rats) on the 16th April 1945.

Upon return to England, Bob was granted some leave and rejoined his unit to prepare for the war in the Far East against the Japanese. This did not come to pass, however, as the war ended before the larger part of the 6th Airborne could be deployed, and so they found themselves in Palestine instead, where they continued parachute and airborne training whilst being forced into an unpleasant internal security role.

The unit saw service in Palestine post war in an internal security role. My next jump was from a Halifax and I felt very important, because jumping as number two behind the C.O., it was my job to shout "GO" when the green light came on. It was always imperative to leave the aircraft quickly and when the red light appeared, I was ready to call out. However, before I could do so I found myself outside and floating down!

HQ Stick for Ex Smeery.

Order of jumping.

The above order of jumping will NOT be changed, without reference Capt. F.R. Moore, R.A.

F.R.Moore.

Capt. RA.

B.M. Adjutant, 2nd Forward Observer Unit RA (Airborne)

This indicates the fast exit drill. The aircraft was a 'Halifax Mk IX' and the drop occurred on the 4th September 1946.

In 1975, 1980, and 1985, Bob jumped with the First Day stamp covers that commemorated Operation Varsity, after which he retired from parachuting and in 1990 the 'covers' were carried by the Red Devils Free Fall Team.

In January 1994, Bob's 70th birthday, his eldest daughter got him a present of a one day gliding course at the Dover club.

I waited for the better weather in July and had three launches, much quieter than the previous time!

He carried 100 specially produced postcards, featuring the gliders landing near Hamminkeln (where he landed), with the Isle of Man 28p stamp commemorating Operation Varsity on the visit to Germany with other former members of the 6th Airborne Division in March 1995. The covers bore the Isle of Man 'stamp' 24th March 1995 (the actual date of the landings exactly 50 years before).

Bob Mortimer passed away on the 8th November 2015.

Main Source: Letters from 'Bob' Mortimer to 'Bob' Hilton. 1990's.

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