Loney, William born 25-07-1918 in Westtown, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, the son of William and Mary Loney. William and his family were devoted Catholics and attended St. Pauline Church
regularly. William was a keen footballer and worked as a labourer in Adams Mill, Dewsbury.
William was called up for national service and received his training as a gunner. He was initially posted to 17 Field Regiment Royal Artillery. William volunteered to join the Army Air Corps
on 02-11-1942, where he was enlisted in C-Coy, 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment,
under command of Major General John Dutton Frost,
.
Major General John Dutton Frost, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DL (31-12-1912 – 21-05-1993) was an airborne officer of the British Army, best known for being the leader of the small group of British airborne troops that actually arrived at Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem in Operation Market Garden, in the Second World War. He was one of the first to join the newly formed Parachute Regiment and served with distinction in many wartime airborne operations, such as in North Africa and Sicily and Italy, until his injury and subsequent capture at Arnhem. He retired from the army in 1968 to become a beef cattle farmer in West Sussex.
William saw action in North Africa and Italy before being promoted to Lance Corporal in June 1944. He took part in the Operation Market Garden on 17 September 1944.
Death and burial ground of Loney William “Ginger”.


The Operation Market Garden was an allied operation that planned to land 30,000 British and American troops behind enemy lines to capture the eight bridges that spanned the network of canals and rivers on the Dutch/German border.
As part of Operation Market Garden, in the unit of lieutenant Victor “Dicky” Dover (25-02-1919/01-12-1982, age 63)
C-Coy, 2nd Battalion was dropped on 17-09-1944 on DZ-X at Heelsum. In the evening while entering Arnhem via the Utrechtsestraat as 1 of the leaf scouts for his Platoon, Lance Corporal William Loney was killed the same day when he was shot by machine gun fired together with his comrades , Private Norman Shipley
and Private Thomas Pratt.
All 3 were subsequently reported missing. Marcel Anker, a Dutch historian who has written a book on the Battle of Arnhem, found L/Cpl Loney died in heavy fighting on the doorstep of a house at 65 Utrechtseweg Arnhem.
L/Cpl Loney, who fought with the Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps, was identified as the grave’s occupant in 2008 using records describing the remains of soldiers killed in action.
William’s burial place had remained unknown, until the grave of an unknown soldier buried in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery was brought to the attention of the JCCC by the Royal Netherlands Army’s Recovery and Identification Unit. After extensive historical research into this unknown grave and the circumstances surrounding William’s death, it has been confirmed by the JCCC that this grave is that of Lance Corporal William Loney. A new headstone bearing Lance Coperal Loney’s name has been provided by the CWGC, who will now care for his final resting place in perpetuity.
The reburial service, after 72 years,
held at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in the Netherlands, was attended by members of the British and Dutch military and members of the public, with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission providing the new headstone.
More than 1,400 Allied troops died and more than 6,000 were captured during Market Garden.


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