William Litchfield

In March 1943, the 1st Parachute Battalion (part of the 1st Parachute Brigade) was heavily engaged in Tunisia during the North Africa Campaign, fighting in the Tamera Valley against sustained Axis attacks.

The First Battle of Tamera: In early March 1943, the 1st Parachute Brigade occupied defensive positions along the Beja–Sedjenane road in Tunisia.Action: The battalion faced fierce, divisional-strength infantry assaults and heavy fire from German and Italian forces.

Despite being heavily outnumbered and surrounded at times, the paratroopers held their ground in a brutal defensive action before the Tunisian campaign concluded in May 1943.

The brigade suffered heavy losses during these fierce engagements, including dozens of men killed in March 1943 alone.

Litchfield's death on 10 March 1943 placed him right in the middle of these intense, close-quarters engagements where the paratroopers were frequently surrounded but successfully held the line.

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