“Chocolate” Bickle (as in Chocolate Biscuit/Bickie) was from Lewdown, Devon and had been a Territorial before the war.
He served in the Devon Scout Section.
In July 1943 he transferred to the 12th Devonshire (Airborne), mostly likely as the Scout Section was reduced in size. He was killed during the fighting around Ranville, near Pegasus Bridge, on the day after D Day, aged 26 years. His battalion had largely arrived by sea, due to a lack of aircraft to deliver this glider borne unit by air. He was killed in a mortar attack during their first night in France.
He is buried at Ranville Churchyard, France.
Born to his widowed mother Mary Jane Bickle, he had four step-brothers and had lived for a while with his step-sister at Sourton, near Oakehampton, Devon, where he was well known.
Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
---|---|---|---|
Devon Scout Section | Scout Section Member | Unknown | 01 Jul 1943 |