3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Parham, West Sussex, 1941

Photograph compiled by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, 1941.

The men pictured are named as, 'Bert Proctor, Bill Palmer, Ron Wright, Leslie Sunderland'. A photograph in a later album shows the temporary grave of Lieutenant William 'Billie' Palmer, killed in action on on 17 July 1943 during heavy fighting around the Primosole Bridge, Sicily.

In October 1940, the 3rd and 4th Sharpshooters Regiments moved to the Dorking area, with the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) billeted in Cherfold, Chiddingfold and surrounding villages. Training at Parham in West Sussex was probably undertaken while based in Surrey. The 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) moved on to Westbury in Wiltshire in May 1941 prior to deployment to North Africa.

The war diary of the Sharpshooters records Lieutenant William Henry Palmer's death in Sicily on 17 July 1943 after heavy fighting around the Primosole Bridge over the Simeto RIver. During Operation FUSTIAN Allied airborne troops had attempted to capture the bridge and 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) were involved in the supporting ground attack. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records Palmer's grave at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, but records the date of his death as 19 July 1943.

From a photograph album containing 620 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).