FDC Whitley Bombers Cpl Henry C. Pexton Paratrooper

Lance Corporal Harry C. Pexton was a British paratrooper during World War II, best known for his role in Operation Colossus, the first British airborne raid of the war. 

Key Military Service Details

• Unit: He served with "X" Troop, 11th Special Air Service Battalion (which later evolved into the Parachute Regiment).
• Training: He completed his parachute training at RAF Ringway, the primary training center for British airborne forces.
• Operation Colossus (February 1941): Pexton was part of the 38-man team tasked with destroying the Tragino Aqueduct in southern Italy. The mission successfully blew up the target, but all participants were eventually captured and became Prisoners of War (POWs) as the planned submarine extraction failed.
• Post-War: He continued his association with the military community and is remembered at the Airborne Assault Museum