Private William Lynas Elliott (14418285) served in 10th Battalion The Green Howards and 12th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps during the Second World War. He was the son of Margaret Elliott of Belfast.
He died on 12th June 1944 aged 20 years old. 12th Battalion Parachute Regiment landed in Normandy at 0050hrs on D-Day, 6th June 1944. Overcoming a dispersed drop, the secured the village of Le Bas de Ranville by 0400hrs. The Battalion came under heavy mortar and artillery fire and repelled attacks from 125th Panzer Grenadier Regiment. The Battalion then moved out to bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal.
On 7th June, they defended the bridges south of Ranville coming under attack from enemy Panzers and Infantry. During 9th June 1944, part of the Battalion aided 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles’ assault on Sainte-Honorine. At the time of Elliott’s death, the under-strength Battalion was part of an assault on Breville. During the attack, the Battalion lost 126 of its troops.
William Lynas Elliott’s grave is in Section IVA, Row G, Grave 18 of Ranville War Cemetery, Ranville, Normandy, France. His headstone bears the inscription:
He died that we might live.