Guardsman 2615895 Reginald Hillman
Grenadier Guards

Reginald Hillman was born on the 29th March 1920; his mother, Edith, lived at South View, Llanfechain.  He was educated at Llanfechain and Overton Schools, was a member of St. Garmon’s Church choir, a keen cricketer, and member of the village Scout Troop. Before joining the Army in 1938 he worked for Major Mainwaring of Oteley, Elsmere.  He deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force in 1939 and was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940. In 1944 he again deployed to France as part of the Normandy invasion.  His unit, the 4th (Tank) Battalion, Grenadier Guards, itself part of the 6th Guards Armoured Brigade, landed in Normandy on 20th June, 14 days after the initial landings.  Its first major action was Operation Goodwood followed by Operation Bluecoat (30th July to 7th August) which helped secure the key road junction of Vire and the high ground of Mont Pincon in order to support the American exploitation of their breakout on the western flank of the Normandy beach head. Reginald Hillman died in the immediate aftermath of this on Monday 14th August 1944 aged 24 and is buried in the Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France (Grave Reference VIII. B. 14)

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission note his age as 23; his family and records say 24.