Memories from Captain Richard Coakes
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posted on 2024-06-05, 19:54 authored by Their Finest Hour Project TeamRichard Coakes was a 26 year old school teacher, who enlisted in 1939. He joined the Royal Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant. When the Parachute Regiment was formed in 1942, he transferred. He was involved in the D-Day landings and in the Ardennes, though like many of his generation, he was reluctant to talk about the war. By the end of the war, he was at the rank of Captain.
Cap badges are for the two regiments.
A pair of German binoculars from a chateau that was captured in France.
He kept the parachute and we played with it as children, making parachutes out of it and jumping off the garage roof.
His grandson remembers the parachute being used as a dust sheet.
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Photos 1-3. Pair of German binoculars Photos 4-9. Captain badges for two regimentsPerson the story/items relate to
Richard CoakesPerson who shared the story/items
Roger CoakesRelationship between the subject of the story and its contributor
He was the contributor's father.Type of submission
Shared at Lancing Prep Worthing, West Sussex on 16 September 2023.Record ID
100085 | LAN025Usage metrics
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Their Finest HourWorld War TwoAir RaidArmed ForcesArmyArtilleryAsiaAsianBombBombedBombingBombing raidsBombsBritainBritishBritish ArmyBritish EmpireBurmaBurma CampaignBurmeseChildChildhoodChildrenCivilianCiviliansD-DayD-Day LandingsEducationEmpireEuropeEuropeanFranceFrenchGermanGermanyMilitaryMyanmarPhotoPhotographPhotographsPhotosRoyalRoyal ArtillerySchoolSouth East Asia
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