John Kiddey writes: "My family remembers with huge affection Father John Verrett of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment whose regiment was stationed at Tollerton Hall, a few miles from my grandmother's home in West Bridgford, Nottingham. He and his comrades were there to prepare for D-Day when they would be the first allied troops to land behind enemy lines in Normandy ahead of the invasion.



Father John was befriended by the Kelly family and worshiped with them at the local Catholic church. He and his close friends were regular visitors to my Grandmother's house throughout the spring of 1943. Fr John was killed on January 8th 1945 at The Battle of The Bulge when he was hit by a German shell just as he was helping a wounded comrade into a field ambulance. He was awarded two posthumous bravery awards and was eventually re-buried in his home town in 1952 where he was given a real hero's funeral.



His nephew came over to the UK in 2014 and we showed him around the places his uncle had known. It was a very emotional and very satisfying day. Paul Verrett later found letters sent to John's family by my own family when they heard of his sad and early death. Reading what my Grandma. mother and aunt wrote shows just how dearly John was loved by them. His sacrifice will never be forgotten by us.



John Joseph Verrett died in 1945. I, John Joseph Kiddey, was born six years later and was named after him, a fact which makes me very proud."