John Murdoch Dirom

A Lance Corporal with the 7th (Galloway) Battalion, John died on 4 April 1944, aged 22.

John was born at Laverhay, Wamphrey, Dumfriesshire in 1921 a son of John and Agnes Murdoch.
In 1943 John married Joyce Mary Key Blake, of 36 Nelson Road, Pakefield, this was registered in the Lothingland district. Joyce remarried in 1947. 

John was a member of the 7th (Galloway) Battalion. His unit was part of the airborne forces and were trained to land by glider. On 4 April 1944 John was flying in a Horsa Glider with other members of 3 Platoon, A Company, being towed by a Stirling IV aircraft on a night exercise. The Stirling hit a tree to the east of Warnford Park, Hampshire, and the glider crashed into the fields on Warnford Park killing all 27 men on board. The Stirling aircraft was badly damaged and itself crashed near Romsey killing all six crew.