2020: We were contacted by Colin Simonds, whose father was first cousin to JMS. We were pleased to accept his offer of a photograph and some information, as follows:
Captain John Mellor Simonds was born in Cheshire, a son of Viscount Simonds and Mary Simonds, and twin to Gavin Alexander Simonds who died in 1951. Educated at Winchester and Cambridge University where he became President of the Union as well as a very active member of the Oxford University Labour Federation campaigns and fund raising to help Spanish Socialists against Franco. He was admitted to Inner Temple in 1939 entitled to practise as a Barrister-at-Law. He was the second husband to Barbara Robinson, married on 12 August 1944.
On the outbreak of war he was commissioned in the North Staffordshire Regiment, He volunteered for airborne forces and was part of 1st Airborne Division from its formation. John went with his battalion and was dropped by air glider as part of operation Market Garden, into Arnhem. By now a major, he was Second-in-Command of the Battalion and of the OC HQ Company. He was wounded on 19 September 1944 and died of his wounds on 25 September, aged 29.
He is commemorated on the Groesbeek ‘’Memorial to the Missing’’ as well as at Lincoln’s Inn where he studied law.
Our photo shows him as a schoolboy at Winchester.
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