Major Richard Hargreaves
Para officer who led an uphill assault, with fixed bayonets, against fortified enemy positions in Italy
MAJOR RICHARD HARGREAVES, who has died aged 99, won an MC in Italy in 1943 while serving with the Parachute Regiment and subsequently had a successful career in business.
On the night of September 15/16 1943, Hargreaves was in command of “B” Company 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (4 Para). His orders were to capture the Laterza Bridge, some 20 miles north-west of Taranto, which was vital to 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade’s advance from the beachhead.
A long night approach march over difficult terrain was followed by an uphill assault on well-prepared and strongly defended German positions. Despite heavy mortar and machinegun fire, B Company fixed bayonets and the attack, led by Hargreaves, was pressed home with great dash and courage.
The enemy, driven from its position, abandoned heavy weapons and equipment and sustained considerable casualties. “B” Company lost four men in the action. Hargreaves was awarded a Military Cross for his bravery and inspirational leadership.
Richard Strachan Hargreaves was born at Port Weld, Malaysia, on September 26 1919. His father owned a rubber plantation and had been one of the original officers in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War.
The family returned to Cornwall in the 1920s. He and his brother went to Amesbury Preparatory School, Hindhead, where the headmaster had served alongside their father in the First World War. Young Richard went on to Dauntsey’s School, Wiltshire. Always known as Dick, he joined the 12th Bn Royal Fusiliers in May 1939. He was commissioned in December but his unit became a reinforcement battalion and, determined to see action, he volunteered to join the Parachute Regiment.
In May 1943, 4 Para embarked for North Africa. They disembarked at
Oran, Algeria, and, after rigorous training, they landed at Taranto on September 9 as part of 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade. Hargreaves witnessed the sinking of the minelayer Abdiel in Taranto harbour after it had struck a magnetic mine. It sank within a few minutes with considerable loss of life.
He and 4 Para fought to the River Sangro and deployed fighting patrols from Casoli, in the Abruzzo region, into the Majella mountain range. In July 1944, they moved up to Rome to practise the airborne assault for Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. On August 15 at 0100 hours, they flew from Rome and jumped near Draguignan, Provence.
There was a heavy ground mist and many of the men in Hargreaves’s stick feared that they were jumping into the sea. Hargreaves collected two of his platoons and, having assembled at the battalion rendezvous at 0620 hours, he moved off to capture the high ground overlooking Le Muy. He was hit while trying to carry a wounded American paratrooper back to the British lines. The casualty was shot and killed during the rescue attempt.
After three weeks in France, 4 Para returned to Italy where Hargreaves was treated for his wounds. The Germans were pulling out of the Peloponnese and it was decided to deploy to Greece and speed their departure.
In October 1944, elements of 4 Para parachuted in daylight on to Megara airfield, west of Athens. They landed in an olive grove and high winds and large boulders on the ground caused many casualties. Hargreaves commandeered several fishing caiques to get “B” Company into the city quickly.
After 10 days in Athens, Pompforce was formed. Its main elements were “B” and “C” Companies from 4 Para and two squadrons of the Special Boat Service. Pompforce was commanded by Lt Col Lord Jellicoe and its role was to harass the retreating Germans.
They travelled north in jeeps equipped with Bren guns, blowing up bridges and attacking troop trains until they were recalled by HQ Cairo after the decision was made to leave further pursuit to the Russians.
In December, Hargreaves left
4 Para for the Staff College at Haifa. At the end of the course, he returned to Greece to take up a posting to 10th Infantry Brigade as brigade major.
He was demobilised in 1946 and for 12 years he was a main board director of Gallaghers, the tobacco manufacturers.
He worked for the Savoy Hotel Group for 18 years, mostly as a main board director.
Concurrently, he was a nonexecutive director of Reids Hotel, Madeira, and chairman of the Lygon Arms Hotel in the Cotswolds. For 10 years, he was chairman of JA Devenish, the West Country brewers.
Hargreaves was a City of Westminster councillor for four years and Deputy Lord Mayor in 1977. The following year, he was Master of the Tobacco Pipe Makers’ and Tobacco Blenders’ Livery Company. He was a special constable from 1958 to 1970 and finished as a chief inspector on the Surrey force.
While living in Dorset he was a founder member of the Joseph Weld Hospice, responsible for raising £3.5 million and for the design and building of the hospice. He was chairman for 12 years and the Prince of Wales became Patron.
In 2005 he was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur. He relished his commemorative visits to La Motte and Le Muy, the two towns that he had helped to liberate, and was always deeply touched by the warm welcome he received.
In an episode of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are? programme the Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart flew over Le Muy with Hargreaves pointing out to him the battlefield in which Stewart’s father, HQ company sergeant major, had fought.
In retirement, Hargreaves travelled widely and his adventures included climbing up to the Everest base camp. He sailed and skied until he was in his eighties and was still travelling to Africa and Cambodia when he was 96.
Dick Hargreaves married, in 1945, Kathleen (Kay) Nightingale who was an officer in the WRNS. She predeceased him and he is survived by their three daughters and a son.
Major Richard Hargreaves, born September 26 1919, died August 10 2019