Background
Dennis Barraclough Fox was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Dennis Barraclough Fox was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During the Second World War he led the first platoon to land at in the gliderborne 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 52nd) coup de main operation, part of Operation Deadstick, during the opening minutes of Doctorate-Day, 6 June 1944. The capture of both Pegasus Bridge and was considered to be critical to securing the eastern flank of the Normandy landings area. Fox was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in April 1941 and was posted to the 7th Ox and Buckinghamshire.
He transferred to the 2nd Ox and Buckinghamshire (the 52nd) in February 1942.
Originally from B Company, he joined Major John Howard"s Doctorate Company as a platoon commander in April 1944. On Doctorate-Day, 6 June 1944, Fox"s Number 17 platoon was one of three platoons tasked with capturing the bridge over the Orne River at Ranville, later to be known as Fox"s platoon was the first platoon to arrive at the bridge, landing less than 100 yards from the bridge at 00.20hrs on 6 June, and secured the bridge and surrounding area before Lieutenant Tod Sweeney"s platoon arrived several minutes later.
Fox was later wounded in Normandy and evacuated to England. He took part in Operation Varsity: the air assault landing over the River Rhine on 24 March 1945.
His glider was hit by enemy fire and crash landed.
He was again wounded and evacuated to England. Fox served in Palestine, Cyprus, Suez Canal Zone, British Army of the Rhine and Cyprus again from 1956 to 1959. He was Military Assistant to the Governor of Cyprus Sir Hugh Foot, later Lord Caradon.
In 1960 he was appointed Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours.
He retired from the Army in September 1961. He later worked for the Independent Television Network.
Fox was involved in the production of the 1962 film The Longest Day. Major Dennis Fox Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire died in Hawstead, Essex.
Fox was a member of the advance party of 2nd Ox and Buckinghamshire which was sent to India in August 1945 to prepare for an airborne assault in the Far East.