Hazell, Peter

Operation Market Garden

Date of birth:: 1911 (Pancras/Middlesex, UK)
Date of death:: September 22nd, 1944 (Mariaheide, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Uden
Plot: 3. Row: G. Grave: 6.
Service number:: 117191
Nationality:: British

Biography

Major Peter Hazell
Royal Artillery, attached to H.Q. Airborne Troops
During Operation Market Garden, he was attached to the headquarters of the airborne troops. As a passenger on the Auster of 658 AOP (Air Observation Post) Squadron, he flew messages and information for the headquarters of the 2nd British Army from Malden to Leopoldsburg (B). The aircraft was shot down at approximately 14:30 on “Black Friday, 22 September 1944” and crashed opposite the farm of G. van Boxmeer near Mariaheide (territory of the municipality of Uden). He lost his life, along with the pilot of the aircraft: Captain C. McCorry. They were given a field grave on the edge of a meadow opposite the wreckage of the aircraft and G. van Boxmeer's farm.
They were reburied on 15 September 1945 at the Municipal War Cemetery in Uden, which became the British War Cemetery in Uden in May 1946.

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Captain
Unit:: 57 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, British Army
Awarded on:: May 18th, 1943

"No. 117191 Lieut. T/Capt. P. Hazell R.A. carried out the duties of O.P. Officer with great zeal and efficiency during the BATTLE OF MEDENINE on March 6th 1943.

He was often under considerable enemy artillery fire but he continued to remain at a very exposed O.P. which had a particularly good command of the ground over which the enemy was advancing.

His accurate observation was also largely responsible for determining the strength of an enemy concentration which was forming up in an area extremely difficult to observe from all O.P.s and threatening our positions. These observations subsequently enabled the enemy concentration to be completely broken up by heavy fire from our artillery."