Sweeney, Henry John "Tod"

Date of birth:: June 1st, 1919 (Blyth/Northumberland, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: June 4th, 2001
Service number:: 204283
Nationality:: British

Biography

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Military Cross (MC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant
Unit:: No. 23 Platoon, "D" Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, 6th Airlanding Brigade, 6th Airborne Division, British Army
Awarded on:: August 31st, 1944
Awarded for:: Operation Deadstick

"During the morning of 7th June 1944, "D" Company seized a sector of Escoville and prepared to defend same. The Company was under very active sniper fire from the start and many casualties resulted. Sweeney's platoon was in the centre of the sniping, and he was wounded in the neck during an enemy attack and managed to come back to Company Headquarters. When the Company received orders to withdraw to Herouvillette, I asked for volunteers to go out and fetch in a Lance-Corporal Stacey who was previously wounded in an exposed position on the front. Lieutenant Sweeney was his Platoon Commander and he insisted on leading the party. They were fired at but managed to get Stacey back. Lieutenant Sweeney's leadership on this occasion was of the highest quality."