On September 30th, 1925, (100 years today) Jack Allen was born, christened John Charles Allen.
During the dark days of World War 2, Jack falsified his age and “joined up” at 16 years old, he then volunteered for training at the newly formed Parachute Regiment, where he passed well and joined the 3rd Parachute regiment, he fought in Africa and on the invasion of Italy, before parachuting in September 1944 into Holland, aged just 18 years old, at the infamous “BATTLE OF ARNHEM”, where he and his comrades fought valiantly against overwhelming enemy forces and heavier fire power. After days of ferocious fighting, sometimes hand to hand, with shocking losses of his close comrades, he succumbed to multiple shrapnel wounds and 2 bullets, narrowly surviving, to spend the next 6 months in a POW camp, Stalag 11b in Germany. He died in 2012, aged 86.
Jack worked here from 1987- 2012, he was a very proud Englishman and passionate about fairness in life, always protective of any underdogs. A plaque to the “Battle of Arnhem” sits in our reception at Basildon.
He was also our Chairmans Father!