6341462 Staff Sergeant/Colour Sergeant William Henry Frederick Montgomery Maltman was born on 22^nd January 1916, in Buncrana, Donegal, Ireland; the son of Edward and Mary (aka Minnie) (née Montgomery) Maltman.

By the time of the 1921 Census of England and Wales, held on Sunday 19^th June 1921, William and his family had moved to England and were living at 43 St Leonard Rd, Hythe. Kent. However, his father is not present and his mother is listed as the head of the household.

In 1921 William's father was actively engaged in his own military service: 10049 Sergeant Edward Maltman of The Royal Irish Fusiliers and, at that time, shown as living at Sandhurst. It appears he may have been a student or instructor on a training course at the military college, since his posting was to The Small Arms School, Hythe, Kent. Edward had an illustrious career, having fought in World War 1 and following injury was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. In addition to this award, in 1929 he was also Mentioned in Despatches^{[1] [2]}.

It is not known whether William possessed any sporting prowess, but in 1929 his brother Ernest won the Boys' under 14 swimming race in the 1929 Hythe post-war Venetian Fete^[3]

William is not listed in the 1939 Register of England and Wales. The most likely reason for this would be that by this time he had enlisted in the army.

In the spring of 1941 William married Gladys Jean Modrel in Durham; a native of South Shields, it is possible William had been posted to the area when they met.

In 1944 William was a sergeant in the 11^th Battalion and, together with the other men, in September 1944 he jumped into the Battle of Arnhem. On 25^th September, in the midst of the fighting he was captured and taken prisoner of war. Detained in Stalag 12A, Limburg, he was allocated POW number 92052.

Repatriated on 4^th July 1945, William remained in the Army Air Corps and on 22^nd September 1948 whilst serving as a Colour Sergeant was awarded his long service and good conduct medal.

After the war William and Gladys lived in the south east of England; initially in Hythe, then later in Havering, London; between 1966 and 1972 the electoral register shows them living at 2 Garry Way, Havering.

William outlived his wife Gladys who died in 2006. Sadly William died in 2011.

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