Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Tomlin, of 21 Brookfield-road, Rushden, have received news that their adopted son, Cpl. Ray Hudson, 6th Airborne Recce. Regiment was killed in action recently whilst serving in Western Europe.

"On the day he was killed", writes an officer of the regiment, "we were advancing rapidly against the retreating enemy when, we ran into a strong German position entrenched on some cross-roads. Cpl. Hudson was in the leading vehicle and immediately came under heavy fire from several enemy machine-guns. His car was unfortunately immobilised and Hudson and his driver were forced to jump out into the ditch, but while trying to run back to the remainder of the Squadron he was hit by machine-gun fire and killed instantly. We later took the position and captured two officers and 35 men.

"We buried him on the roadside where he died, not far from a small German town called Coesfeld about 30 miles east of the Rhine."

Cpl. Hudson was the youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Hudson, of Wellingborough. He joined the Territorial Army in April 1939, and was mobilised in August. He served with the 50th Northamptonshire A.A. Regiment attaining the rank of sergeant, and in October 1943, was transferred, to the Recce unit, taking part in D Day, Ardennes and Rhine operations. An old boy of the Rushden Intermediate School and the Baptist Boys' Brigade, he became apprenticed to Messrs. Clark Bros., radio engineers.

He recently became engaged to Pte. Norah Frisby, A.T.S., of 1 Higham Ferrers, who is serving with the B.L.A.

Dear Mrs Tomlin,

It is with very deep regret that I write to condole with you the loss in action of your nephew Corporal Hudson, on March 30th.

On the day he was killed we were advancing rapidly against the retreating enemy, when we ran into a strong German position entrenched on some cross-roads, Corporal Hudson was in the leading vehicle and immediately came under heavy fire from several enemy machine-guns. His car was unfortunately immobilised and Hudson and his driver were forced to jump out into the ditch, but while trying to run back to the remainder of the Squadron, he was hit by machine-gun fire and killed instantly. We later took the position and captured two officers and thirty-five men.

We buried him on the roadside, where he died, not far from a small German town called Coesfeld about thirty miles East of the Rhine. It seems all the more tragic that he died in the hour of victory for our country, but on the other hand all the more honour to him that he so readily gave up his life even though like all of us he must have known that the end of the war was in sight.

Your nephew was both a first-class soldier and a delightful man and he will all the more be missed by me and his comrades in the Squadron.

If there is anything I can do to help or any advice I can give you, please do not hesitate to write and ask me.

Yours sincerely

J J Selwyn

Dear Mrs Tomlin

I am writing to offer you all my sympathy on the death of your nephew Cpl Hudson. You will probably have heard already from his troop and Sguadron leader as to how it happened, all I can tell you, is that he was one of my best IM.C.O's and one I shall not find easy to replace.

Cpl Hudson did a very good job of work during this advance which, you may have read in the papers, has been a walk over for the recce. units who have to go in first.

As you will have read, the 6th Airborne Division has done magnificently, but they owe a great deal of the speed and

distance of their advance to Cpl Hudson and others like him who have gone in front and found the opposition and a way through or round

I would like to remind you of the Airborne Forces Security Fund which exists to help dependents of those serving in this division, in case he should have anyone depending on him. If so they should write stating their case and giving his particulars to the Secretary, Airborne Forces Security Fund, 70 Eaton Place London.

Once more let me offer you all my sympathy.

Yours sincerely

Gordon C Stewart, Lt Col

Dear Mr & Mrs Tomlin

As one of Jimmy's friends here, I am writing to you to give you an expression of my deepest sympathy. I don't know whether he ever spoke to you about me, 'Topper' Brown, the Austrian, who was with him in Farnborough, who came with him to the Airborne, who slept in the same room with him in Larkhill, who was on the same Jeep with him in Normandy etc., but he often spoke to me about you, his dear auntie and uncle, who cared for him like mother and father, about his cousin whom he loved like a sister, whose photo used to hang above his bed and attracted everybody's attention.

I have known him for two years, you have known him for all his short life, so there is not much I could tell you about him, but it might please you to hear that everybody here who knew him, liked him; that there was no more decent and straightforward, no more honest fellow anywhere than he was. And always cheerful, always smiling. He died without suffering if this is any comfort to you, shot right through the heart.

I was with Jimmy, then, the day we landed he met so surprisingly the girl he got engaged to such a short while ago. I don't think that you knew her but I can tell you from the short impression I had of her, that she was worth him, and that means a lot. She seemed to me a very nice and a very good girl, she would have made the ideal wife for him. I am glad to know that he had at least this short spell of happiness and a bright outlook in the future before it was all over for him. I have written to her and sent her the badge from his beret as a souvenir. Dear Mr S Mrs Tomlin, you may be proud of the boy you brought up; there was no need for him to volunteer for this dangerous job in this special unit; he could have stayed in his cushy job on the searchlight; but he was a man and wanted to see action; he has paid the price for it. You can be proud of him; nobody here who knew him will ever forget him.

My sincerest sympathy once more, and all my

best wishes for your future happiness.

Yours Willy Brown.

Letter from an Officer of the Regiment
6th Airborne Recce Regiment

"On the day he was killed we were advancing rapidly against the retreating enemy when we ran into a strong German position entrenched on some cross roads, Cpl. Hudson was in the leading vehicle and immediately came under heavy cross fire from several enemy machine-guns. His car was unfortunately immobilised and Hudson and his driver were forced to jump out into the ditch, but while

trying to run back to the remainder of the squadron was hit by machine-gun fire and killed instantly. We later took the position and captured two officers and 35 men. We buried him on the roadside where he died, not far from a small German town called Coesfeld about 30 miles east of the Rhine."                                                

Research - Raymond (Ray) was the youngest son of the late Mr & Mrs George Hudson of Wellingborough, adopted son of Mr Ernest Tomlin and his wife Alice of 21 Brookfield Road, Rushden.

Educated at Alfred Street School and Rushden Intermediate School, a member of the Baptist Boys Brigade, he was apprenticed to Messrs Clark Brothers, Radio Engineers.

He joined the Territorial Army in April 1939 and was mobilised in August. He served with the 50th Northamptonshire A A Regiment and in October1943 was transferred to the Recce Unit, taking part in D Day, Ardennes and Rhine operations.

Cpl. Hudson's older brother Tom was in the same area, serving with the Royal Attillery, defendinding the bridges from German air attack, knowing his brother to have been killed on 30th March, Good Friday, he asked to visit his brothers grave but permission was denied.

He is buried in the Reichswald Cemetery.