Re: 2723687 Guardsman Colin Mollard

Julia Blonski wrote to me recently:

Hello Ivor,

I have been visiting your website for the past year as I research my family history. Thank you for your hard work which has produced such a beautiful website !!
I was born in England and came to Canada when I was 5 years old. I started researching my family tree about 4-years ago and was told about Colin Mollard
(my cousin, once removed) who was in the Irish Guards. Since all my relatives are in England, it is difficult for me to gather information. However, I learned that he was buried in Reichwald Forest Cemetary and that he was awarded a Military Medal. Unfortunately, that was all that my family was able to tell me. This has bothered me for some time because I served in the Canadian Naval Reserve, am a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, and my daughter is in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. Remembrance Day has always been very important to us, and yet, here was a family member who died in WW2 and we knew nothing about his service to his country !!
It was important to me to find out more so that Colin's sacrifice would not be forgotten. So, I started to dig for information and here is what I have found so far:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:

Name:  Colin Mollard

Nationality:  United Kingdom

Rank:  Guardsman

Regiment:  Irish Guards

Unit Text:  3rd Bn

Age:  21

Date of Death:  March 4, 1945

Service #:  2723687

Awards:  MM

Casualty Type:  Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference:  43.E.6

Cemetary:  Reichswald Forest War Cemetary

The National Archives:

I requested information on his medal from the National Archives (Ref: WO373/52, 247933) and received a copy of the following record 2-days before Remembrance Day 2005. Here is the text:

lieu of AF W3121

32 Guards Battalion, Guards Armoured Division, 30 Corps

Unit: 3rd Battalion Irish Guards

Colin Mollard

Guardsman 2723687

MM (Immediate)

Date Recommendation passed forward:

Bde: Sept 15, 1944 received, Sept 15, 1944 passed.

Div:  Sept 18, 1944 received, Sept 23, 1944 passed.

Corps:  Sept 27, 1944 received, Sept 30, 1944 passed.

Army:  Oct 28, 1944 received, Nov 13, 1944 passed.

Action for which commended

'Directly the leading pl of the 31G Battle Gp had crossed the De Groote Barrier over the Meuse-Escaut Canal on the night of 10 Sep 44, the RE officer required four men to assist him in removing the charges from the bridge. Guardsman Mollard was one of the four Guardsmen who carried out this extremely dangerous work, calmly and efficiently handling dangerous explosives with which he was not accustomed. His task entailed the climbing of ladders to remove the charges and this had to be done under enemy fire. In addition, there was an amunitions truck which had caught fire just by the bridge which was exploding throughout this period. It was only through the extreme bravery of Guardsman Mollard and his comrades that the charges could be removed and the bridge saved from destruction.'

The document is signed by:

Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur, Commander, 3IG Battle group

Brigadier G. F. Johnson, Comanred, 32nd Guard Brigade

Major-General Allan H. S. Adair, Commander, Guards Armoured Division

Lieutenant-General B. Horrocks, Commander, 30 Corps

Lieutenant-General M. Dempsey, Commander, Second Army

Field Marshall B.L. Montomery, Commander-in-Chief, 21 Army Group

My family, with my daughter in full dress uniform, laid a wreath for Colin on Remembrance Day this year. 

This past summer, my daughter received the second highest mark in the National Star Certification exam for cadets in Canada and was sent to Holland for 2-weeks. Although neither of us knew the significance at the time, she  actually stood on the bridge at Arnhem while Army officers laid out the battle before her and talked about Operation Garden Market, the Arnhem bridge and 'Joe's Bridge' and the other bridges along the route. 

It is important that I keep Colin's story alive and add to it, if I can. I do not have any information on his time after this or where he was at the time of his death. Any information that you could provide or suggestions on where I might research from here would be greatly appreciated. 

I do not have a picture of Colin and am trying to contact family in England to see if I can find one. Do you know of any pictures of his battalion?

It would mean so much to me to have Colin's story on your wonderful website. Would this be possible?

Thank you, 

Julia Blonski

Webmasters Note: Although his award is not mentioned, the exciting story of Colin's part in the capture of the bridge is told on page 477 of  Desmond Fitzgerald's book
 'A History of the Irish Guards in the Second World War'.  If you can provide further details, or photographs, please contact send me an email.