Corporal Robert Charles Longman
Unit : Seaborne Tail, 10th Parachute Battalion
Army No. : 5573750
Awards : British Empire Medal
Corporal Longman has been employed as PRI Clerk since August 1940 to 2nd Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment, and to this unit since its formation in January 1943. Throughout the whole of this period he has carried out his duties with zeal, complete thoroughness and attention to detail. He has continually shouldered responsibility far greater than that expected of his rank, and has never been found lacking in the slightest degree. His intimate knowledge of all the Battalion accounts has been of inestimable value during the frequent changes of the officers responsible for them. On the main occasions when he has been called upon to handle the local purchases and deal with the cash accounts he has shown himself utterly trustworthy and reliable.
He went to the Western Desert with 2nd Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment, in July 1942, and was transferred to 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment in January 1943. He performed long and arduous journeys to Alexandria in search of comforts for the Battalion, and his work here was invaluable in keeping up the morale of the unit. When the Battalion went to Italy in September 1943, he again rose to the occasion and the mens' needs were well looked after. Again in September 1944 when the Battalion went over to Arnhem he had laid in his stocks of welfare goods and had he been able to link up the men would have been well satisfied. It is largely due to his initiative, his ability and his unceasing efforts that the welfare side of the Battalion has been so well organised and successful.