Major Edward Vernon Molyneux Favell
Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
75263 Major Edward Vernon Molyneux Favell 2nd
(Airborne) Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry died on Monday, 19th June
1944 aged 22. Edward was the son of Richard
Vernon Favell and Alice Molyneux Favell, of Penberth, Cornwall. His headstoone in Ranville
Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery bears
the phrase “killed in action”.
Major John Howard DSO commanded
D Company of the 2nd Battalion Ox & Bucks Light Infantry that led the
initial assault on the Caen Canal and River Orne bridges. This assault was the
subject of the classic 1961 war film "The Longest Day" in which John Howard was
played by the actor Richard Todd. Major John Howards diaries were published from his private papers in
2006 entitled "The Pegasus Diaries". These include mention of Edward, or
Teddy Favell as he was known.
“There was a three day
period of very stormy weather and all of us were soaked to the skin by heavy rain, having
no way of drying our clothes, which added to the discomfort. Sometime on 19 June, the Leader of B Company
decided to move towards enemy positions in the nearby wood to carry out a ‘feint
attack’, theoretically in order to discover the enemy positions by drawing their
fire. B Company’s OC ‘Flap’
Edmunds was wounded in the attack and repatriated. The
OC of S Company, Teddy Favell was told to
take charge of B Company and as he made his rounds, introducing himself to his new
company, he too was hit by enemy mortar fire and killed.”
Edward attended Winchester College where he is commemorated in the War Cloisters. The Wykehamist War Service Record and Roll of Honour states: -
“Edward Vernon Molyneux Favell (c, 1931-36), son of the late R. Vernon Favell, of Penbarth, St Buryan, Cornwall, born November 6, 1917, came from Lockers Park to Du Boulay’s in May 1931. He took a cheerful part in all school games, and in addition to his success in running and on the river, was a beautiful gymnast, winning the Bronze Medal. Leaving, a school Prefect, in May 1936, he went to learn languages in Germany and France, and in October to Trinity College Cambridge. Gazetted to the Oxford and Bucks L.I. in June 1939, he served with the 43rd in India. Returning to England in 1940, he joined the 6th Airborne Division, and went out with them in the invasion of Normandy, and was killed in Action on June 19, 1944. Teddy was loved by his friends for his childlike charm and simplicity of character, qualities which derived in part from his devotion to the country and its simple pleasures: dogs, sailing a boat and fishing. The rocks of his beautiful home in Cornwall were a never-failing source of joy to him. He faced life trustfully and serenely.”
