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| Battle of Arnhem: Mass parachute drop to mark WW2 assault | Battle of Arnhem: Mass parachute drop to mark WW2 assault |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A mass parachute drop is taking place in the Netherlands to mark the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in World War Two. | |
| The Prince of Wales will attend a service later to commemorate the allied assault in the Battle of Arnhem. | |
| Veteran Sandy Cortmann, 97, parachuted again over the Dutch city. | |
| British, US and Polish forces dropped behind enemy lines in 1944 but failed in their bid to secure eight bridges and open up a route into Germany. | British, US and Polish forces dropped behind enemy lines in 1944 but failed in their bid to secure eight bridges and open up a route into Germany. |
| About 35,000 troops landed by parachute and gliders in what was then the largest airborne operation in history. | About 35,000 troops landed by parachute and gliders in what was then the largest airborne operation in history. |
| They seized bridges and canal crossings at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, but were forced to retreat after German counter-attacks. More than 1,500 allied soldiers were killed and nearly 6,500 captured. | They seized bridges and canal crossings at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, but were forced to retreat after German counter-attacks. More than 1,500 allied soldiers were killed and nearly 6,500 captured. |
| The events were portrayed in Richard Attenborough's 1977 Hollywood war epic A Bridge Too Far starring Sean Connery, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. | The events were portrayed in Richard Attenborough's 1977 Hollywood war epic A Bridge Too Far starring Sean Connery, Robert Redford, Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. |
| Prince Charles will be joined by Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands and veterans for the service and wreath-laying at the former landing zone of Ginkel Heath. | Prince Charles will be joined by Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands and veterans for the service and wreath-laying at the former landing zone of Ginkel Heath. |
| And soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, of which the prince is colonel-in-chief, will be among the 1,500 people participating in the commemorative parachute drop. | And soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, of which the prince is colonel-in-chief, will be among the 1,500 people participating in the commemorative parachute drop. |
| Mr Cortmann, from Aberdeen, made a tandem jump with a parachutist from the Army's Red Devils display team over the Ginkel Heath nature reserve as part of the commemorations. | |
| He was just 22 when he parachuted into the same drop zone in September 1944, where he was taken prisoner by the Germans. | He was just 22 when he parachuted into the same drop zone in September 1944, where he was taken prisoner by the Germans. |
| The Arnhem veteran made an emotional return to the Netherlands on Thursday. | The Arnhem veteran made an emotional return to the Netherlands on Thursday. |
| "When the fighting started we were just in amongst it," he recalled. | "When the fighting started we were just in amongst it," he recalled. |
| "You can describe it as brave, you thought you were brave, but once you got down there, Jesus Christ, terrified, absolutely terrified." | "You can describe it as brave, you thought you were brave, but once you got down there, Jesus Christ, terrified, absolutely terrified." |
| Another of the soldiers returning to the former battlefields for the anniversary is 100-year-old Raymond Whitwell, from Malton, North Yorkshire. | Another of the soldiers returning to the former battlefields for the anniversary is 100-year-old Raymond Whitwell, from Malton, North Yorkshire. |
| Speaking from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's cemetery at Oosterbeek near Arnhem he recalled the moment he landed by glider in 1944. | Speaking from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's cemetery at Oosterbeek near Arnhem he recalled the moment he landed by glider in 1944. |
| "I said to myself on the way out, what on Earth am I doing here? But when you're there your training takes over," he said. | "I said to myself on the way out, what on Earth am I doing here? But when you're there your training takes over," he said. |
| Mr Whitwell added: "The Dutch people are really very, very nice, it's wonderful to be back." | Mr Whitwell added: "The Dutch people are really very, very nice, it's wonderful to be back." |
| On Friday, the ashes of two veterans of the Battle of Arnhem were laid to rest alongside their fallen comrades buried in Oosterbeek. | On Friday, the ashes of two veterans of the Battle of Arnhem were laid to rest alongside their fallen comrades buried in Oosterbeek. |
| Relatives of Pte Dennis Collier, 95, from Harrogate, and Pte Steve Morgan, 93, from Chipping Norton, travelled to the Netherlands to see their remains interred. | Relatives of Pte Dennis Collier, 95, from Harrogate, and Pte Steve Morgan, 93, from Chipping Norton, travelled to the Netherlands to see their remains interred. |
| Tributes were paid before wreaths were laid and the last post was sounded by a lone bugler. | Tributes were paid before wreaths were laid and the last post was sounded by a lone bugler. |
| Meanwhile, the southern Dutch town of Brunssum has bestowed honorary citizenship on 328 British soldiers buried in its war cemetery in recognition of their sacrifice to help liberate the Netherlands. | Meanwhile, the southern Dutch town of Brunssum has bestowed honorary citizenship on 328 British soldiers buried in its war cemetery in recognition of their sacrifice to help liberate the Netherlands. |