A PARATROOPER lieutenant from Northfield has jumped into Arnhem in the Netherlands recently to honour the bravery and sacrifice of airborne soldiers who fought in World War Two.
David Walsh was part of a series of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem which was a key part of Operation Market Garden.
David was one of 90 paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade who jumped from an RAF 400M transport aircraft onto the same drop zone used by 4th Parachute Brigade during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.
Also jumping were soldiers from 11 Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army and seven other NATO nations (USA, Greece, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Poland and Germany).
Lieutenant David Walsh went to Kings Norton Boys School and studied Politics at the University of Birmingham.
He said: “It was a privilege to be able to honour the courage and sacrifice of fellow paratroopers who jumped for real under battlefield conditions.
“The opportunity to jump on such a historic occasion and the generosity and kindness shown to us by the people of Arnhem will be something I will never forget.”
Arnhem was the key target of Operation Market Garden which aimed to recapture a series of strategically important bridges so the Allied forces could enter Germany and end the war in Europe by Christmas 1944.
The 1st Airborne Division landed by parachute and gliders near Arnhem on September 17, 1944 to capture the final bridge across the Rhine. The initial order had been to hold the bridge for 48 hours until relived by ground forces.
Meanwhile, the rest of the division, depleted by attempts to fight through to reinforce the bridge, were compressed into a small perimeter across the river at Oosterbeek.
A defensive battle was fought at the bridge by 2 PARA that saw nine days of prolonged and brutal street fighting until ordered to withdraw on September 25.
More than 1,600 British soldiers were killed, nearly 6,500 captured, and five Victoria Crosses were awarded.
Although its objectives weren’t met, Operation Market Garden remains a remarkable feat due to the determination and courage shown by the soldiers. It also led to the liberation of a large part of the Netherlands.
The commemoration jump was the culmination of Exercise Falcon Leap.
Led by the 11th Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, the exercise focused on enhancing operational readiness and the ability of NATO’s airborne forces to function together as a strong and flexible workforce.
Lieutenant Walsh added: “It has been a good opportunity to work with our NATO allies and see how they operate.
“It has helped us build upon our existing relationships whilst practising our skills that are vital for our role as the British Army’s global defence response force.”
