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'Many of the people in the cellar were wounded. The British soldier was hit in the back and fell forward, over me. 'Then there were two terrific explosions - German grenades. A British soldier jumped in front of Peter Warr and I, with his back to the Germans. She said: 'The door burst open and the Germans came in. One of the German soldiers opened the trapdoor and lobbed in a grenade, a terrifying episode later recounted by Mrs Voskuil. The 10th Battalion was then put to work bolstering the defences and over the next few days suffered horrendous casualties.Īs the situation got desperate, Willingham and his comrades carried two badly wounded officers, Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Smyth and Major Peter Warr, into the cellar at 2 Annastraat.Īlready inside were 20 Dutch civilians who were hiding while the battle raged on in the garden. They were supposed to push on to Arnhem eight miles away to reinforce Colonel John Frost's small garrison which had seized the northern end of Arnhem Bridge the previous day.īut the Germans blocked their passage and in the end the brigade found itself under siege in Oosterbeek, three miles west of Arnhem.īrigadier John Hackett led 4th Parachute Brigade out of the woods at point of bayonet, through the astonished Germans, and into British lines at Oosterbeek. He fought in Africa, Sicily and Italy before his 10th Battalion were dropped behind enemy lines in the Netherlands with the 4th Parachute Brigade on September 18, 1944. Willingham served in the pre-war army and was in Malta at the outbreak of Second World War. He enlisted in the Dorset Regiment and volunteered for the airborne forces, completing his parachute training at RAF Kabrit, Egypt. Willingham was the son of George and Rose Willingham, of Drayton, Hampshire. Pictured: A hip flask and shell cases are held by one of those who helped excavate the remnants 'The cellar and the garden in which Albert was buried, together with these artefacts recently unearthed, remind us of the remarkable self-sacrifice and bravery of Pte Albert Willingham and all of his comrades in the 10th Battalion.'
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'I don't see why this should not be recognised.'Īlec Wilson, chairman of The Friends of the Tenth, Willingham's unit, said: 'Albert's final act was to protect others in that dreadful place, shielding them from the full force of a German grenade. 'But this was a humanitarian act and there is a difference, he jumped on the grenade knowing what was going to happen and saved many lives in the cellar. 'I floated the idea to the Parachute Regiment and they were supportive but the Honours Committee decided there were so many unrecognised acts of bravery at Arnhem so it would be unfair to single him out. He said: 'Albert never received any recognition for what he did, and I believe he should be given the George Cross posthumously.
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Mr Sarkar called on Willingham, who has never been officially recognised for his gallantry, to be given a posthumous George Cross. 'The cap badge, beret and gas mask were found at the site of Albert's field grave.
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'It is right that Albert is remembered and this remarkable discovery provides a unique link both to him and that fateful day on which he so freely gave his life to save others. 'His is, surely, amongst the most inspirational to arise out of countless brave acts performed during the battles of Arnhem and Oosterbeek. He said: 'Private Albert Willingham gave his life in an humanitarian act - a decision made in a nano-second. Historian Dilip Sarkar MBE, author of 'Arnhem 1944: The Human Tragedy of the Bridge Too Far', said it was a 'remarkable discovery'. They are set to go on display at the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek next year. The poignant items also include a hip flask, bullet casings, a magazine for a handgun and British and Dutch coins. The explosive was heading for Bertje Voskuil (pictured) and her nine-year-old son Henri before the soldier, 29, smothered it, with the impact of the blast killing him instantly