"The ultimate sacrifice of a British soldier who jumped in front of a grenade to save a mother and her son during the Battle of Arnhem has been revealed 75 years later. Private Albert Willingham acted with immeasurable courage when a German soldier threw the explosive into a crammed cellar of a home in Oosterbeek containing 20 Dutch civilians and two wounded British officers. The grenade was heading directly towards Bertje Voskuil and her nine year old son Henri before Pte Willingham, of 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, dove towards it, with the impact of the blast killing him instantly. He has never been formally recognised for his actions, and his heroism has until now remained largely unknown. His remarkable story, and those of other unsung heroes of Operation Market Garden, are told by historian Dilik Sarkar MBE in his new book, Arnhem 1944: The Human Tragedy of the Bridge Too Far. During his research, he has spoken to Pte Willingham's family and also to Bertje's other son, Dr Robert Voskuil, who is the archivist at the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek. Dr Voskuil was born in 1946, two years after Pte Willingham's saved his family in the cellar, and he still says he 'owes his life' to him. Mr Sarkar said: 'Robert says that he owes his life to Albert Willingham to this day. 'Albert never received any recognition for what he did, so this book is a means to make sure his story is not forgotten. 'There were countless acts of bravery at Arnhem which have not been recognised because it was a defeat. 'This is our last chance to remember them before their stories are lost forever.'" www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7336735/Heroic-tale-British-soldier-leaped-grenade-save-mother.html
