George Parry
George Parry

A veteran of one of the best-known operations of World War II is set to be guest of honour at a military event in Lichfield.

Wartime Whittington Weekend takes place at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum on September 17 and 18 and will feature Home Front demonstrations, period weapons and interactive activities, stalls selling vintage and themed goods and battle re-enactments.

The event is timed to mark the anniversary of the beginning of Operation Market Garden, the Allied operation to try and sweep the Germans out of Holland in 1944.

George Parry
George Parry

George Parry, a veteran of the mission, will be opening the event on Saturday at 11am.

Mr Parry was made famous by one of the memorable images of the conflict as he was seen being led away at gun point by German infantry. Ahead of him is Lieutenant Reynolds and just ahead Lt Col McCardie. All three were under the impression that they were being led away to be shot and Lieutenant Reynolds took the opportunity to show what he thought of the smiling German cameraman with a two-fingered salute.

Part of the Airborne division who were deployed in to the field by being dropped in in gliders that were notoriously risky and dangerous, George admits the mission was clouded in secrecy. He explained:

“We didn’t know we were going ahead of time, in fact it was aborted 17 times by weather, a lot depended on the RAF. I was at the airfield loading up for Arnhem at dinnertime on September 17. It was a sunny, showery day. We dropped in to Wolfheze in Netherlands, about 750 of us Staffords.

“I’ve heard different opinions on whether the Germans knew we were coming or not, but they were waiting just the other side of the bridge, information may well have been passed on by Dutch authorities. In any case it was insisted that we made the landing, there were people there with no chance.

“Still, in my opinion I can’t understand if they really knew that the 9th and 10th Panzer Division were waiting for us why it went ahead? It could have been aborted again. It wasn’t and we lost so many men. It was a catastrophe, no doubt about it, gloroious victory it wasn’t.

Wolfheze was not too far, perhaps six or seven miles from the bridge. We made about two attempts on it. Colonel Mcurdy, a top man in Italy was in charge. The second and last attempt was in the afternoon. When the Germans broke through at the bridge we retreated. Retreat, it’s a nasty word. You know people say – those who fight and run away? It’s not like that.

“We managed to get away, a platoon of us. We were near to the bridge when the Germans broke through. The 9th and 10th Panzer came, tanks firing up the road. We went into a slit trench behind a mansion house that someone had dug out. We were rousted out with guns.

“Lt Reynolds and Col McCardie were still inside the house. Reynolds was captured and as they led us away he shoved two fingers up, the German cameraman was smiling at us. Still, I thought if Reynolds keeps doing this to the guards we are definitely going to stop a bullet here.

“Then Lt Reynolds shouted ‘it’s no good sir, no good, it’s too late’. I don’t know what he was planning but Col Macardy was captured then and there.”

Aged 27, George was interred in a German POW camp after his capture.

For more information on the Whittington Wartime Weekend event – which runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday – contact the museum on 01543 434394 or e-mail [email protected].

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.