Tributes are flowing for Peter Colthup, the last surviving glider pilot who fought in the pivotal Battle of Arnhem, following his death at the remarkable age of 103.
A Daring Mission and a Narrow Escape
Mr Colthup served with the Glider Pilot Regiment and was a participant in the audacious Operation Market Garden in September 1944. This massive Allied offensive, later depicted in the film A Bridge Too Far, aimed to secure a route into northern Germany by crossing the River Rhine.
The operation proved disastrous. Of the 10,000 Allied troops deployed to Arnhem, only 2,000 survived the brutal nine-day conflict. Organiser Ramon de Heer wrote on a dedicated veterans' Facebook page: 'After days of fighting Peter was one of the lucky ones who returned over the river. He will be missed. May he rest in peace.'
From London Teenager to Modest War Hero
Originally from London, Peter Colthup was just 17 years old when he enlisted, first joining the Essex Regiment. He later transferred to the Glider Pilot Regiment, quipping it was so he 'could sit down instead of carry a heavy gun'. His service extended beyond Arnhem, seeing action in North Africa and during the invasion of Sicily.
On his 100th birthday, the modest veteran received a surprise honour at his home in Whitstable, Kent. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Piso from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands presented him with the Dutch Liberation Medal and the Market Garden Medal.
Reflecting on the accolade, Mr Colthup said: 'It's marvellous, I'm very, very pleased, who'd think of me any more when there were thousands fighting?... An occasion like this brings it all back.'
A Powerful and Enduring Anti-War Message
Perhaps his most significant legacy is his poignant reflection on conflict. He expressed a fervent hope that younger generations would understand a different truth about war.
'We were taught the soldiers are brave, marvellous people, they glorify war but they should not glorify war, they should say that war is stupid and ghastly,' he stated. 'If you were taught that at the very beginning of life you might remember it... You could have a lovely life on planet Earth, and instead you start killing each other.'
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, which organised the medal presentation, paid heartfelt tribute. Vice President Dick Goodwin remembered him as 'a remarkable veteran and a true gentleman... wonderfully chatty and always smiling,' adding that he would be 'greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.'
