A FORMER Royal Navy medic iturned military historian has unearthed the story of a hero from Milland who led a daring World War Two raid.

Commemorations for the Battle of Arnhem from September 17 to September 26, 1944, took place last week in the Dutch town on the banks of the lower River Rhine.

Leading the Second Parachute Battalion on the daring raid to capture a bridge over the Rhine was Lieutenant Colonel John Dutton Frost.

Graham Parsons has uncovered the important part Frost played in the attack; his role was central in the classic film, A Bridge To Far.

Graham said: “Frost retired a Major General in 1968 and settled at Milland where he farmed cattle.

“In 1977 Richard Attenborough made the film ‘A Bridge too Far’ based on the operation, and actor Anthony Hopkins played Frost.

”The aim was for airborne forces to secure five bridges, allowing the ground units to spearhead into Germany.”

The raid saw nearly 1,500 allied troops killed and led to the bridge where the paratroops fought until they were out of ammunition, being renamed the John Frost Bridge.

On Sunday September 17, 1944, Frost and 745 men landed in the Netherlands, and marched to Arnhem.

They captured one end of the bridge, but were attacked by elite German tank units.

By the fourth day of fierce fighting they were out of ammunition, their temporary hospital was ablaze, and German tanks were threatening to over run them.

Frost was wounded in both legs; finally the radio message ‘out of ammo, God save the King’ was sent, and Frost agreed a ceasefire.

There were about 100 paratroops left to surrender.

Supporting allied units withdrew five days later.

Frost was imprisoned at Spangenberg prison camp, and was freed in March 1945.

For his part in the battle, he was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Service Order.

In 1978, the bridge was renamed the John Frost Bridge in his honour.

Frost died on May 21, 1993 aged 80, and buried at Milland Cemetery.