Arnhem Veteran called Bill on BBC1 Motorway Cops

You beat me to it mate!

Fantastic old guy - was hoping to do a jump at Arnhem if he could get the insurance!

Hats off to the Traffic cops who did everything they could to help Bill when he was involved in the motorway accident, and also to the car hire company who agreed to rent him the car for a longer than usual period.

The post-script saying Bill had died when he was in Arnhem was very sad but, in all honesty, he probably passed away will all his best mates around him.

 

Bet me to it too.
What a great guy-he was determined to get to Arnhem. Well done to the coppers who helped him on his way.
So sad he passed away on his visit, must admit it I found it a bit emotional.

Lesley

 

I wondered if anyone else would post this. Do any of the airborne lot on here know him?

 

Does anyone know when it was filmed?

 

Great story, would love to know his history.
RIP
Airborne

 

IRRC the Tax Disc on his car expired in May 2013 so it would have been Sept 2012 at a guess.....Sorry, once a copper

 

Traffic Officers Praised for their Kind-hearted actions
Tuesday 10 September, 2013
A pair of kind hearted motorway traffic officers who starred in a BBC documentary have been inundated with praise after they helped get a Second World War widower to his comrades in Holland.
PC’s Doug Lofthouse and Dale Anderson were shown coming to the rescue of 91-year-old Bill who had fought as a paratrooper in the Battle of Arnhem in 1944 on last night’s Motorway Cops on BBC 1.
Bill, who was on his way to board a ferry to the Netherlands so he could be reunited with his fellow heroes, had damaged his car and was unable to continue.
There was little chance of the car being fixed quickly enough and time was quickly ticking away before the ferry set sail.
But that was until the two officers drove to the rescue.
They stayed with Bill and rang round various hire car businesses until they took him to a local store where they agreed to a five week loan.
They then checked Bill, who wasn’t used to the new car, was OK to drive before he headed off to his ferry which he was in time for.
And they helped move all of his belongings to his new car before he drove off.
Bill, who had also outlived his children, sadly died in Holland – but, as the programme explained, did so surrounded by his World War Two pals.
Since the second of the five episode series aired last night (Monday 10 September) police have been inundated with messages of support for the actions of the two officers.

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire/motorway-traffic-officers-praised-1-6033747

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news/traffic-officers-praised-their-kind-hearted-actions

 

I did not recognise him and looking at my copy of the AVC newsletter for June 2013 in the Last Post section the only Bill who died around this time was in the Border Regiment.....He may of course not have been a member of the AVC but it seems strange that nothing was heard on the Dutch jungle drums around Christmas/New Year as I know of several veterans who sadly passed away on trips (outside of September also) and the event was reported in the Gelderlander and fairly common knowledge.....Anyone from Holland know anything?

 

What was the reunion he was going to? Is there a Christmas re-union?

Steve

 

Steve,
I've never heard of a Christmas reunion of Arnhem vets in Holland......presumably he was staying with a host family????

I'll try a trawl of the Gelderlander website......

 

Whilst i accept my Dutch isn't as good as someone born there the use of

overlijden van arnhem veteraan kerst 2012

Doesn't bring up anything on the Gelderlander website.....Basically I asked for death of an Arnhem veteran at Christmas 2012......

 

Me too . Checked September 2012 through to January 2013

Spent hours looking today, no luck

 

I saw the episode in question. There was a certain poignancy at the end.

One would like to think the relevant background facts to the sub-plot of the story were fully researched and verified by the team involved in making the programme before it went out?

 

No disrespect intended, but an eyebrow raised when he told the policemen he'd been in the TA until he was 85.... I hope we can narrow this down.

 

Is this him,??? I think it is, picture taken in 2011, and the year before he was there in the cemetery, as the children walked in he left the cemetery though the gate behind us on his mobility car looking very upset,, I was concerned for him and went and found him to make sure he was ok , just upset , he said the young children are to much for him I stayed and chatted until he was ready to go back to the service.

lofty

 

Well done Lofty, I am sure it is him-he looks very similar
Where did you manage to find this photo?