Author’s thanks to Arnhem veteran

AUTHOR Haks Walburgh Schmidt with a copy of his book.

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

‘Ted looked very strong and inspired respect’
THE Dutch author of a book featuring an Oldham war veteran has revealed how he came to tell the story of a group of British paratroopers.

Haks Walburgh Schmidt brought paratrooper Ted Clague’s story to life in his book “No Return Flight, 13 Platoon at Arnhem 1944”.

Mr Clague, now 86, was on a British glider which flew into Battle of Arnhem in the Second World War, and the book traces the lives of the soldiers who were on that flight.

Now Mr Schmidt has contacted the Chronicle after reading the story about Mr Clague’s appearance in the book on our website.

The author explained it was the discovery in 1998 of eight pages of densely typed notes by Arnhem veteran Sgt Morley Williams which set his search in motion.

He wrote hundreds of letters, sent countless e-mails, and made dozens of telephone calls to track down as many of the 26 men he could who were on the glider.

Mr Clague was one of those men, found by the author eight years ago through a newspaper appeal.

The ex-paratrooper told Mr Schmidt he was from the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, and in Arnhem in September, 1944.

The pair struck up a telephone relationship, and Mr Clague and his son, Doug, who lives in Dobcross, helped put the pieces of his memories together.

The author, who is married and has two young children, said: “Ted and his son were really helpful with information on what happened at Arnhem.

“It helped me to reconstruct the events concerning his platoon. Ted was one of the few to make it back across the Rhine.

“From his platoon of some 25 men, only four came back and eight were killed.

“I met him for the first time in 2004 when he came over to join the 60 year commemorations of the battle.

“This led to a moving reunion of four surviving members of his platoon and their glider pilot.”

He added: “It was as if I watched a voyage in time. In seconds and on the exact same spot where they once held their ground against hundreds of German infantry and four tanks, these modest elderly gentlemen seemed to change back into the young airbornes they once were.

“It was a unique experience to witness.

“Ted was a big man. He looked very strong and inspired respect. He seemed like a man who would do things his own way, no matter what the rest of the world would say, and then achieve good results.”

Mr Clague lived in Oldham for many years with his wife, Elsie, where he worked as a joiner, and owned his own workshop.

They retired to Blackpool, where Mrs Clague died, but Royton pensioner Annie Tarlington kept in touch with him and bought the book when she discovered her friend was among the pages.

Mr Schmidt added: “It was really remarkable to learn that someone enjoyed the book so much that she took the effort to contact the Oldham Chronicle.

“I discovered the article on the Chronicle website. Every now and then I google the book’s title and to my surprise it suddenly appeared.”