Gunner George Durant

"Oosterbeek Church. Moving through this position again on what proved to be the last day of the battle in 1944 - the dead were piled 4 and 5 high all round these outer walls and the tree was completely de-foliated, but the trunk intact! The church, of course, has been faithfully re-built. Standing here at dusk nearly 50 years later in total silence was very eerie. Footnote: At the 50th Anniversary in 1994, I was talking to Sergeant 'Bob' McCleod, who told me that our Battery O.C., Major Arthur Norman-Walker had no known grave, although his name appeared on the ROLL OF HONOUR. I was quite upset by this - as I had been unable to find his grave earlier. As I told 'Bob', "as my little party left the church area after our sortie with the Tiger tank, Major Norman-Walkers remains were propped on a heap of other bodies right on the corner of the church, right next to Lieutenant Halliday". I clearly identified them and their image is still clear in my mind today." Photo taken 11th September 1993.