William 'Bill' Carson Alford was born on the 3 March 1913, in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the middle son (with two sisters and two brothers) of Robert Alford (1877-1966), and Mary Carson (1878-1935).

In 1938 Bill had finally qualified as a doctor in Glasgow. He undertook a number of junior doctor positions until called up for service with the Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Army), where he was commissioned as Lieutenant on the 9 May 1939. He was promoted to Captain exactly one later, after having been mobilized on the 24 August 1939.

Major. WC Alford had served with 133 Field Ambulance since 1941 and in April-May 1943 he was promoted to command the unit when the Commanding Officer, Lt-Col. Scriven broke his ankle on a parachuting exercise in Palestine.

He did Parachute Course K27 at Kabrit, 4 – 12 March 1943. However, he did not complete the Course as he strained a leg muscle on the 2^nd descent. He went on to complete Parachute Course K29 at Ramat David, 29 March – 7 April 1943.

On the 24 August 1944 he was awarded an OBE for his actions in Italy between September and November 1943. On the 29 August 1944 he was also awarded an MID for the same period of action. On the 20 September 1945 Lt-Col Alford was also awarded a second MID for his actions during the Battle of Arnhem, 18 – 25 September 1944.

Official Report by Lieutenant Colonel W Alford CO 133 PFA on Operation Market Garden.

18 September 1944.

1350 hours dropped. Two German vehicles used for clearing DZ and surrounding area. 50 casualties collected in three hours. Emergency treatment given at CCP. J Section Captain J Lawson in command moved with 11th Battalion to reinforce 1st Parachute Brigade. Captain Redman in command R Section reported missing. L Section Captain Barling reported two ORs missing.

HQ consisted of CO, Captain Huddleston, Captain Flockhart, Captain Noble and 30 ORs. 3 jeeps and trailers arrived at approx. 1800 hours out of total 8 jeeps and five trailers. LZ reported under heavy machine gun fire.

2000 hours. 4th Parachute Brigade moved on altered direction. It was necessary to have S/Sergeant Russell and 4 ORs at the DZ CCP to attend casualties that could not be moved on available transport. All these men were later taken prisoner and treated by the enemy.

19 September 1944.

0001 hours approx. arrived at Sanatorium near Oosterbeek. Took over from Captain Doyle 181 AFA and by 0200 hours cleared all casualties to MDS 181 AFA in Oosterbeek. The casualties here totalled about 150.

0800 hours approx. HQ moved with 4th Parachute Brigade. CCP set up under bridge. Cases evacuated to 181 MDS. At approx 1200 CO 133 PFA visited ADMS at Divisional HQ. Sited recced by CO for new dressing station in Divisional HQ defence perimeter. 4th Parachute Brigade withdrawn to this area.

Resuscitation and operating theatres set up at approx. 1700 hours in two houses to relieve the work at 181 MDS. Worked through the following night.

20 September 1944.

From 0800 to 1200 hours buildings shelled by German tank and several hits scored. Some patients wounded for a second time. At 1200 hours German infantry supported by a tank took the two buildings after machine gunning through the open windows and throwing into the resuscitation room a hand grenade. Geneva Crosses were displayed at the time. Corporal Wilson AOC was severely wounded in the arm by a tank shell and the arm was later amputated. The Germans cleared the operating theatre and removed two patients who were scarcely out of the anaesthesia. Major Smith, Captain Huddleston and Captain Flockhart were sent to resuscitation where the CO was working. All orderlies except five were sent away. It was with difficulty that the CO persuaded the enemy to allow him to remain with the wounded. The enemy mounted a heavy machine gun in the resuscitation building. This was fired almost incessantly until nightfall when at about 2130 hours the remnants of 10th Battalion led by Major P Warr chased the enemy from the building. Work was carried on during that night and on the following day after a good deal of hostile fire, Major Warr told CO 133 that the building would be untenable by night.

CO decided to evacuate all cases approx. 50 in number, all of which were seriously wounded. Evacuation was carried out successfully with the aid of SB’s from 181 MDS. At approx. 2000 hours CO reported to ADMS who ordered a new dressing station to be opened in a house facing the river called Pietersberg. With the same staff i.e. CO, Captain Huddleston, Captain Flockhart and about ten orderlies. This dressing station was prepared during the early hours of 21st September and before dawn our first casualties were received.

An operating theatre was opened in a room of the house on the ground floor. Cases of urgency, haemorrhage, amputations, etc. were done here for the following five days.

Owing to the situation no evacuation was possible from now on.

22 September 1944.

Mortar fire throughout the day at intervals. Large Geneva Cross made from a staircase pole banister, a hospital sheet and red currant jam was hoisted on the roof. Supplies of food and dressings brought up by Major Rigby-Jones. Everyone is working with little sleep.

23 September 1944.

At approx. 1200 hours 3 enemy tanks took up position immediately behind the dressing station and fired on our positions near the river. Noise was terrific. In the evening very heavy mortar fire which wounded several patients in the dressing station. Benzedrine was issued to orderlies and MO’s.

24 September 1944.

Work continued throughout the night and as the patients increased, supplies were running short particularly stretchers, blankets and shell dressings. Some supplies brought up today by RASC Company but insufficient. During the night the reserve water in the house was exhausted. Water was brought in from neighbouring houses by orderlies. A number of enemy were brought in today.

25 September 1944.

Still no water. Supplies from neighbouring houses finished. Very few supplies left. Wounded now totalled 160. Working under very difficult conditions. Building hit several times. Rain came on and sufficient water was obtained from drainpipes and collected in a bath. The enemy entered the dressing station today.

26 September 1944.

The evacuation across the river carried out in the early hours. In the forenoon all casualties evacuated by enemy to Apeldoorn.

OBITUARY. British Medical Journal. Volume 300. 26 May 1990.

W C ALFORD, OBE, MRCGP

"Bill Alford went to Lairg in 1946 after six years of eventful war service; he then spent the rest of his career in a singlehanded practice there, retiring in 1983 after almost 38 years of looking after the widely scattered rural community. A man of balanced judgment who took a warm interest in his patients, he took a leading role in local community affairs. He served on the Scottish Medical Practice Committee for 10 years and would drive to Edinburgh and back in the same day-a round trip of 460 miles. A popular colleague, he was for a time chairman of Sutherland hospital board, and in

committee his good sense and judgment were relied on. He was created deputy lord lieutenant of Sutherland in 1965.

In his more active years he enjoyed fishing Sutherland's lochs and rivers. A keen golfer, he was successively captain and president of Royal Dornoch Golf Club.

Bill was a modest man, and many of his friends knew little of his war record. Having joined the Territorial Army, he was mobilised at the outbreak of war and served in France, the Middle East, and the western desert (1942-3). He trained as a paratrooper, was promoted Lieutenant Colonel, and thereafter saw further service in Tunisia and Italy. Later, while Commanding Officer of a Parachute Field Ambulance, he was taken prisoner at Arnhem in 1944. He was captured because he elected to stay with his wounded while the remnants of the 1st Airborne Division withdrew across the Rhine. His role in this action was recreated in the film A Bridge Too Far. He then spent seven months as a prisoner of war in Germany; during most of that time he had sole responsibility for treating British and American sick and wounded in Wolfenbuttel Hospital.

Bill Alford is survived by his wife, Barbara, and his son and two daughters. -AGD.

William Carson Alford, formerly a general practitioner in Lairg, died 4 March aged 77. Born Glasgow, 3 March 1913; educated Rutherglen Academy, Glasgow University (MB, ChB 1938).

During war served in Royal Army Medical Corps, becoming lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of 133 Parachute Field Ambulances (mentioned in dispatches twice and awarded OBE)."

Further reading:

Niall Cherry, Red Berets and Red Crosses (1999), Robert Sigmond Ltd.

Researched and written by Bob Hilton