Lance Corporal David Dadswell

I never knew my grandad, but my nan used to tell me all about him, and about Op Market Garden and 181 Airlanding Field Ambulance.

My dad, Ron Spicer joined 10 PARA in honour of my grandad, and I later joined 10 PARA myself, all on the back of the stories of my dad and grandad.

I was very pleased to be invited to a 181 Airlanding Field Ambulance reunion where I met all his old mates. What stories they had! I was told how he was killed and how the battle unfolded, and they all signed a lovely print of the drop zone. I have some good memories of that day...

Dear Stephen, it is a pleasure to read your post. Our father knew your father and cited him as a friend who died at Oosterbeek alongside him. My father was Alec John Hall, also in the 181 Royal Army Medical Corps. He passed away last year in October 2023. We had the privilege of returning to Oosterbeek with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans with him in 2022 and we found your grandfather’s headstone in the Oosterbeek cemetery, which gave dad the opportunity to pay respects to his friend then and again when we returned just before his 101st birthday last May 2023. Thank you for his service, and your father’s, and yours.