General Sir John Hackett, “I Was a Stranger”
In old age the General looks like a friendly walrus. When he was 33, he fought at Arnhem, was wounded, captured by the Germans, liberated by the Dutch Resistance, and secretly nursed and protected by a Dutch family who were completely surrounded by Germans. Rupert Willoughby's moving post is a salute to the Dutch family, and to the young British brigadier who came to understand their extraordinary courage. 'I had often seen bravery in battle. I now also knew the unconquerable strength of the gentle.’
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