Veteran paratroopers honour 78th anniversary of Operation Varsity

Seventy-eight years after over 16,000 paratroopers dropped right on top of German forces, veterans gathered in Shropshire to remember the exceptional operation.

Members of the Shropshire Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association gathered to commemorate the operation

Operation Varsity was the largest airborne operation in history to be completed on a single day in one location.

On March 24, 1945, more than 16,000 paratroopers dropped from thousands of planes straight onto enemy defences, successfully opening up the road to Berlin for ground troops crossing the Rhine.

Under heavy fire, the paratroopers fought a bloody battle to secure bridges and vital territory, assisting in the advances of allied troops into the Germany in the final weeks of the Second World War.

On Sunday, two of the last surviving men who jumped that day joined with the Shropshire Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association, with dozens of other veterans and their family members, for a reunion to commemorate the operation.

Danny and Len are the only two surviving members of 8th Battalion

Danny Mason, from Ludlow, was just 18-years-old when he jumped from the plane above Wesel in March 1945 as a member of 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion.

Originally considered too young to jump, Danny was drafted in at the last minute alongside his friend Paddy, to replace two injured paratroopers on the operation.

In a short but emotional speech, Danny thanked those in attendance.

Danny Mason was just 18 years old when he jumped from a plane into enemy territory

"My head's getting bigger by the minute," the 96-year-old joked, "I live in a 300-year-old house and I don't know how I'm going to get back through the narrow door.

"I'm very grateful, I feel very humble. But it's not about me, it's about Operation Varsity and lives of those that didn't come back."

As he went to get off his feet, onlookers got to theirs and filled the hall will rapturous applause.

Joining Danny, was fellow Varsity veteran, 98-year-old Len Trewin.

Len Trewin, 98, was 20 years old when he took part in Operation Varsity

Len, originally served with the Devonshire Regiment before joining the 8th Parachute Battalion. Now living in Yate in Bristol, Len has recently had a new retirement development named after him, Trewin Lodge.

He was just 20-years-old when he dropped out of a plane onto German troops.

Danny and Len are the only two surviving members of 8th Battalion who jumped that day.

Peter Bedford, chairman of the Shropshire Branch said the day was a huge success, and it was an honour to host the two veterans.