THE TERRIBLE DEATH THE BRITISH PATRIOT WWII HERO JOHN "JACK" GRAYBURN.

British patriot WWII Hero John “Jack” Grayburn 

Jack Grayburn enlisted with the 1st London Cadet Force, The Queen's Royal Regiment, from where, he earned a commission with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. 

Tasked with duties on the home front when war was declared, he soon grew restless with what he deemed, “mundane activities”, and so, decided to volunteer for the Parachute Regiment, where he was told, combat would be “guaranteed”.

Assigned to the Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, it was there, that he found the “guarantee” was bona fide, for, not long after he was given command of No. 2 Platoon, A Company, Jack learned, he and his comrades were to form the vanguard for “Operation Market Garden”. 

Parachuted into German-occupied Holland on this day in 1944, his mission was to seize and hold the southern end of the now-famous bridge at Arnhem, where, as he led his unit toward their objective under the cover of darkness, they were spotted by a German sentry, and targeted by several heavily fortified machine gunners. 

Almost immediately, he was shot through the shoulder; and yet, Jack pushed forward, nonetheless. 

As he did so, the German defenders began rushing reinforcements to their ranks – thus enabling them to gradually push Jack and his fellow paratroopers back.

Rather than withdraw entirely, though, he directed his "paras" into a nearby house, which, despite its conspicuous vulnerability to artillery and mortar fire, he transformed into a formidable redoubt for them to coordinate their stand. 

There, Jack was wounded twice more; but still, he refused to retire. 

For three days and three nights, they withstood wave after wave of elite Waffen-SS, whose commanders – frustrated by such a damning lack of progress – resolved to bring the battle to an end with support from their panzers. 

Realizing that he and his lightly armed band of brothers stood little if any chance of repelling the fast-approaching German armor, Jack finally gave the order for his surviving soldiers to disengage. 

It was at that moment – while ensuring the evacuation of his men – he came face-to-face with a lone “Tiger” Tank and its crew, who, although initially stunned into inaction by the sight of Jack with a bandage around his head; his right arm in a sling; and blood pouring from both legs; ultimately cut him down when, in one final act of defiance, he opened fire upon them.

Promoted posthumously to captain for his "inspiring leadership", and bestowed the Victoria Cross for his “supreme gallantry”, Jack’s commanding officer – then Lieutenant Colonel John Frost – paid tribute to him by saying:

“He fought on from his position until relieved by death...”

“There were, of course, many others who did likewise”, Frost added. 

“But no one so exemplified the spirit of the battalion, quite so well as Jack.”

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