TWO MPs leapt from a World War Two plane over Arnhem to commemorate the biggest airborne assault in history – that inspired the film A Bridge Too Far.
Ex Special Forces commando and Para reservist Bayo Alaba joined veterans, serving troops, firemen and civilians in the act of remembrance.
They jumped from a vintage Dakota C-47 like the ones used Operation Market Garden in 1944.
Some 41,000 allies troops jumped into to capture a series of bridges from Eindhoven to Arnhem.
Britain’s commander General Bernard Montgomery hoped it would clear the path for an armoured assault and end the war by .
But the 10,000 troops from UK’s 1st Airborne Division and the Polish 1st Parachute Brigade faced unexpectedly fierce resistance from a Nazi Panzer Corps in Arnhem.
Paras led by Lt Col John Frost secured the northern end of the Arnhem bridge held it for several days – but eventually ran out of ammo before reinforcements arrived.
Carns, a former armed forces minister, said: “A generation ago people sacrificed their lives for everything we have today.
“We never thought we would have war in Europe and now we are seeing the same casualty rates as the .
“What you are seeing from is an Arnhem every month.”
Bayo, an independent MP, said: “We are paying respect to our forebears.
“I jumped on the 50th anniversary – 32 years ago – with a lot of veterans who were still nimble enough to jump.
“Now we’re are doing it to honour them. We are carrying that baton and remembering that sacrifice.”
Two Dutch firemen from Renkum – the drop zone where the paras landed – also joined Friday’s jump.
Frank Van Rhijn, 33, and Lex Stegink, 33, said they wanted “to remember the guys that jumped in Renkum”.
Frank added: “Renkum is our hometown so this means a lot to us.”
John Todd, 81, from the Pathfinder Parachute Group that organised the jumpers, said: “We have got to keep the memory alive, it should never be lost.
“This is not just a parade, we are doing what those soldiers did all those years ago.”
The former Parachute regiment reservist who made his last jump aged 79, added: “We have got Belgians, Polish, a couple of Australians, Dutch, an American and a lot British.
“We are using the same planes and the same drop zone that the 1st Airborne Division used – the difference we don’t have any flak being thrown up at us and there is no one on the DZ shooting us.”
Terence Millar, a retired airborne sniper, jumped with his late father’s ashes and scattered them in Renkum the drop zone when he landed.
Terence, a former 2 Para sergeant, said he had promised his dad “one last para descent” before he died aged 90.
Terrence, who served 22 years in the regulars and two in the reserves, said: “My father was Sgt Maj Thomas Millar.
He was 90 and served 9 years in the Irish Army and then was 4 Para from 67 to 76.” Terence, who is known as Moose added: “He was the reason I joined. I stayed with him in hospital till he passed away and promised him one last para descent.”
One of his sons had planned to jump but was ill and another son, who is serving in 3 Para, met him on the drop zone.
Moving body-cam footage captured the moment Terence bid his father a final farewell.
He removed paper packet from his smock and scattered the ashes on the grass in front of his parachute.
He said: “Farewell dad. Airborne dad. Airborne”
