Parachutes fill the heavens as one of World War Two’s bravest missions is honoured by a swarm of skydivers... including a 97-year-old veteran.
Sandy Cortmann was strapped to one of the Red Devils team for a landing at Arnhem in Holland with 1,500 other skydivers yesterday.
It was his first return visit since being shot at and later captured by the enemy in a jump celebrated in the film A Bridge Too Far.
Sandy said of his 75th anniversary jump: “When the door opened I thought, ‘Christ, what a way down.’”
He admitted it was “thoroughly terrifying” – but wants to do it again next year.
The 1944 leap was a doomed attempt to shorten the war and Sandy, of Aberdeen, recalls “guns and mortars opening up – and they were all aimed at us!”
He shook hands with Prince Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment.
Fellow ex-para Gary Haughton, 52, said Charles joked of Sandy: “He puts me to shame, I should have been up there with him.”
