In Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Arnhem.
TALK:
The Last Para
Tobruk, Arnhem and Two Great Escapes.
Col Stuart Tootal tells the story of the recently late John Humphreys, 102, with whom he co-wrote The Last Para.
You'll understand first-hand what fighting in the desert and at Arnhem was actually like, the stench and near starvation of captivity and the resourcefulness needed to escape.
Monday 28th October 2024
The Bridge Room (upstairs), The Prince Albert,
85 Albert Bridge Road, London SW11
Arrive 7pm - Drinks at the bar
Talk starts 7.30 pm
Optional dinner 8.30 pm
£35 each
From being run over by a Panzer Tank to escaping with a penknife...
The Last Para is one of World War Two's most valuable first-hand accounts.
On 28th October, Col. Stuart Tootal will tell John Humphreys's story.
Humphreys fought at Tobruk and Arnhem. The Axis enemy captured him twice, and each time, he escaped.
The Last Para, written in the first person, is a visceral tale of courage and determination. You'll feel like you're talking to Humphreys sitting by the fire.
Yet Stuart includes strategic, historical context in a way only a 3 PARA commander-cum-historical writer can do.
Some of what you'll discover on 28th Oct:
* The myths and realities of World War Two, from Tobruk to Arnhem, from a war hero's perspective and Col Stuart Tootal's thorough, intrinsic research.
* Why, in 1939, military authorities were planning along the lines of the Great War.
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* In the Royal Engineers, officers made no difference to war preparations. Why so, and what's changed?
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* The experience of being run over by a Panzer tank in the desert - and surviving.​
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* In oven-like North African heat, being holed up for three days as a newly captured PoW in the bowels of a steamship that used to carry coal. No lavatories. No light. And perpetual fear of being attacked by submarines.
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* When John Humphreys and his fellow half-starved, bedraggled PoWs arrived off the ship in Brindisi, their Italian captors wanted to march them in front of jeering crowds to humiliate them. But then they threw flowers, bread and fruit and cheered them on. Find out why on 28th October.
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* You'll get a feeling for the ferocity of the sheer violence and terror of Arnhem and how John Humphreys and his comrades held out against extreme odds until, quite literally, the Paras fired their last bullet.
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* After the SS captured John at Arnhem, how a mere penknife was instrumental in allowing himself and two others to escape captivity and return to Allied lines. ​​​​
* Which avoidable disaster-causing planning mishaps at Arnhem were also prevalent in Helmand when Col Stuart Tootal led 3PARA there - and how military authorities can resolve them.
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* Why the disaster at Arnhem, when 80% of troops were killed or captured, sets the standards and ethos by which young Paras today aspire to serve.
As a Five Star Amazon reviewer put it...
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2024
Having just returned from the battle of Arnhem 80th Commemorations; I’m astounded by this firsthand account and what this amazing man went through from 1939-1945 (and particularly in September 1944). A gripping read, I couldn’t put it down, and reaffirms they truly were the Greatest Generation. Well done Stuart Tootal for making this amazing story available to the general public.
£35 each
About Stuart Tootal
Before commanding 3 PARA, Stuart served in the Queen's Own Highlanders and then the Parachute Regiment in Northern Ireland, the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After being promoted to Full Colonel in 2008, Stuart left the British Army, set up the Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust for wounded soldiers, and, in the corporate sector, headed up security for one of the World's largest banks. He founded and now runs Matero Consulting, helping businesses drive change agendas. Stuart is a prolific commentator on military and security matters and has written books, including Sunday Times Best Seller Danger Close, The Manner of Men, SAS Sea King Down and Tank Action.