Taxi Charity helps WWII veteran thank young Dutch boy for beautiful drawing

The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans travelled to the Netherlands in September to support commemorations marking the 81st anniversary of Operation Market Garden.

100-year-old WWII Market Garden veteran, Geoff Roberts MBE, who was accompanied to the Netherlands by his daughter and son-in-law attended the service at the Oosterbeek service and laid a wreath in memory of his fallen comrades.

Shortly afterwards, Geoff was deeply moved when he was presented with a beautiful drawing, signed by Twan, aged 4. The picture, created to honour Operation Market Garden, brought tears to Geoff’s eyes and now has pride of place in his Peterborough home.

As Geoff was leaving the cemetery, surrounded by people keen to shake his hand, he didn’t have the opportunity to thank the boy and later said: “It is so beautiful, and I really want to thank Twan for drawing such a lovely picture in commemoration of Operation Market Garden.”

His family asked the Taxi Charity for help to track Twan down - and the charity quickly stepped in.

Following a press and social media campaign, Twan was found. His father shared a heart-warming story of how the encounter has already left a mark on his young son’s education:

“Twan has only been at primary school for three weeks,” his father, Ruud van Wetering explained. “The Monday after the commemorations, his teacher overheard him talking about World War II and soldiers. She asked us about it, and we told her the story. The next day, Twan took in Geoff’s pin and a photo of the two of them together to share with the class. Because Geoff is 100, the children counted in tens to 100 and made a timeline. That photo of Geoff and Twan now hangs in the classroom next to the number 100 - and his classmates, and their parents, have all learned something about Geoff and our meeting.”

The Taxi Charity has arranged for a special gift to be sent to Twan as a token of Geoff’s gratitude.

Colin Mills, Chairman of the Taxi Charity, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to help Geoff find Twan. This lovely story shows the enduring connection between the Dutch people and the British veterans who fought for their freedom. To see a four-year-old boy honouring that history in such a touching way is truly remarkable.”

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Remembering Arnhem

Geoff was just 19 when he landed in the Netherlands as a private in the 7th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, part of a crack team sent to liberate Nazi-occupied Holland.

The Battle of Arnhem (17 - 26 September 1944) was one of the fiercest battles of WWII. Some 35,000 Allied troops fought valiantly for nine days. More than 8,000 British soldiers were killed or taken prisoner, and five Victoria Crosses were awarded, four posthumously during the whole operation.

Geoff was one of those taken as a POW and spent the rest of the war working in a mine.

Though the battle was not a success militarily, the Dutch people have never forgotten the courage of those who fought. The story was immortalised in Richard Attenborough’s 1977 film, A Bridge Too Far.

Geoff was awarded an MBE earlier this year for services to the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem and to charity.

Dick Goodwin, Vice President of the Taxi Charity, said: “Geoff is treated like royalty by the Dutch, and rightly so. He’s a hero to them, as this very special picture by Twan shows."