A soldier's moving account of his part in the Second World War battle made famous by the blockbuster film A Bridge Too Far has gone on sale.

Maggie Clifton, of Castlemorton, near Malvern, has allowed A Diary Of A Red Devil, written by her father Albert Blockwell, to be published to highlight what he and other soldiers went through.

The autobiography tells Albert's story from his enlistment in February 1940, at the age of 20, to when he left the Army in May 1946.

He joined the 1st British Airborne Division, which was one of three division to take part in the Battle of Arnhem, in September 1944, when 35,000 troops, including more than 10,000 Brits and Poles, parachuted in to Holland in an attempt to capture several key bridges.

However the battle went badly wrong. Albert was one of the many who were captured and taken to a prisoner of war camp in Germany. He managed to escape shortly before the Germans surrendered in May 1945.

Mrs Clifton said: "This diary was kept merely as an outlet to his feelings and emotions during that time. He had no public in mind, beyond a few personal friends, when he set down his adventures.

"This may account for the intimate quality of his writing. But there can be no doubt he had a flair for picking out those details and moments which we all want to hear about - the touches of unexpected realism which help us to visualise and live over again the incredibly heroic episode of Arnhem.

"This book is not a fiction adventure, full of daring exploits, but an honest, fact-filled diary written from the heart. He describes his feelings, observations and experiences, which could only be portrayed by a man who has 'been there, done that'."

Diary of a Red Devil is now on sale at bookshops or available on the internet at www.Helion.co.uk for £21.95.

THE BATTLE OF ARNHEM

Dubbed Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Arnhem was one of the boldest plans of the Second World War. Had it been successful the Allies could have punched their way into the heart of Germany, possibly ending the war six months earlier than it did.

The ill-fated nine-day operation was launched on September 17 1944. More than 30,000 troops from three divisions were parachuted behind enemy lines to capture the eight bridges that spanned the network of canals and rivers on the Dutch and German border.

But due to German resistance, and with the Allied troops cut off and deprived of food, water, sleep, medical supplies, and ammunition, British troops were unable to capture the bridge at Arnhem.

Of the approximate 10,000 men who took part in the Arnhem campaign, only just over 2,000 returned, while around 1,500 had been killed and the remainder captured.

l The Worcester News is producing a book, World War Two: An Account Of Local Stories, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. It will be on sale at selected shops next month.