14433489 Private Frederick Charles ‘Fred’ Crabb was born on September 9, 1924 and baptised on 12^th October 1924 in East London.

After successfully completing parachute course 93 in November and December 1943 Ben joined up with the 11th Parachute Battalion.

On the 18^th September 1944 Fred emplaned with the main body of the Battalion at RAF Saltby, bound for Arnhem, during the Second Lift of Operation Market Garden.

The 11th Battalion dropped at approx. 14:30, and remained on the drop zone until approximately on 17:30, when orders where received to proceed into Arnhem under command of the 1st Parachute Brigade.

Marching all night, the Battalion arrived in the area of the St Elizabeth's Hospital where they 'dug-in' in the grounds of the Hospital, and the surrounding area. Following a number of confused hours without communications, and in danger of being surrounded, the Battalion was ordered to withdraw to the Oosterbeek area were they formed part on the defensive perimeter. The Battalion remained here in constant action until they were evacuated on the night of the 25-26th September.

During the course of the Battle both Fred and another soldier from 11th Battalion, Private Raymond Morris, were taken prisoner and finally ended up in a prisoner of war Camp in the Czech Republic.

Sadly in the early hours of 16th December Fred and Raymond were killed by what was described as "an anti-aircraft shell during an air raid". This raid was carried out by the USAAF 15th Air Force when nearly 600 B24’s and B17’s were sent to attack a synthetic oil plant near Brux amongst other targets.

They were first both buried in Chomutov Cemetery which is about 15 miles south west of Brux. Fred was buried in August 1947 in Plot IV Row A Grave 7 with Raymond in Grave 9.