Anzac Day – Australia

Anzac Day is a special day for Australians. We’re reminded of the larrikin Aussie spirit, mateship and above all, heroism of the Anzacs. Most families have a story of a not too distant relative, who, when faced with the worst, gave us their best. Some made it back. Many did not.

The Kate ter Horst story probably doesn’t ring any bells, but her heroism matched that of any soldier fighting on the frontline. Kate was a Dutch woman, living in the small town of Oosterbeek. In the later months of 1944, a focal point for Operation Market Garden.

On the 17th of September, Kate was met with the sight of British paratroopers landing in her backyard. At that moment, Kate felt she was saved. However, over the next few days, fighting became intense with the British paratroopers surrounded by German troops, hindered by delays in being relieved by the advancing Allied column.

The location of the ter Horst family home became a point of defence for the British – British captain Randall Martin even asked Kate ter Horst if he could furnish a dressing station for the wounded soldiers in the rectory house.

Over the next week, while caring for her five young children, Kate assisted doctors, encouraged soldiers and comforted the wounded and dying.

General Frank King later wrote about the experience and meeting Kate: “I noticed that an entire room was reviving when she came in. A seriously wounded soldier summarised it before he died. After Kate ter Horst talked to him for a moment, he said:” She is fantastic. She’s just like my mum.”

Kate ter Horst and her husband Jan were distinguished for their heroic performance in 1980, for their role during the Battle of Arnhem in Sept 1944. Both were appointed Honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.