The Last Para – John Humphreys

The Last Para is the history of John Humphreys during the Second World War (WWII). A story told with the help of the author Stuart Tootal.

Stuart Tootal is a former army Colonel, a best-selling author and currently a global head in the corporate security sector. His exceptional military career has seen him serve in Northern Ireland and the Middle East.

80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden

A powerful and authentic account of WWII from 101-year-old veteran John Humphreys, from boy soldier in the Royal Engineers to jumping into Arnhem with the Parachute Regiment in 1944, spearheading the attack on the bridge. For days they held on, outnumbered and outgunned by a German army fighting to the last bullet.

Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, The Last Para is be the final firsthand account of this legendary action, told with incredible honesty and irrepressible spirit.

John Humphreys

John Humphreys served in the UK, West Africa, North Africa, was wounded and captured at Tobruk in June 1942, escaped from a POW (PG70 in Italy) camp and walked hundreds of miles to reach the British lines in autumn 1943. Back in the UK, he joined the engineer unit attached to the airborne forces and parachuted into Arnhem in 1944. He fought alongside John Frost’s 1 Para, the only unit to make it to the all-important bridge over the Rhine.

Captured again, he led a small group of men and escaped in a stolen boat and made it back to friendly lines at Nijmegen. John finished the war in Norway. Post-war, John continued in the Royal Engineers before he joined the SAS. A long and distinguished career saw him rise to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. John Humphreys passed away in 2024.

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