baskeyfi

.....Lance-Sergeant Baskeyfield was serving with the 1st Airlanding Brigade at Oosterbeek during the battle for Arnhem. When the enemy developed a major attack on his sector with infantry, tanks and self-propelled guns. In the course of the preliminary engagement his gun-crew was responsible for the destruction of two Tiger tanks and at least one self-propelled gun. He was badly wounded in the leg and the remainder of his gun-crew were either killed or badly wounded. Lance-Sergeant Baskeyfield refused to leave his gun. After a short interval the enemy renewed the attack with even greater ferocity than before. Manning his gun entirely alone he continued firing until it was put out of action. Then he crawled to another 6-pounder near by, the crew of which had all been killed, and proceeded to man it single-handed. With his second shot he scored a direct hit on a self-propelled gun but while preparing to fire a third time he was killed. His amazing courage and blazing spirit of aggression inspired everyone in his vicinity.