A war hero has been reunited with the little girl he saved 72 years ago during a fierce tank battle as British troops tried to liberate Holland from the Nazis.
Toos Kockan was a four-year-old child when her home in the Dutch town of ‘s (c) Hertogenbosch became a battlefield in October 1944.
Her parents and two siblings frantically tried to flee as German tank shells rained down on their house but were caught in the crossfire.
They eventually came across British troops, including then 20-year-old wireless operator Alan King.
Toos’ father and her siblings were helped along the side of a tank by British troops in a moment that was captured by famous war photographer Peter Handford.
But Toos and her heavily pregnant mother were trapped behind a reversing Sherman tank and looked set to be crushed until Mr King spotted them and alerted the driver.
Recounting the day Mr King, a father-of-three, said: “We were involved in a huge tank battle against the Nazis. I was in a tank myself.
“A family of five appeared around the corner. There were shells exploding everywhere as they ran down a street. The father was pushing a push-chair.
“Our foot soldiers helped the father and two of the children to shelter and safety.
“But the mother, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was behind a tank that was reversing. The driver couldn’t see her.
“I got on the radio and called ‘halt’ to the driver. They stopped before they ran her over and the soldiers around our tank were able to help her and the last child to safety as well.”
Before the battle, war-weary Mr King had already fought his way through France after taking part in the historic D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.
Alan King
In November last year Mr King was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour for bravery, for his part in liberating the country from occupation.
After helping liberate France, the former Coldstream Guard then took part in the disastrous Operation Market Garden in September 1944 which aimed to bring a swift end to the war.
He was working as a wireless operation in Sherman tanks when he became involved in the infamous battle of ‘s-Hertogenbosch – a town in southern Holland – the following month.
During fierce exchanges 253 civilians perished.
After the battle Mr King fought his way on to eventual victory against Nazi Germany the following year and never returned the the town until last week.
The visit happened after the country’s government paid for British war veterans to return to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Arnham.
With the help of translator Monique Hekman he finally met the girl he saved 72 years ago.
Ms Hekman, a protocol officer from the General of the Royal Netherlands Army, said: “She remembered Alan very clearly, she was so excited and glad to see him.
“It was lovely, she did everything in her power to make him comfortable. She bought Alan a very rare delicacy called bosche bol, a cream cake with chocolate on top.
“It was overwhelming to witness actually.”
After the war Mrs Kockan married and had two children. She also spends a lot of time with her sister who Mr King also helped save.
Following the German’s defeat Mr King returned to the UK where he was demobbed in 1947 and worked as an engineer in Suffolk until his retirement.
He married his late wife Nora, who sadly died seven years ago, and had three children.
By Oliver Pritchard
