Antoft, Otto Hjalmar

Operation Market Garden

Date of birth:: February 21st, 1919 (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Date of death:: September 21st, 1944 (Zetten, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Arnhem Oosterbeek
Plot: 4. Row: D. Grave: 6-7.
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Otto was born on February 21 1919 in Copenhagen Denmark, the son of Otto Hugo and Asta Sigrid Antoft nee Rump (both Danish) of Kentville Nova Scotia. They were married in Copenhagen. His brothers were Finn and Kell Antoft (also with The RCAF in Canada).

He was a poultry farmer and he had no religion and he spoke English and Danish fluently. His hobby was reading and he wrote articles for student papers and he liked debating and his sports were swimming, tennis, badminton, table tennis, football and soccer.

He enlisted on March 5 1942 in Halifax Nov Scotia and he went thereafter on July 1 overseas to the UK.

Otto was killed in action on Thursday September 21 1944 age 25 due to a crash near 'De Slop' farm in Zetten during the operation Market Garden. He was temporarily buried then at a churchyard in Zetten before being reburied on October 5 1945 in Oosterbeek. His other fallen RCAF crew members were P/O Robert B. Herger age 23 in grave 4-D-6-7, F/O John K. MacDonnell age 21 in grave 4-D-8 and W/O II Leslie I. Whitlock age 20 in grave 4-D-6-7. The fallen British RASC crew members were Drv. Ernest Noble age 24 in grave 18-B-9-10 and Drv. Colin Parker age 31 in the same grave. The fallen RAF Volunteer Reserve crew member was F/O Harold A. Thornington age 34 in grave 4-D-11. And the RAF crew member Sgt L. Hillyard survived the crash and he was injured and he became then a prisoner of war as well as the wounded and prisoner of war too RCAF crew member W/O J. Thomas and both survived the war.

On his headstone: BORN IN THE SUN, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT THEY WALKED TOWARDS THE SUN

He served with the 190 R.A.F Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!