Danny Mason, one of Britain’s last surviving World War II paratroopers, has died at the age of 99. Mason was a 19-year-old soldier when he took part in Operation Varsity in March 1945, the largest single-day airborne operation in history. The mission involved more than 16,000 Allied troops parachuting into Germany to secure a critical bridgehead, a key move in the final stages of the war in Europe.

Mason’s unit advanced approximately 600 miles over two weeks before he sustained wounds during the campaign. Reflecting on the operation, he described the mission as unprecedented, recalling, "We were dropped right in amongst the Germans, which had never been tried before, and we knew it was a suicide drop." He regarded Operation Varsity as a decisive battle that helped bring the war to an end, lamenting that it did not receive widespread recognition at the time.

Following the war, Mason settled in Ludlow, Shropshire, where he and his wife, Jean, raised five children and managed a do-it-yourself store. His death was publicly announced by the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Memorial Group, honoring his contribution to one of the most daring airborne assaults of World War II.