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Levenmouth residents are raising money for a memorial to the Polish general portrayed by Gene Hackman in A Bridge Too Far.

Under the command of General Stanislaw Sosabowski, the Leven-based Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade was led into the Battle of Arnhem famously depicted in the 1977 film.

This year sees the 70th anniversary of the ill-fated Second World War operation and Leven Community Council is commissioning a sculpture to recognise the contribution of the brigade and General Sosabowski in particular.

Community council chairman Alistair Suttie said: “Quite a number of families have relatives who were in the brigade and ended up settling here in Levenmouth.

“This will commemorate the links between Poland and Scotland.”

General Sosabowski was posthumously honoured for his role in the battle, which was part of Operation Market Garden.

In 1988, he received one of Poland’s highest orders, the Order of Polonia Restituta, and in 2006 he was given the Bronze Lion Award for Bravery by the Netherlands.

Mr Suttie said: “He kind of ended up being blamed for what happened at Arnhem in the Netherlands, when in fact they went against his advice.”

Methil-born sculptor David Mach has been brought in to work on the memorial, which is expected to cost £75,000.

Mr Mach’s Polish father was a paratrooper based in Fife and worked in the mines after the war.

Leven Community Council has requested a contribution of £37,500 from the local area committee, which will be considered by councillors on Wednesday, with a recommendation to approve.

The community council hopes to have the work ready for the end of September, to coincide with the anniversary of the famous battle.

Glenn Allan, secretary of the community council, said: “It’s going to be a massive event. We felt there needed to be some formal recognition given to the brigade and to General Sosabowski.”