Re: battle for arnhem....
A defensive position was taken in the hope that supporting arms would soon reach us. Not realizing the situation at the time, but wat a shambles. We had taken a defensive position in a block of flats. The Germans fortunatly for us were not aware that. In one of the top flats it held the Brigade COmmander Brigadier Lathbury and the Divisional Commander General Urquhart. The heavy shelling continued at this point in time there was no alternative other than sit tight. The signals were trying hard to renew contact with C and A Coy's without success. To add to our plight German troops appeared in the back gardens and still not aware of our presence in the flats above. Around 1200 hrs a German self propelled gun mounted on a heavy tank stopped outside the flats. You can visualise the situation we were in without the support needed. B Coy under the command of Major Waddy were fighting a bloody battle against all the odds, but what a courageous fight. Peter Waddy himself managed to place a gammon bomb in the side of the tank while in doing so he was killed. not by the tank crew but one of our own mortar bombs. No blame can be leveled at the mortar platoon, but shambles and lack of wireless communications.
About 1600 hrs communications were restored with C Coy and reported that they had joined with 'Sandy Battalion' and holding the 'Bridge at Arnhem' being our objective. They badly needed ammunition as their supploes were nearly out. We were in no position to help at that moment of time. Our next piece of news was that communication had been established with A Coy who had attached themselves to 'Freddie Battalion' and were trying to break through to us. By now the whole situation was very serious, casualties were high and ammunition low. Spirits had to be maintained, as sure things would change. And so it happened, ammunition reached us bt Bren Gun Carrier and was distributed.
The CO decided that we should push on. Consulting our maps a route was marked out via the railway line to the bridge Before proceeding the remnants of A Coy wrrived without any Officers who had been killed or injured. The CO ordered me to take control of the remainder of A Coy and take the route previously given. He with HQ and the remainder of B Coy would follow in the rear. This is another situation not to be relished especially not knowing all the facts on one's own troops movement. Thoughts ran through my mind of training and exercises at the ' Battle Scool ' in Calendar Scotland long before I became a parachutist. In the art of street fighting especially at night and be aware of every doorway and corner thatcould hold an enemy ready with a knife to cut your throat. Never the less the training in the past for what ever reason was going to be of some help and keep me fully alert.
Commanding a mixed bunch of men it did not worry me as knowing their training was of such high degree as parachutist. Signals and commands given by me would be easily understood. Proceeding through a lane of back gardens with cottages either side heading the railway, we encountered German machine gun fire which forced us to take cover in the cottages not knowing they were occupied by families. This proved to give me cause for concern as communication with HQ was not going to be easy, further more we were submitted to a barrage of mortar fire to which we had no reply but for the moment stay put. I felt very sorry for the families in these cottages who we had occupied uninvited and as civilians being brought into this conflict. The cottage we were in was occupied by a family of six. They were hudd;ed together in what was called in Scotland a sit in bed. One that was built in a recess in the living room with a curtain that could be drawn across. The father wanted to leave to get help but I had to refrain him from doing so at the point of a gun, for all I knew he could have been a collaborator. That change could not be taken I had an idea that the signals were in the cottage next door so decided to knock a hole in the wall rather then try to contact them by the back door thus giving the Germans a chance of picking any of us off. As luck had it the signals were there so contact was made with battalion HQ and informing them of our situation and was to await for further orders. Darkness began to fall and all went quiet.
The CO ordered me to try and retire back under cover of darkness to HQ where further orders would be given. The next plan was to make another attempt to reach the Bridge by going back to the lower road along the river. So once more we were in the lead. The time beeing 0230hrs Tuesday 19 September. Lady luck seemded to be with us again for the Germans had for the moment dissappeared. With everything so quiet we made our way around the St. Elisabeth Hospital until we reached the lower road. The quiet and luck were soon to run out. We were met by a heavy barrage of gun and mortar fire. The Germans seemed well prepared for us knowing this route would be used by some of our troops to try and get through to the Bridge.The barrage increased in strenght while we moved forward and we were getting casualties, myself receiving a tracer bullet in my right leg. It may sound crazy to say luck again but the tracer bullet was red hot therefore cauterising the wound. At that moment I was not aware that it was going to stay tthere for the next twenty two days. An ordinary bullet would have by that time turned the leg gangrene so I would never have survived the ordeal. Having been assisted back to the house where the CO was, I injected my morphine and was able to give a report to the CO. Then machine guns opend fire and there came also shouts in English a ploy we often used in North Africa and I was wounded before I had the chance to hit the ground. A small patrol was sent out to recce and reported on return that a number of machine gun nests were active. B Coy were sent out to try and wipe them out but heavy casualties were inflicted upon them in their brave effort.In the meanwhile the Airlanding Brigade (the brave fellows who came in Gliders) arrived in strenght and managed to push the Germans back. The whole affair finished in the CO beeing killed and heavy casualties including many Officers. there was little more that could be done in this situation other then the remnants of the battalion withdrawing to regroup. Myself beeing left with the rest of the wounded. It was day light before being removed to St. Elisabeth Hospital a few hundred yards from the cellar I was in.
My stretcher was placed in the corridor near the entrance. An orderly informed me that the Hospital had changed hand a few times between British and Germans.
Within two hours another heavy attack commenced. The enemy using MK IV Tiger tanks, self propelling guns and all the artillery at their disposal. In spite of the hospital marked with a large red cross the Germans continoud to shell it. A life time seemed to pass while we lay there, more were wounded or killed. The Air Landing Brigade engaged the enemy in a brave battle against all odds but were heavily out numbered with all the supporting arms the Germans had. Eventually there was little else to do other then withdraw. The Germans did not enter the Hospital until they had fired several bursts of machine gun fire through the main door. When the victorious Germans entered the Hospital their first thought was to pillage what we had. Packs and rations were taken, even some surgical equipment For the remainder of the day I was left in the corridor on a stretcher, towards evening moved to a bed upstairs in a corridor for that beeing the safest place rather then a ward. The next morning, it was now Wednesday the 20th September we could hear the sound of heavy gun fire so a battle was still raging somewhere near the hospital. Wounded arrived from time to time. One of the woulded I was able to speak was Brigadier Lathbury who was dressed as a Lance Corporal. The Dutch nurses and all the hospital staff were very brave in the situation that confronted them, making us comfortable as humanly possible.
Day after day the sound of gun fire got less and less and I realized the Battle for Arnhem was being lost. On 25th September the Germans decided to evacuate as many as possible to Germany. Truck arrived and our journey commenced.We passed through what must have been a picturesque town called Arnhem now badly in ruins. Thinking what a waste passing a park we observed some dozen or more heavy tanks camouflaged under trees. Our first destination was a Dutch barracks in Apeldoorn. From there we were transited to a prisoner of war camp in Germany.
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