20th September 1944

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Sergeant Norman Howes volunteered for the newly formed Airborne in 1942 and was posted to the 2nd South Shropshires, on transfer from the Royal Fusiliers. I quote from his later reminiscences on his time at Arnhem:  -   '"We took off for Arnhem, as part of the second lift, from Broadwell on the morning of 18th September. This was not a popular decision amongst the men as by now the Germans knew that we we were coming... [we] landed at about 3 o'clock and were immediately sent to join the remainder of the battalion at the "Monastry" about 400 yards from St Elizabeth's Hospital."   -  "My company (A Company) took the lead and shortly after leaving the drop zone we captured a German Hauptman[n]. I made some remark about "Getting the bastard back to HQ" when, in perfect English, he rebuked me for my language... [adding] that they had known that we were coming but did not know our landing places - "Now we know that", he warned, "God help you."'

German infantry backed by heavy armour completely surrounds the British 1st Airborne at Oosterbeek, kettling them into a small pocket; cutting off Colonel Frost's 2nd Para at the Arnhem bridge, who are subsequently captured and marched away, watched by 130 holed-up paras, the dispersed remnants  of 1 Para under Maj Tony Hibbert. On asking for an assessment of the remaining ammunition available to each soldier, he is informed that just a single magazine remains for each Bren and Sten gun, and that no anti-tank bombs are left. Hibbert decides that they should split into sections and aim to join the rest of the division through the German lines to the west. '...very few people got away.' [Hibbert] By this point my uncle and other remaining survivors are scattered here and there and officially missing in action: presumed dead or in captivity.

Comments

  1. Anonymous21 September 2024 at 16:55

    THE most telling utterance, and by a German: "God help you."' That's "fair warning" in my book and "Military Intelligence" [Oxymoron] should have evaluated it!!
    Oh I almost got Oosterbeck right; and me with my returned dylsexia!
    ATB
    Joe

    ReplyDelete

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