TRAGIC, HEROIC CAVALCADE

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 4, 29 September 1944, Page 5

TRAGIC, HEROIC CAVALCADE

Men From Arnhem (Received September 28, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 28. “I saw the tragic yet heroic cavalcade of paratroopers return from the hell of Arnhem, blood-stained and mudstained, exhausted, hungry and bearded,” states the British United Press correspondent, Richard McMillan, with the British Second Army. “They are beaten in body, but not in spirit. ‘Let us go back again. Give ns a few tanks ami we will finish the job. was what, they arc saying after having already carried out one of the most glorious actions in history. “A London sergeant described the fighting as ‘a kind of Hell I never dreamed could exist on earth.’ Every one of them had a story to tell of horror by day and night, of ceaseless enemy attacks witn flame-throwers and self-propelled guns firing high-explosive and armour-piercing 9 shells. Captain Bethune Taylor said, ’I was at Crete, and that was a piece of cake compared with the bridgehead at Arnhem.’ “Taylor was hardly able to keep his eyes open as he told a grimly moving narrative of the bloody perimeter. He said it was easv going in on the 18th, though flak hit his glider, which landed west of Oosterbeek. _ ‘There were a few snipers but they did not cause much trouble. and we started toward the bridge,’ he said. ‘One section moving down .the railway line encountered the first serious opposition. Eighty-eights at the road and rail crossing forced them back. “‘That was the beginning of the fireworks. The situation on the 19th began to deteriorate. We took up new positions, scooped earth from a cabbage patch and got our guns going. This wq,s nearer Oosterbeek. We took a bit of a bashing ■all day from the 88’s, tanks and machineguns. We were then told to withdraw. We did so that night, but the German tanks followed us. Fire More Intense. “ ‘The Germans sent in the tanks ahead of their infantry, and the tanks fired and then turned away, leaving the infantry, whom we usually managed to clean up. Then the Germans brought flame-throw-ers and self-propelled guns and they gave us more than we gave them. They also sent over fierce fire from their mortars-. “ ‘The weather was fine with odd spots of rain. We had two days’, food with extra food for the whole division. The airborne supply seemed to work well, and we marvelled at the courage of the members of the R.A.F. I saw three transport planes arrive in flames, but the pilots kept on the course and dropped the parachutes over us. “‘The shelling became more intense as the Germans moved artillery round the perimeter. German tanks on the 21st overran one of our gun positions. We were using the American-type 77 mm. cannon, and one man with one gun once held off two tanks after the re,st of his crew had been killed. “ ‘The tanks bashed against houses and knocked them down like packs of cards. They were so troublesome that one of our maojrs went out with a pint and took on two of them, and lie bagged one after a duel from round the corner of a house. “ ‘We stalked other tanks with pints, and it became a hide-and-seek chase for every German tank in file perimeter. Our gunners, whenever they spotted one, limbered the gun to a jeep and pursued it. We onre raced right under the eun of a tank, firing tlio other way to distract its attention, and then swung in and got it fair and square.' ‘‘Al! the survivors.” the correspondent nays, “pay tributes to the gunners of the British Second Army who, firing from a vange of between five and eight miles, put down very accurate barrages and

helped to hold the repeated German atGermans next tried to smoke out the paratroops, but the British. thou o h blinded and choking, did not budge. One survivor said, The smoke drifted away and left the Jerries in the open. That was our chanee.’ . “A Londoner, Lance-Corporal John Stilwell, said the most terrifying ordeal of the siege was the flame-throwers attacking the paratroopers m trenches. Another Londoner described the perimeter as a monstrous engine that spat flame, smoke and liquid death for eight nights and nine days. Help in Evacuation. “West Country infantry and Polish paratroops crossed the river, reached the perimeter and helped the paratroopers to evacuate after destroying the equipment left behind. The paratroopers only regret is that the tanks and infantry did not reach them in time, but they fully understood the armours difficulties noith of Nijmegen. “I believe that three things preventin' the link-up were: First, our armour had to advance toward Arnhem on an elevated highway and was a perfect target for BS’s hidden behind the dykes. Secondly, the armour’s fast thrust to Nijmegen out-distanced the infantry that were needed to clear away the 88 s and ensure a river crossing. "Thirdly, the road along our axis was cut. This delayed the ’ .passage of vital things like assault craft. Shells were also running short. Our guns on the night of evacuation fired a protective barrage with the last of their immediate reserves of ammuniton.”