Arnhem · 1 Airborne Division by Watkins, Major Ernest -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Frontispiece Title page Imprint Foreword A Tribute to the Men 1 Airborne Div at Arnhem

Carrying the Road From Eindhoven In Normandy the Distance Had Been Less Arnhem is a Quiet Dutch Town Their Objective was the Road Bridge This Was the Area Held The Plan was Simple Arnhem: The Plan for D-Day 2. D-Day Was Sunday

The Borders in Renkum Already Acquired 30 P.O.Ws Held Up on the Utrecht Road We Established Our First Supply Point They Shot the Sergeant The Position at Midnight

3. The First Day at the Bridge

The Railway Bridge Went Up The Fd Amb Forked Left The Rest of the Column was Disposed of

4. Four Days in the School

Engaged It with a Flame-thrower The Enemy Gained a Footing The Germans Blew Away the South-west Corner We had Built Strong Points in Every Room The First Shots Went Right Through Blew Off the Top Story

5. Holding the DZs

He Immediately Suffered Casualties No One Got Through

Try it Out This Way

1 Airborne Div at Arnhem (Contd.)

6. The Perimeter Takes Shape

Under Direct Observation By Day The Position Proved Very Suitable We Held About a Dozen Houses To Lend Colour to the Threat

7. Bde HQ in a Wood

Food was Something of a Problem Life in the Perimeter They Would Have Mopped Us Up

8. In the Ruins of the Houses

Commanded by an ATk Gunner Sgt He Didn’t Like Fighting at Night Remember Your Wives and Sweethearts The Germans Had Posted a Sniper The Dutch People Were Very Good

9. Each Fought as an Infantryman

(a) The Gunners Much More Vulnerable in Consequence We Directed Their Fire (b) Sappers The Current was so Strong (c) The Services In the Grounds, or in the Cellars I Had to Go Out for Them Myself They Continued Their Work

10. Towards the End

40 Polish Paratroops Were Ferried Dorsets Fought Their Way to the Bank

11. The Withdrawal

We Were Told to Muffle Our Boots They Caught the Water in Their Caps I Couldn’t See the Man Ahead I Guessed it was Pretty Bad A Blessed Hot Mug of Tea

Conclusion

Arnhem Revisited

The Town remained Empty The Gun in the Churchyard Now They are Overgrown The Germans Had Built Two Pallisades As Though the Sunshine were an Antiseptic In the Centre was a Flower Bed

Waiting to be Scrubbed

Shot With Technicalities The Fascination Had Flown “What’s the DZ like, Sir?” The Only One With a Tower I Was Jumping Last We Were Doing Far Too Well They Didn’t Want to Read Astonished at the Gaiety of it All Nothing Can Save Us Now The Mess Staff Had Been Playing Cards Told to Plan an Operation You Get No Marks for Mental Strain

Abbreviations and Acronyms Notes