On the 18th news came through that at Grave the American parachutists had captured the all-important bridge and I was advised to contact them as soon as possible. We also heard that the bridge at Son had been blown, but was in our hands. Bridges at Vegel, Nijmegen and Arnhem were intact but in enemy hands.
We started up the main axis on the 20th and reached Grave the same evening after travelling 72 miles. We met no opposition, except at Son where a pocket of enemy had infiltrated back and attempted to blow the bridge. However, B Squadron rushed the bridge and got across before any damage could be done.
On arrival I contacted General Gavin, the commander of the American 82nd Airborne Division, which had recently landed and was holding a large area, dominated by the high ground around Dekkerswald and Groesbeek, a line running through Nijmegen, Ubbergen, Beek, and Grafwegen and in some places they were actually over the German border, about 2000 yards from the enormous Reichwald, a forest of no mean size.
I moved the Regiment to Dekkerswald where we spent the night. All the attached units were withdrawn, including our Essex Yeomanry gunners and company of 12/60th.
The next morning, 1 October, I attended a conference at the American headquarters; the general, whom I liked, did not appear to quite appreciate the capabilities of a tank and immediately asked me to clear a section of the Reichwald, which was held by the enemy, without offering any infantry support. I pointed out that should we operate in this dense forest without infantry it was more than likely that we should have most of the tanks knocked out without ever seeing a German. He appreciated my point of view and we discussed plans for the attack next day.
Although the Americans had captured Nijmegen and the bridge over the river Maas, the British Airborne at Arnhem on the other side of the river had not been successful and was having a very rough time. The American Airborne troops were continually either being counterattacked or endeavouring to extend their bridgehead, so during the time that the Regiment spent in this section each squadron had a most active time; however we unanimously agreed that these American Airborne troops, especially the 82nd Division, were among the best, if not the best, infantry we had yet supported. They were tough, brave and cheerful, and when the attack started seldom went to ground, even under formidable shelling. Maybe on some occasions they were too tough, especially in the treatment of their prisoners, whom they seldom took. I shall never forget seeing a Jeep full of American paratroopers driving along with the head of a German pierced with an iron stake and tied to the front. This spectacle haunts me still.
What is incredible about MARKET GARDEN is not that it failed but that it very nearly succeeded. In fact, success or failure was a matter of a few hours as the Guards Armoured Brigade managed to get within 11 miles of Arnhem. There was so much that could have gone wrong and did go wrong, yet despite this, it remains a classic battle of extraordinary bravery and derring-do – actions that so very nearly brought what would have been one of the most astonishing and unlikely victories of the entire war.
Stanley rightly praised the fighting capabilities of the 82nd Airborne, who were highly trained and motivated troops, and whose crossing of the river Waal was one of the outstanding actions of the entire campaign in north-west Europe. General Gavin, with whom Stanley struck up an immediate rapport, was also very highly regarded. Extreme savagery and atrocities were not, however, the preserve of fanatical Nazis, as Stanley records.
The fighting from 1 to 6 October mostly took place on the Holland– German border, near a place called Beek, where the recce troops under Ian McKay first crossed into Germany and claimed to be the first British troops to fight in Germany; as a result of this the Regiment had a good write-up in the British press.
Frank Gillard, a reporter for the BBC, recorded in one of his despatches, ‘The most cheerful troops that I have encountered were those on the Reich border. They were the men of a County Yeomanry Regiment, the first troops back from the Middle East to land on D-Day. And they are now the first British troops to enter Germany.’
I received the following letters regarding our being the first British troops to fight in Germany:
* * *
1st Dorset Regt.,
BLA
30 Sep 44
My dear Christopherson,
I must congratulate you and your Regiment on being the first British troops into Hunland – we are all delighted it should have been you and not someone else who has arrived on the scene only recently. The only pity was that we were not there with you as on D-Day.
Also thank you very much for helping my Carrier Officer, Walsh, to get over the border. Unfortunately except for a Nazi armband he brought nothing back and the Bde Comd is very anxious to have some memento. So I would be grateful if you could allow him (Walsh) into your piece of Hunland again for a few minutes.
I hear your chaps dealt with a counter-attack very successfully yesterday and murdered a large number of Huns – good show.
We may be seeing more of you in the not too far distant future – I hope so.
Yours Sincerely
(Sgd) A.C. Breedon
* * *
* * *
The Officer Commanding,
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, BLA
From Brigadier Sir Alexander Stanier,
HQ 231 Infantry Brigade, BLA
30 Sep 44
My dear Christopherson,
First of all I do want to send you my and my Brigade’s heartiest congratulations on your Regiment being the first British troops into Germany.
Secondly for helping my patrol, from the Dorsets, to go over the border yesterday. We hope we can now say we are the first or nearly the first Infantry to cross. It is all the more a pleasure for us that your Regiment should have this honour as perhaps you will remember 231 Brigade’s motto on D-Day was that we would follow the DD tanks with Dash and Determination and you have certainly kept it up all the way.
I am sending another patrol this afternoon as I am most anxious to get some mementoes of their visit to the Reich. But if it means any unnecessary risk we can certainly wait for another day.
We send you and all your Regiment our very best wishes and good hunting in the days to come. We hope we may once again work with you.
Yours ever,
(Sgd) Alex Stanier
* * *
On 2 October C Squadron supported the 1st and 3rd Battalions of 325 Regiment to capture an objective line from Riethorst, Katerbosch, Heikant and Middelaar.
Before the attack I contacted Colonel Billingslea, who commanded the operation, to discuss plans at his forward OP at 05.30 in the morning. As soon as it was light this OP, which commanded a wonderful view, came in for some very heavy shelling and mortaring so we decided to move forward down the hill, but still the shelling followed us. We soon, however, discovered the reason for their accurate aim when we found some German telephone cable and headphones under a tree; these obviously had been very recently and hastily abandoned when we approached. This German must have run out a cable into our lines at night and established himself in a tree from which he could observe every movement that we made.
The attack was only partially successful and in the evening the reserve battalion and A Squadron had to repeat the operation and eventually succeeded in taking their objective.
Just before the attack started, two officers from the Guards Armoured Brigade visited me at Colonel Billingslea’s headquarters. They told me that we should be relieved by them in a couple of days. I introduced them to the American colonel and his staff and then gave the lie of the land, and details of past and intended operations. We moved forward in order to obtain a better view of the land, and although we crawled through the trees we must have come under observation of a German OP for shelling started immediately. When the shelling died down and we rose from cover, we found that the American adjutant had been killed and that one Guards officer was missing. Later during the evening the other Guards officer returned and told me that no trace had been found of his
colleague, who was the regimental intelligence officer. So once again we visited the place where we had been so badly shelled. We could find no trace of him at all until I found a compass on the ground, which was identified as belonging to the missing man. On closer inspection I discovered that the compass had been lying on the edge of the remains of a slit trench, which had obviously received a direct hit from a very large shell. We dug down and from what we found, which in fact was practically nothing, it was obvious that the Guards’ IO must have jumped into this slit trench when the shelling started. I never quite realized that a direct hit from a large shell could remove practically all evidence of a human body. I was badly shaken, as I had been speaking to him just before the shelling. He told me that he had joined the Regiment that day and that he was 21.
During those few days I spent many hours with the American Colonel Billingslea, most of the time in my scout car or on the ground. We both had more than our share of luck for the whole of his headquarters staff were either killed or wounded through shelling and sniping during the time I was with him. On one occasion he established his headquarters in a house situated on a crossroads, just south of Mook, not a prudent decision. We had just arrived back at his headquarters when the mortaring started. He dived for a slit trench and I jumped back into my scout car, which was armour plated. When all was quiet we found that all our party had been wounded except for Billingslea and myself. As I was sheltering in the scout car I recalled having seen a young German private terribly badly wounded lying on a stretcher beside the wall of a house. I felt that I should get out and move him into the house for cover, but decided that I would wait until the shelling had abated in intensity. When I did look I found that he had been hit by a small piece of shell, which had killed him. He was a very young lad. He could not have been more than 17, with thick glasses, obviously a student who should have been continuing his studies instead of fighting a war. I was told afterwards that he had been very badly wounded and in any case he would have had a very slender chance of living. All the same, I shall always have the feeling that I might have given him that chance.
C Squadron did some excellent work and won unqualified praise from the Americans for the support given to them, particularly by Stuart Hills and his troop. In the Beek area his troop had to attack over open country along three parallel lanes, which it could not leave owing to the flooded country. Eventually Stuart’s tank slipped off the lane into a ditch and was firmly bogged and he was quite unable to fire his guns. He remained in his tank passing back messages over the wireless, in spite of being engaged by a 20mm anti-tank gun, which did not penetrate the tank but made life rather uncomfortable. His tank was eventually brewed up by a German with a bazooka, who stalked along the ditch on the other side of the road. All the tank crew managed to bale out without injury.
John Holmes, a new subaltern who had recently joined the Regiment, knocked out three tanks during his first action.
In the Mook area 30 Americans were trapped in the north-eastern corner of Den Heuvel woods. Stuart Hills led his three tanks up a ride at full speed to the American position, placed himself at one corner and Sergeant Collis at another and while Sergeant Robinson took the wounded on the back of his tank they blazed away with their 75mm and machine-guns at the woods in front of them and remained there while the Americans withdrew.
I am quite convinced that such an aggressive use of their firepower prevented any solid shot from being directed at them, although the shelling was extremely heavy.
I am glad to say that Jack Holman was decorated by the Americans. Stuart Hills, I know, was recommended for a decoration, which most unfortunately never materialized. His whole troop thoroughly deserved recognition.
Stuart had commanded a troop continuously since D-Day and had had numerous tanks knocked out, so I decided to make him regimental intelligence officer for a time, and I allowed him to bring his gunner, Cousins, as his scout-car driver, who was ironically wounded the first night that he spent at Regimental Headquarters.
On 6 October the Regiment was relieved by the 4th Coldstreams from the Guards Armoured Division, and bade farewell to the 82nd Airborne Division, which was most appreciative and complimentary about the support we had given it. It had fought extremely well and it was interesting to learn that the whole division consisted of volunteers. We gave the division a 75mm shell case, which the LAD polished up and on the side of which was inserted the Regimental cap badge, with a suitable inscription in memory of the time we spent with it and appreciation of its fighting abilities. The division was most thrilled with this gesture.
Before leaving the Americans, I received the following letter from Major General James M. Gavin, who commanded the 82nd US Airborne Division:
* * *
APO 469, In the Field
8 November 1944
Dear Colonel Christopherson,
On behalf of the members of the 82nd Airborne Division I want to thank you and the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry for the most attractive cup that we have recently received.
I do not know of anything that could be more pleasing to the Division, nor of anything that would contribute more to binding our two peoples together after the war, than this very nice act on your part.
It is an attractive cup and has been the subject of admiration of everybody who has visited the Division since its arrival, but what we treasure above all else is the sentimental attachment and special significance that it will have for us. We will always remember the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry for its splendid fighting qualities.
Sincerely,
(Sgd) James M. Gavin,
Major General, US Army,
Commanding
Lt. Col. S.D. Christopherson,
Commanding Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.
VIA OFFICER COURIER
* * *
I also received a most appreciative letter from Lieutenant General F. A. M. Browning, who commanded the British Airborne Division, who wrote:
* * *
From Lieut.-Gen. F.A.M. Browning, C.B., D.S.O.,
Headquarters British Airborne Corps, BLA
26 September 1944
Dear Christopherson,
You have now been working with 82 American Airborne Division for a week. You have had a lot of scrappy fighting, which inevitably entails very close co-operation with rather small parties, Tanks and infantry on the troop-company level.
I think I ought to let you know that the American Airborne Division has expressed unstinted praise and admiration for the way in which your people have operated. I am happy to say that, when I met your Brigadier yesterday evening, he informed me that you have the same opinion of the American Airborne Troops.
Thank you very much indeed for this very satisfactory exchange of compliments, which is entirely due to the co-operation and fighting abilities of your Regiment.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd) F. A. M. Browning
Personal
Lieut,-Col. S.D. Christopherson, M.C.,
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
* * *
Finally the following letter arrived from Colonel Billingslea, with whom the Regiment had fought so much:
* * *
Headquarters 325th Glider Infantry
APO 469 U.S. Army.
16 Oct 44
SUBJECT: Letter of Commendation.
TO: Officer Commanding, The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) via A.D.L.S. (Br.)
1. It is desired to express to you on behalf of this Regiment our appreciation for the fine support given by your organization throughout the period that it was with us. Particularly I wish to mention the extremely excellent work done by your unit during the attack across the flats near Mook.
2. Your entire command demonstrated a splendid spirit of co-operation in all its relations with this organization.
3. The Regiment wishes you and all members of your unit the best of luck and the greatest success in all your future undertakings.
(Sgd) C. Billingsl
ea,
Lt. Col., 325 Glider Infantry, Commanding
* * *
20
Attacking the Siegfried Line
Bridge at Nijmegen.
UNTIL THE BEGINNING of November the Regiment operated in a static defence role, supporting either 43rd Division or the Americans in the Nijmegen area. Two squadrons were in the line practically the whole time, but we took part in no deliberate attacks.
Robin Leigh, my second-in-command, returned from Brussels with seven new officers who served with him in the Royal Gloucester Hussars, for whom we had applied to England. They were Houghton, Charles, Langford, Reed, Hall, Hyde and Scudamore, and were all most welcome, especially as Robin knew them personally. Cagney and Crosbie also arrived, complete with troops from a regiment that had been broken up to support reinforcements.
Frenchie Houghton had been Robin’s adjutant when he commanded the RGH, so I made him my adjutant and Terry Leinster returned to a sabre squadron.
Before the war Frenchie was in the legal profession; he was half French, hence his name, and had a quick brain and a delightful sense of humour. He was dark, small of stature and appeared quite incapable of looking tidy, much, I think, to the irritation of the brigadier. As an adjutant he was excellent, except that his writing was quite appalling.
Robin Leigh was now second-in-command because Stephen Mitchell had stepped down and taken over C Squadron once more.
A leave camp was established by the brigade at Louvain, near Brussels, for other ranks in the brigade. I never went there myself, but it was comfortable and the food was good and enabled the men to have a complete rest and change.
An Englishman at War Page 44