Major Digby Tatham-Warter's A Company the battalion advance guard, was in action almost immediately, even before the rear of the column had started to move. A small convoy of German vehicles, described as 'a column of lorries and a staff car' was heard approaching . Lieutenant Andrew McDermont's No 3 Platoon, took up ambush positions and either killed or took prisoner all of the thirty or so Germans in the vehicles. This was almost certainly the reconnaissance troop of Battalion Krafft's No 2 Company
Brigadier Lathbury appeared and talked briefly to John Frost, before departing again. The leading troops came under fire just at the end of a wooded area. Lieutenant Robin Vlasto describes what happened the John is Lieutenant John Grayburn VC a fellow platoon commander We come to a T-junction and Jack seems rather lost but goes left. Just as Digby, Mac and myself approach it, some Jerries concealed in woods ahead opened fire, and we get down sharpish! There is a good deal of rifle fire, and some mortar bombs fall fairly close, but it doesn't seem to be very determined resistance. Jack goes under a smoke screen,and Mac moves left, the enemy shift off fairly quickly-quite as per the training pamphlet, and Digby is pleased as punch.
Martin Middlebrook Arnhem 1944
Lieutenant Andrew J . McDermont commander of 3 Platoon at Arnhem. The lieutenant was mortally wounded while leading a counter attack into a key position near the bridge. A large residential house at the foot of the bridge was taken by SS assault troops., driving the Paras out the back door. Lieutenant McDermont led a mixed group of 2 and 3 Platoon men, with some HQ personnel, back into the house through the same back door.
In the famous areal photos of the bridge, one can clearly see the house and that back door. The lieutenant and his batman, Archie McAuslan , entered the house, ran through to the front entrance and up a stair case to the second floor. Half was up those stairs, three German appeared fired sub machine guns into the faces of both men, jumped over their fallen bodies and out the front door. They were immediately killed by nearby Paras.
Both McAuslan and his lieutenant were taken to the basement of the battalion HQ, where they died during the early hours of the next morning. Photo used by Family Permission Copyright
Reg Longstreeth, Unknown Tommy Peters, George Stubbs Altamura Italy Oct 1943. HQ Co George carried Lieutenant McDarmont to the medical station after the Lieutenant was wounded. Photo used by Family Permission.
Digby Tatham -Warter describes how his earlier service with the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry held his company communicate with each other in such actions
I must explain that, over the years of training, I had never acquired much confidence in small wireless used at platoon or company lever, and I had trained my company in the use of bugle calls for signaling orders and intentions in advance-guard actions. The calls were much the same as those used by Sir John Moore's Light Division in the Peninsular Wars. I found this method extremely successful in training exercises, and it gave me great satisfaction to see it working perfectly under enemy fire. Each platoon and Company HQ had two bugles trained to sound the simple calls we used.
While Jack Grayburn was working round the the right of the machine-gun, I was joined by Colonet Frost. He had been hard on my heels of my company and now came forward, impatient at the delay, to see the situation himself. But we did not have to wait long Grayburn's bugle call signaling that he was back on the axis road, and I sounded the call to resume the advance.
Martin Middlebrook Arnhem 1944
Major Victor Dover's C Company and some sappers of the 9th Field Company left the column in Oosterbeek and moved on to the meadowland between the road and river, to making their attempt to capture the large railway bridge which ran out over a long embankment to cross the river. Six flak positions plotted from air photographs were found to be deserted, perhaps abandoned after being strafed that morning. Major Dover had given Lieutenant Peter Barry's No 9 Platoon the task of capturing the bridge, with No 8 Platoon as supporting force putting down smoke bombs with its 2 inch mortar. In Peter Barrys words which are a excellent account:
While we were waiting behind a bank, I saw a man run out from the other side of the bridge to the center and saw him bend down and do something. He was dressed in black, with a German Army cap on. We were about 500 yards away. I gave a fire order to the Bren, but the German ran off without being hit. He had obviously done what he was going to do and escaped. The company commander came up and said I was to take a section forward and capture the north end- our end- of the bridge. So I took a section of nine men forward with me, leaving the other two sections to give cover.
It was wide-open country. We reached the north end of the bridge and climbed up the embankment. We had got there without any trouble, and I told the men that we might as well carry on and capture the whole bridge. I looked back to see if they would follow me. Only one men said no, shaking his head as though I was bloody fool, and I don't blame him ; but he came. We threw a smoke grenade; unfortunately the wind was in the wrong direction, but it gave us some cover. It was quite a long bridge. We run across, as fast as we could, though the smoke. We were running on metal plates, and our hobnailed boots made a hell of a clatter. We got about fifty yards and then needed a pause, we had a lot of equipment on and soon got short of breath. so I told them to get down. We were just above the water by then. The center span of the bridge exploded then, while we lay there, and metal plates right in front of me heaved up into the air. It was lucky that we had stopped when we did, otherwise we would have all been killed; no one was injured by the explosion. Then I felt something hit my leg; I looked back and asked if anyone was shooting. They all said 'No'; it was a German bullet. Next I felt a searing shot though my upper right arm, and it seemed to become disconnected, it went around and around in circles; the bone had beem completely severed. There were only a few shots, but whoever was firing certainly picked me out as a leader and hit me.
That was the story of Peter Barry trying for the rail bridge which is the line you see above coming down the the river
Robert Peatling 2nd Parachute Battalion and author of No Surrender at Arnhem and Without Tradition both of which are Signed to me.. My collection of Bobs books all are signed to me by Bob including the poster..
Peter Cane led his platoon straight up the railway cutting, not sending out scouts like in the textbook. The Germans had a machine-gun set up at a railwayman's hut on a bend ahead, to protect this approach, and this opened fire, hitting many of the platoon at once. Lieutenant Cane and one of his corporals were hit and killed. Among those wounded were two twins Privates Claude and Tom Gronert. On lookers believed that one twin was hit and wounded the other went to help and was also hit, then both were hit for the last time and killed. Major Crawley worried, long afterwards about sending Lieutenant Cane, instead of a newer officer who might be more cautiously.
B Company would stay on the lower slopes of Den Brink for the next four hours. The Germans were not driven off but they were kept occupied until it became to dark for them to threaten the road below. It was not until midnight that the company was able to disengage and resume its progress.
Sergeant Ernie Ballinger. He was the platoon sergeant in 1 platoon commanded by Lt. Robin Viasto , at Arnhem. On the march from Oosterbeek toward Arnhem, just after crossing under the rail line , near the Oosterbeek-Laag train station, the platoon came under fire from a German armored car. Thel platoon had taken the lead from 2 platoon, after a skirmish in Heelsom, The 20.mm fire took the column by surprise and before the men could scatter, Sergeant Ballinger was hit in the hand, shattering it. The fire killed Bill Page , as he was pushing a bicycle up the road, knocking him onto the road side.
Ernie Ballinger was wounded near that same railroad overpass, that the Gronet twins were killed. A Company had passed under those tracks and were a few hundred yards toward Arnhem , when the armored car appeared and raked their column with 20mm fire.
Sergeant Ballinger made his way back to a medical unit, and was eventually captured. He survived the war but died in the 1962. Photo and information used by Family Permission
Following hard on the heels of 2nd Battalion was the headquarters of the 1st Parachute Bridge, under the command of Major, Tony Hibbert; there was also the Bridge Defense Platoon, a large part of Major Douglas Murray's 1st Parachute Squadron, RE, being employed as additional protection party, some Military Police and Intelligence Corps. This fore was also joined by Captain Bill Gell's RASC platoon mostly on foot but with two jeeps and four trailers loaded with valuable ammunition and bound for the bridge. Three more jeeps turned up later, two containing Major Freddie Gough and his Reconnaissance Squadron men who had given up looking for the divisional commander, and one carrying Major Dennis Munford with his driver and two signalers; Munford was the commander of the Light Regiment battery due to support the 1st Parachute Bridge and he would be at Bridge Headquarters.
The 2nd Battalion now pass under a railway bridge near Oosterbeek Laag Station making its final approach to Arnhem. It was a narrow underpass with high embankment at either side. Lieutenant Vlasto's platoon was first under the bridge going well, when a German armoured car suddenly appeared and opened fire both with 20 mm gun and a machine-gun. The two men on either side of Vlasto were hit, one killed and the other with his hand shattered. The platoon immediately dropped into cover off the road and while the company commander arranged for the leading 6-ponder to be unhitched and engage the armoured car, but the Germans realized what is going to happen withdrew, Vlasto moved on again, skirting behind some houses before returning to the road, but the company came under machine -gun fire once again, this time from what was obviously a German position on some high ground called Den Brink 500 yards off to the left. The weight of fire, which dominated the only road available leaves Lieutenant Colonel John Frost to detach part of his force to deal with it. He calls Major Doug Crawley of B Company points out the position and briskly ordered him to 'deal with it'. It was still light, time 7.0 pm Crawley gives out his orders. Lieutenant Peter Cane's No 6 Platoon was to attack up the deep railway cutting a move which might bring the platoon right up to the German position unobserved.
Lieutenant Grayburn's platoon reached the bridge at about 8.0 pm There was no opposition on the final approach and the whole of A Company was soon concentrated underneath the ramp. The CO arrived about this time as well and seemed extremely happy, cracking jokes about peoples nerves about being jumpy'. Major Tatham-Warter deployed his No 1 and 3 Platoons into buildings on either side of the bridge to beginnings of a firm holding force on the north end of bridge. Lieutenant Grayburns moves further into the town and takes up positions on either side of the road there.
Major Dennis Munford of the Light Regiment and his OP party were at Brigade HQ.
Sergeant Shelswell 6-Pounder Ramp & 2nd Bn HQ
Sergeant Doig 6-Pounder Behind B Company then moved to behind 2nd Bn HQ
Sergeant Kill 6-Pounder Milk Factory
Sergeant O'Neill 6-Pounder again behind B Comany then moved to front of Brigade HQ
Sergeant Robson again behind B Company then move in front of Battalion HQ
Battery HQ
Billy Fulton Ron Holt and Neville Ashley. Taken in 1943 in Italy and Sicily Campaign
The three were the musketeers if there were any. At Arnhem Bill and Neville were the section leaders of 2 Platoon. Ron Holt was a Bren gunner. With Neville.
Bill Fulton was the first man on the Arnhem Bridge. From the march into Arnhem on Sunday evening, his section was in the lead. In the gloom of that evening , an officer appeared and ordered Bill to take his section onto the bridge and see if was guarded. Up the bank they went, after waiting for a passing German motorized column to move out of the way. As Bill walked along the sidewalk toward the German pillbox, a shadow emerged from behind a steel girder. Bill fired his Thompson into the man , but as he fell forward. He shot Bill in the leg, just above the knee.
Bill fell , with one leg folded under him. In the dark, he felt around the sidewalk with his hand, to locate the leg which he thought had been shot off. In absolute agony , he waited for help. His section jumped off of the embankment to seek cover, but returned to the bridge sidewalk when they missed Bill. One man raced into a nearby house, knocked a door off of its hinges and returned to use it as a make shift stretcher. On their trip to the medical station, Bill fell off of the door, nearly fainting from pain.
He was taken POW and after the year, spent several years in hospital.
He was still alive, living in Prenton, a dear friend to our family. Ron was also taken POW after many adventures, was Neville’s closest and best friend . Ron died in South Africa in the late 1980s. Photo and information used by Family Permission
The first effort by the 2nd Battalion to gain a foothold on the bridge itself was given to just a rifle section. Lance-Sergeant Bill Fulton of No 3 Platoon was in a group of men under the bridge ramp when an officer unseen by him in the darkness asked for any NCOs present. Fulton identified himself and was told to take his section and 'capture this end of the bridge'
I told him I only had seven men, but he said he would send more up to join me as soon as more arrived. I led off first, up those steps on the west side of the bridge. When I reached the top I heard voices- definitely German. I told the section to be quiet and I peeped over. There was a truck with troops in the back, facing south, only fifteen uards or so away. An officer or NCO was talking to the men in the back. I thought that the element of surprise would be gone if we burst in, so I decided to wait. It was only two or three minutes before the one doing the talking got in the cab, and the truck moved off. We started to walk along the right- hand side of the bridge. It was very dark, but you could see outlines. I caught a few of the enemy hiding in corners of what looked like small huts and passed them back to the last man in the section and told him to take them down the steps as prisoners. You could hear firing in other parts of the town, but there was no firing on the bridge itself. Then, in the gloom, I saw a rifle starting to point at me. I swung around to the right and started firing my tommy-gun. I know I hit him because he fired his rifle as he was falling forward and I caught the bullet in the top of my left leg. I told the section behind me to report back to say that the bridge was well manned and would need more troops. I managed to crawl behind an iron girder, and eventually a couple of medics came for me
Bill Fulton was to send the next two years in hospitals.
Martin Middlebrook Arnhem 1944
After Bill Futlton attempt was made a stronger attempt was made by Lieutenant Jack Grayburn whose platoon would attack the bridge. Jack had his men black their faces and bind their boots with material and made sure that there was no rattling of equipment or weapons. When the time came for his platoon crept up the side of the embankment and began silently to move across the bridge. They had gone a very short distance when a machine-gun opens up on them at point-blank range. The effect was shattering, and they had no choice but to return to the cover of the embankment. They suffered heavy casualties; Grayburn was himself hit in the shoulder. The fire had come from a pillbox on the bridge. Eight men had been wounded. It took also an hour until about 10.0 pm , to prepare for the next effort. A 6- pounder anti-tank, commanded by Sereant Erine Shelswell, skillfully backed by a jeep two-thirds of the way up a path and with the help of two glider pilots, manhandled to the top and placed on the bridge. At the same time a flame-thrower team was send to a house nearest the pillbox, where a gap was made using a Piat. When all was ready the 6 pounder fired four or five rounds of sabot shot at the pillbox. The flame-thrower, operated by Sapper Ginger Wilkinson then flamed across the gap but missed the pillbox and hit a hut behind the pillbox. It was a petrol and ammunition store. There was a large explosion , and the paintwork on the bridge caught fire, there was soon a large blaze that would burn all night.
There was a number of comings and goings during the night Major Lewis's C Company found a clear path and after numerous incidents part of the Company arrived at the bridge. Various German vehicles had been encountered in the first stage of the journey and several Germans killed. Major Doug Crawley's B Company of the 2nd Battalion had been delayed at Den Brink action made its way into Arnhem in the darkness to reach its original objective. After Lieutenant Grayburn's attach across the bridge had failed, Frost ordered Major Douglas Murray, commander of 1st Parachute Squadron, to take some sappers, together with Lieutenant Pat Barnett's Brigade HQ Defense Platoon to go back along the bank and see if they could find some boats or heavy barges there. The intention was to pass B Company and the Defense Platoon to the south side of the river where they could attack the Germans from that side. The only other arrival at the bridge that night was No 2 Platoon, 9th Field Company, RE which added another thirty or so men to the force. So more or less that was about how 1st Parachute Brigade Group fought its way into Arnhem of the 2,000 men only 750 reached the bridge. Casualties had not been to heavy 40 men were dead and about 100 wounded .
Cpl. Norman Webb Ed Orbell Unknown
Cpl. Neville Ashley Unknown
Norman Webb was a Bren gunner. During the initial assault on the Arnhem Bridge, Sunday evening, he and his assistant Jeff Mitchell were pinned down on the roadway immediately in front of the pill box.
Air bursts of 20mm, fired from across the river were exploding over the assault team. Neville told me that Norman Webb “... .was blown up...” I am not sure what was meant by this statement, but reading Webb’s account of the incident, he was very badly wounded. indeed.. Jeff was also wounded , thought a little more slightly.
Ed Orbell was killed near brigade HQ by artillery fire. He was about 31 years old, the same age as Neville , at that time.
