Gary's Soapbox: My Dads role at Arnhem on or around Sept. 25, 1944

By chance I stumbled across the above memorial which led to a lot of other parts of a jigsaw fitting together the search for more information continues ....

"They were just whispers and shadows in the night."

My dad was like any other conscripted into the Army in 1942, born in 1924 he would have been 18. His brother jack was already in at that time and apparently there was a rule that allowed siblings to "Claim" the other so they both ended up in the same regiment. Charlie the other brother went to burma and died there.

Charlie Rudley on left - Mum - my Dad Fred Rudley on right

Its taken a long time to find the information and I really need to write to the Army records dept but havnt got around to it yet.

So the information ive found so far and this is a work in progress is.....

Rudley F.D.
Rank: SPR
Service Number: 14324378
G.S.C - 3/11/42 - 15/12/41
Pioneer Corps - 16/12/42 - 10/12/43
Royal Engineers - 13/10/43 - 11/7/47

Notes from my mum
In 1942 He went to Ireland for 6 weeks training and then went into pioneer Corps
1943 Training Chatham Barracks (Kitcheners barracks)
Back to Ireland . Rose Division
He went over on D day 6 1944
Was at Nijmegen
Helped build Rhine bridge
Helped build Montgomery bridge
went through to ....

My memories
In one of very few conversations, normally over a bottle of port or two, Dad said he was at Arnhem helping Paras back across the river. Said it was a terrible thing. Some of his friends were swept away on a boat and drowned, remember him saying we couldn't swim.

He also mentioned Arromanches so must have landed on Gold beach as Mulberry B which was built off Gold Beach at Arromanches to supply British and Canadian troops wasn't completed at that stage.
Think Frank my mums brother was at Gold beach landing troops as he was in the Navy but thats another story..
Brian Horrocks - Remember Dad saying he was a great officer. Dad never had much good to say about Montgomery.

D Day was 6th June 1944 and Dad would have been part of XXX Corps which was part of Operation Market Garden.

The operation to get the paras out of Oosterbeek, Arnham was called Operation Berlin. Royal Engineer Field Companies ( 260th and 553rd Field Companies) were involved with operation Berlin, so I'm guessing at this stage that he was part of 260th Field Company.

The surviving glider pilots attached to the division were ordered to lay a white tape through the woods, leading from the Perimeter, the grounds of the Hartenstein Hotel, to the north bank of the Neder-Rijn (Lower Rhine) where the Royal Canadian Engineers were waiting with small boats to ferry them to safety across the Rhine to a landing point north of Driel.

Evidence of Royal Engineers group he was in

Was definitely in Royal Engineers.
Was definitely at Arnhem helping troops back across the river because he said so.
He mentioned Oosterbeek.
He Mentioned Nijmegen.
He mentioned friends being swept away on boats.
He mentioned Horrocks saying he was a good officer.
553rd Field Company RE were there along with 20th Field Company RCE
260th Field Company RE were there along with 23rd Field Company RCE
So he had to be part of either 553rd or 260th which were both part of 43rd (Wessex) Division
43rd (Wessex) Division was part of XXX Corps commanded by Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks

Along the western route boated the 553rd Field Company RE and the 20th Field Company RCE. Along the eastern route were the 260th Field Company RE with the 23rd Field Company RCE. When the evacuation was halted around 06:00 approximately 2,400 men who had been held up at the North side had been transferred. Those who remained at the North side waiting to be picked up were made prisoners-of-war.

The best description ive found of the events my dad spoke very little about i found here in the legion magazine.

Here are some excerpts from it

The 20th and 23rd field companies had been attached to 43 Wessex Div. in an attempt to bolster the division’s river crossing capacity. The Canadians were equipped with stormboats powered by Evinrude motors. Each boat could carry 36 men. The British made do with smaller assault boats that had to be paddled.

The original intent was to use the Canadian boats to bring reinforcements across the Rhine and expand the airborne bridgehead, but no one in the British army seems to have understood the urgency of the situation in Arnhem. The army’s slow progress meant that the Wessex division arrived too late to do more than sacrifice a battalion of the Dorset Regiment which crossed the river just hours before the withdrawal order was issued.

Those who made it to the riverbank were organized into a queue with the walking wounded given priority. Men fell into an exhausted sleep or hunkered down to wait. The first boat to arrive was one of the small assault craft of 260 Wessex Field Co. The current in the flooded river was very strong and so the British sappers had to approach diagonally while paddling furiously. On the return trip the passengers had to help out or risk being swept away. The rescue of large numbers of men depended upon the Canadians, but the first boat they launched sank after being badly holed. The second boat, captained by Lieutenant J.R. Martin, set off across the river to determine the situation and start the evacuation. Two witnesses reported that a direct mortar hit caused it to break apart in mid-river. None of the crew survived. (I remember my Dad saying some of his friends had been swept away on a boat and drowned, also worth mentioning that my Dad couldn't swim)

The third boat, commanded by a Corporal McLachlan, followed the same route. It reached the far bank without incident and wounded men were quickly loaded and rushed to safety. The fourth boat was swamped when a mortar bomb fell close by. Just four passengers survived. These setbacks might have led Tucker to question the point of the operation, but there really was no choice. Everything that could be done had to be tried. Fortunately, McLachlan and his crew seemed to lead a charmed life. They made 15 consecutive trips and evacuated nearly 500 men before they were relieved by a fresh crew. Other boats were launched at intervals of 20 minutes and by 3:30 a.m., 14 boats were at work.

It is impossible to improve upon Tucker’s official report on the operation: “The night was intensely dark, but fires started by our bombers in the afternoon and the numerous flares sent up by the enemy must have revealed a great deal of our movement to him. These fires helped us greatly too, since they provided beacons by which our boat crews could direct their craft…. Heavy rain was accompanied by a bitter wind which made things most unpleasant, but the bad weather was probably less to the liking of the enemy than it was to us and most surely have resulted in our having had less casualties than we would have done had the night been clear and fine.”Tucker reported that rain caused boat motors to fail. He noted that electrical and mechanical personnel and the company’s own fitters worked ceaselessly, but could not prevent a series of engine breakdowns. “There was a great deal of enemy fire during the night. Machine-guns set on fixed lines swept the river and beaches on both sides…. Mortar and 88-mm fire fell everywhere. Many casualties were reported from the bridgehead, but on the river and on the south bank they were light. Three men were wounded in the off-loading area and one between there and the beach. Enemy snipers were also active and it was reported that some of the airborne troops spotted the positions of two of them in crossing the river and proceeded to liquidate them when they reached the south shore.

“It was impossible to regulate the number of passengers carried in boats at times. Men panicked and stormed onto the boats, in some cases capsizing them. In many cases they had to be beaten off or threatened with shooting to avoid having the boats swamped. With the approach of dawn this condition became worse. They were afraid that daylight would force us to cease our ferrying before they could be rescued…. A corporal operating a boat which was leaking badly decided he could make one more trip and bring off a few men before it went down. It sunk as it approached the south shore, but fortunately the water was shallow and they were able to wade ashore safely. It is estimated that approximately 150 boatloads were brought back by the stormboat crews and the average load carried was 16 passengers. Thus, approximately 2,400 to 2,500 troops were brought off.”

'If in the years to come, you meet a man who says, "I was at Arnhem", raise your hat and buy him a drink.'
War correspondent Alan Wood, 1944

Brian Horrocks

In September, Montgomery, now a field marshal, made his ambitious thrust across the Rhine and into Germany's industrial heartland, codenamed Operation Market Garden, a priority for 21st Army Group. XXX Corps under Horrocks was to lead the ground assault, passing along a corridor held by airborne forces to link up with the British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem within four days.^[95] In the event XXX Corps never arrived, and although 1st Airborne clung on to their tenuous position for a further five days, by 21 September almost three-quarters of the division was destroyed or captured.^[96] Postwar analyses have been divided, some stressing a perceived lack of urgency on the part of Horrocks' men, while others note that German defences in the area were severely underestimated by First Allied Airborne Army's intelligence.^[97] Particularly important was the failure to identify the remnants of two SS Panzer divisions, which after Normandy had been sent to the Arnhem area for rest and refitting; intelligence had stated that only "a few infantry units and between 50 and 100 tanks" were in the Netherlands.^[98] A series of counterattacks by Army Group B under Field Marshal Walter Model kept Horrocks' units on the defensive, and delayed their advance by forcing the British to halt and secure their flank. The terrain over which Horrocks' men had to move was unsuitable, restricting the vanguard (the Guards Armoured Division) to a single narrow raised highway through flat or flooded countryside.^[99] The Nijmegen Bridge, just 8 miles (13 km) from Arnhem, was not captured by the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment on the first day as planned, and XXX Corps had to assist in its capture on their arrival in Nijmegen two days later, causing a further delay of 36 hours.^[100] Horrocks was not personally blamed for the operation's failure; during this period Brigadier General James Gavin's U.S. 82nd Airborne Division came under Horrocks' command, and Gavin later wrote:

He was truly a unique general officer and his qualities of leadership were greater than any I have ever seen. In lecturing at the American service school I stated frequently that General Horrocks was the finest general officer I met during the war, and the finest corps commander".^[101]

— James Gavin

"On the 23rd the 43rd Wessex Division arrived at Driel in strength and offered assault boats for the Poles."

The Orbat for XXX Corps engineers during Operation Market Garden was, I believe:
Guards Armoured Division:
14th Field Squadron Royal Engineers
615th Field Squadron Royal Engineers
148th Field Park Squadron Royal Engineers
11th Bridging Troop Royal Engineers
Guards Armoured Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

43rd (Wessex) Division:
13th Bridging Platoon Royal Engineers
204th Field Company Royal Engineers
207th Field Park Company Royal Engineers
260th Field Company Royal Engineers
553rd Field Company Royal Engineers
16th Airfield Construction Group Royal Engineers
43rd (Wessex) Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

50th (Northumbrian) Division:
233rd Field Company Royal Engineers
501st Field Company Royal Engineers
505th Field Company Royal Engineers
235th Field Park Company Royal Engineers
50th (Northumbrian) Division Postal Unit Royal Engineers

Arnhem[edit]43rd Division had a crucial role in the plan for Operation Market Garden, which aimed to seize a 60-mile road corridor to the Lower Rhine at Arnhem using bridges captured by airborne forces. Anticipating that many of the bridges would be destroyed and would hold up the advance of Guards Armoured Division in the lead, 43rd Division following up was responsible for assault crossings and bridging where necessary. A huge number of sappers were assembled, with 2277 vehicles to carry the necessary equipment. The operation began on 17 September and 43rd Division passed through Guards Armoured after Nijmegen and fought their way across the low-lying country known as 'The Island', leading elements reaching the banks of the Lower Rhine late on 23 September. By now the 1st Airborne Division was in a desperate plight, hemmed into a small pocket on the other side of the river, with no bridges. Only 16 unpowered assault boats were available, but that night 204th Fd Co and the 5th Bn Dorsetshire Regiment used these to ferry men of the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade across to reinforce 1st Airborne.^[61]^[62]^[63]^[64]

It was now recognised that the Airborne position across the river was untenable, and that assault bridging was unfeasible under direct enemy observation, so the decision was made to evacuate what remained of 1st Airborne. The plan was for 43rd Division to take a firmer grip on the opposite bank during the night of 24/25 September, with 204 Fd Co ferrying across more of the Polish paratroopers and 4th Bn Dorsets using the remaining stormboats together with 20 more assault bats due to arrive from the rear. However, in the darkness two of the lorries bringing the boats took a wrong turning and were captured by the enemy, two more slipped off the muddy road, and only one arrived safely, bringing boats but no paddles. The crossing of the Poles was therefore cancelled and all the boats concentrated for 4th Dorset. Under heavy fire only a few of the boats made it, and only a handful of the infantry reached the Airborne perimeter. Although 204 Fd Co got about 2 tons of stores across, all the available DUKWs were bogged.^[62]^[65]^[66]^[67]

The evacuation proceeded the following night under the control of 43rd Division's CRE, Lt-Col W.C.A. Henniker. He had 260 Fd Co and 23rd Canadian Fd Co operating a boat ferry to the Airborne perimeter, and another manned by 553 Fd Co and 20 Canadian Fd Co at the site of 4th Dorsets' crossing. At each site there were 16 assault boats manned by 43rd Divisional Engineers and 21 motorised stormboats provided by the Canadians. Throughout the night, partly shielded by darkness and rain but under heavy mortar fire, the sappers crossed and recrossed the river bringing back a steady stream of wounded or exhausted men. Over 2000 men of 1st Airborne were evacuated, but few of the 4th Dorsets could be found.^[62]^[66]^[68]^[69]

After the battle ended, Lt-Col Henniker and his divisional sappers were given the role of protecting the vital bridges at Nijmegen that were XXX Corps' lifeline. Reinforced with two batteries from 73rd Anti-Tank Regiment and B Company 8th Bn Middlesex Regiment (the divisional machine-gun battalion), they constituted the 'close bridge garrison', with little between themselves and active German forces a short distance upstream. German Frogmen succeeded in attaching explosive charges to the bridges under cover of darkness, which caused damage that the sappers had to repair.^[70]^[71]

Operation 'Berlin' (Click link for full text from 'STORM BOAT KINGS')

Two sides which Lt. Kennedy had suggested were picked as the sites for the night operations. 260 Fd Coy were ordered to operate the assault boats, and 23rd Fd Coy would use their storm boats. Fourteen storm boats were allotted (and 17 Evinrude engines) to the 23rd. The column moved towards Stavaste, but had orders not to proceed further until 19.30 hours. The tension started to rise when the column started from Valburg at 19.15 hours. At every crossing a man was dropped of to direct the others the right way, so not one would wander of in the wrong direction. Stavaste Bridge was passed at 19.40 hours. It was still light, and German shells were coming down on the road the column was moving. Only one man, Sapper Black, was slightly wounded when a piece of shrapnel hit his arm, the rest reached their off-loading area unharmed. But, three personnel lorries, which were following the bridging vehicles that were going towards the 20 Cdn Fd Coy, made a mistake to follow these, and could not be brought back to the 23rd on short noticed and went also to the 20 Cdn Fd Coy. This was a big blow for the 23rd, because every man was necessary, and this made the workload for every man even harder. Lt. Kennedy was in charge of the off-loading form the vehicles and the move of the storm boats, 500 yards ahead to the launching site.

The assembly area (apple orchard)

Operation ‘Berlin’ started at 21.30 hours when 23rd Fd Coy launched first (the 20th Fd Coy started 2 hours later). But the first boat that had to be launched, was peppered with holes during the haul over rocks towards the river. So the first launch was postponed, and the real first launch was at 21.45 hours. Lt. J.R. Martin lead a group of three crew members. It took off, but not seen again. Eyewitness account that the boat was struck by a mortar and sunk, with the loss of all four on board. Lance Corporal McLachlan captained the third, and they made a successful crossing and brought back the first troopers from the other side. McLachlan made 15 trips before he and his crew were relieved by a fresh crew. The fourth boat, launched at 22.35 hours, and captained by Corporal Smith, made a successful crossing and paratroopers went on board, but when a mortar landed beside the boat, the occupants dived for cover, and the boat ran full of water. Cpl. Smith and four passengers made it back to shore, but there were no other survivors. Every 20 minutes a boat was launched, and fourteen boats were crossing the river at 03.30 hours. One by one boats were put out of working order by holes created by enemy fire or the rocky shores. But non was further sunk during this crossings, but most had to be abandoned when reaching the shore at one time or another. Meanwhile, the Germans used mortars against the boats and some landed also in the orchard. At least two heavy machine guns sprayed the top of the dyke and river.

The launch site of 23rd Fd Coy

With dawn approaching, the condition could be become more worse, because of enemy activity. So the ferry crossing became to the end more hectic. It is estimated that at least 150 crossings were made with rescued men on board. The average on board were 16 passengers, the minimum were 6 passengers that night (the boats could normally carry 18 troops). At 04.00 hours just two boats were operational. The last boat, the boat driven by Lt. Kennedy, dropped life belts onto the shore and took in the largest load on board, 36 men. The other boat had another one in tow, because his engine was disabled. On the last trip, the operating boat was that loaded with men, that the operator was not able to pull the starter cord. At long last, the boat in tow had to be cast off. The men in it paddled with rifles and their hands, but were sitting ducks in the river, and their craft was riddled with bullets. Only four of the twenty-five on board reached the other side alive, where Sapper D.J. McCready and a passenger who were not hit on the river, were wounded by machinegun fire when they reached the top of the summerdyke. This was the end of the operation, which was ceased after approximately 2400-2500 men were brought to the rescue on the south side of the Nederrijn. Among the men 23rd Fd Coy brought out was Major-General R. E. Urquhart, the G.O.C. 1st Airborne Division.

Operation Berlin

https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Operation_Berlin_(Arnhem)

https://www.strijdbewijs.nl/donald/operation.htm

https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/468/retreat-from-oosterbeek

https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11858334

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Operation_Berlin_(Arnhem)

https://www.missingsoldiersinthenetherlands40-45.com/operation-berlin-the-river-crossing-25-26-09-1944/

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ground-over-which-the-operation-berlin-evacuation-took-place-in-september-72940940.html

https://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/depth_evacuation.htm

YouTube

Evacuation of the British Airborne | What Ever Happened to The Brits at Arnhem?

The Wobbly Historians - Episode 1: Operation Berlin

(Rare) Operation Market Garden Footage

Arnhem (1944)

BBC Battlefields of WWII 4 Arnhem

6 comments:

Unknown28 February 2019 at 11:26
Good luck with your search m try writing to glasgow records office u might get the info u require.
Unknown9 March 2021 at 10:24
Good luck. My Grandfather F L Hilton was a Sergeant in the 260th field co and was involved in the rescue of the Paras. Maybe they served together...
Unknown9 March 2021 at 10:25
Forgot to say, he was awarded the MM for that action.

Wednesday 27 February 2019

My Dads role at Arnhem on or around Sept. 25, 1944

6 comments: