Gary's Soapbox

Thursday, 28 March 2019

What Did The EU Referendum Booklet Say

This little gem is doing the rounds so like a good little fence sitter I thought Id check out the facts.

Did the EU referendum booklet say

"that a vote to leave meant leaving the single market, the customs union and the ECJ. If you vote to leave the Government will carry out your instructions."

The short answer is no.

The map is accurate but ......

The facts are....

The booklet never said that a vote to leave meant leaving the single market, nor did it say it meant leaving the customs union and the ECJ ....... all it said was

A more limited trade deal with the EU would give the UK less access to the Single Market than we have now – including for services, which make up almost 80% of the UK economy. For example, Canada’s deal with the EU will give limited access for services, it has so far been seven years in the making and is still not in force.

"This is your decision. The government will implement what you decide."

LINKS

webarchive.nationalarchives: An important decision for the UK

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk: Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK.

Saturday, 23 March 2019

Leave v Remain petitions not what I expected

This is even more hilarious, its quite fun sitting on the fence and making obvious observations :-D

So we have the remain petition currently over 4 million and rising fast - Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.

and the Leave petition on 491,555. - Leave the EU without a deal in March 2019.

The difference being the remain one has been running just over one month and the leave one nearly 6 months.

I've checked and the Leave the EU without a deal in March 2019. is the biggest leave vote.

Seriously I was expecting a tidal wave from brexiteers from a massive Farage march (I mean please stop it's embarrassing) to massive demos in major city's as brexiteers pushed this over the line ....I've got this totally wrong.

The question is whats happened to the brexiteers? there were 17.1 million of them in the referendum.

Independent: Today’s Put It To The People march is further proof that the tide has changed and Brexit is not what people want
Julia Hartley-Brewer gets roasted for falsely claiming Article 50 petition can be signed multiple times using same e-mail address
The difference between the Put It To The People rally and Farage's Leave Means Leave march in 10 pictures
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions?q=leave+EU

Friday, 22 March 2019

Changing the Exit day from the EU from March 29th

How can the UK “exit day” be changed?

“Exit day” is defined in primary legislation. Changing it would therefore normally require further primary legislation. However the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 specifically contemplated the possibility of an extension being sought and granted, and allows exit day’s definition to be changed in those circumstances by secondary legislation.
Section 20(4) allows a Minister of the Crown to change exit day provided that a draft statutory instrument has been laid before and approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. However, it can only be used:
“to ensure that the day and time specified in the definition are the day and time that the Treaties are to cease to apply to the United Kingdom.”
In practice this means that an extension must first have been agreed to at EU level before any such regulations can be made to change the date. As the Government itself said in a written statement on Friday 15 March:
“It is expected that the EU will use the March European Council on the 21 and 22 March 2019 to consider and reach a decision on a request from the UK to extend the Article 50 period.
As soon as possible following agreement at the EU level we will bring forward the necessary legislation to amend the definition of exit day in domestic legislation. This statutory instrument will be laid, before it is made, under section 20(4) of the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
This legislation is subject to the draft affirmative procedure and so would need to be actively approved in each House. The legislation would give effect to any agreement with the EU on an extension, so would not be laid before Parliament until that agreement had been reached.”

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/brexit/negotiations/what-is-exit-day-dispelling-misconceptions-about-the-extension-of-article-50/

Wednesday, 20 March 2019

Dictator May creates diversion

Or maybe Division?

So Mays idea of getting people together to build consensus is to attack them.

You really couldn't make this up.

Right from the start she has been a dictator on this deal, no talks were had with anyone except maybe the DUP and the ERG.

Now she claims people wouldn't talk....she tried ...its all the others fault.

I wont allow it to go past June .....OMG Woman havnt you realised yet its not your decision. The UK is not a Dictatorship.

I will up date this when we see the fall out from it.

LINKS
https://www.ft.com/content/88cab4b4-53cb-3ed6-b9be-a9ffc72cc9a3

Saturday, 16 March 2019

No one should be above the law.

No one should be above the law. Should we have let off Nazi war criminals? There has to be some rules of engagement or we become like the Nazi war criminals. Having said that we come back to no one should be above the law.

If any troops were going to be prosecuted for 'shall we say' war crimes. Then it should have been done way back then and any IRA should be prosecuted as well.

Draw a line under it... the families of murdered troops have had to.

Trooper F should be given a pardon like IRA members. Otherwise proceed with the prosecution of Trooper F and rescind the IRA pardons. Anything else is a miscarriage of justice.

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

MPs reject a no-deal Brexit

MPs reject a no-deal Brexit by 312 to 308, in a non-binding vote.....

Its worth remembering though that the EU Referendum was non binding as well.

Having said that, because article 50 was put into UK law the default legal position is, we leave on 29th march 2019 either with a deal or with no deal ...unless a delay is agreed with the EU.

LINKS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_the_United_Kingdom

https://fullfact.org/europe/was-eu-referendum-advisory

Could Mayhem still come out of it a winner?

What is clear from the current Brexit shambles is, Theresa May is probably going to go down as the worst PM ever.

Winston Churchill was described as Pig Headed and Theresa May certainly gets that mantle. She has forged ahead on her own Brexit deal regardless of advise from others and regardless of massive historic vote losses. In this regard she has not brought people together she has alienated and divided. In any other point in time a PM facing such losses would have to resign, they would have no option.

Now she has the spectacle of her own party voting against a three line whip, which is almost unheard of and they are not going to be sacked for doing so. Truly unprecedented times.

However all is not lost, Churchill made massive mistakes at Gallipoli with his decision to attack Turkey on its Dardanelles coast, at Gallipoli. The ensuing battle lasted over eight months, involved a total of about a million men on both sides, of whom nearly one half became casualties. The failed campaign led to the humiliation of the British. Churchill was dismissed from his cabinet position, excluded from the War Council, and allowed no hand in the further conduct and administration of the war.

But that was WWI, in WWII Churchill became a national hero with his rousing speeches.

Fast forward to the 80s and Thatcher another Pig Headed politician not known for taking advise, was heading for almost certain defeat in an election until (in my opinion) she engineered the Falklands war, thereby saving herself and becoming a national hero. Although in my mind the real heroes were the troops and not Thatcher. (see this link for my blog on why I feel she engineered the Falklands war)

Is May on Churchill's or Thatcher's level, probably not, shes shown herself to be far more incompetent and a Narcissistic incompetent to boot. She is only still in power because the Tories need a fall guy for the Brexit fall out. Any other time and they would have had the knives in the back just like they did with Thatcher.

With parliament voting today against a no deal Brexit (although the default legal position is still Deal or no Deal on 29th). We could find, with the prospect of a weakened Brexit or Brexit delay some Brexiteer's could go for another vote on Mays deal on or around the 26th March. (see this link for my prediction on that one.)

Could Mayhem still come out of it a winner? Personally I don't think so but ...

Only time will tell.

LINKS
https://garysoapbox.blogspot.com/2016/12/was-falkands-war-thatchers-gamble.html
https://garysoapbox.blogspot.com/2019/03/brexiteers-see-their-goal-slipping.html

Brexiteer's see their goal slipping through their fingers and switch

Another of my Facebook posts from earlier today

They will vote away the only negotiating card held today, by rejecting no deal Brexit.
Tomorrow they will vote to extend leaving the EU. Then there will be much debate as they try and figure out what would be a valid thing to tell the EU why they want to extend, and they wont be able to agree on anything.
On the 26th March Mayhem will have another vote on her deal and it'll be voted through as staunch Brexiteer's see their goal slipping through their fingers and switch to accept Mayhems deal.

The only hole in my prediction is that regardless what parliament vote No Deal is the default legal position and the Tories need the DUP to support their Government.

So rock and a hard place, if you can work this one out your doing well.

I could be wrong 🤔😂😂

UPDATE: I noticed late last night that an MP in parliament was trying to bet someone £50 that there would be another vote on Mays deal on or around the 26th of March :-D

UPDATE: 20/03/19 19:30
Looks like my prediction could still be good, EU now saying UK can have a short extension if Mays deal is backed that's gonna put pressure on certain groups. Now I reckon May will put more pressure on by saying she'll resign if the deal isn't backed, that'll pile the pressure on those that don't want to risk a hard core Bexiteer getting in. All in my humble opinion of course :-D :-D
Oh I forgot to mention EU still have to agree to a tweak to the deal so it can be voted on since Bercow stopped it being voted on again without any changes. (apparently that's to do with an old law to stop PM bullying parliament by bringing things back again and again.)

Sunday, 10 March 2019

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?"
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's really none of your business. Why do you ask?"
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour."
SON: "Oh. (With his head down).
SON: "Daddy, can I please borrow $50?"
DAD: "REALLY?! If you're asking to borrow money for some silly toy or game, you can just march yourself straight to your room to think about why you're being so selfish. I work hard everyday to provide for this family, and this is the thanks I get?"

The little boy went quietly to his room and shut the door.

The dad sat down and started getting even angrier about his son's questions. "How dare he ask question like that just to get some money?" he stewed.

After an hour, the dad calmed down, and started to think: "Maybe there was something he really needed the $50 for? He doesn't ask for money often..."

So, the dad went to his son's door and opened it.

DAD: "Are you asleep, son?"
SON: "No daddy, I'm awake".
DAD: "I've been thinking, and maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $50 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling.
SON: "Oh, thank you daddy!"

Then, reaching under his pillow, the boy pulled out some crumpled-up dollar bills. When the dad saw the boy already had money, he started getting angry again as the little boy slowly counted out his money and looked up at his father.

DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?"
SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and begged for his forgiveness through a stream of tears.

Just a reminder to all working so hard in life to not let time slip through our fingers without dedicating special time with those who matter most.

If we die tomorrow, the company we may work for could replace us in a matter of days.... but, loved ones we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives, having only precious memories to hold.

Priorities. ❤️

Yesterday is history.

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with £86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every penny, of course?

Each of us has such a bank. It's name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against "tomorrow."
You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!
The clock is running!! Make the most of today.

To realise the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realise the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realise the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realise the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realise the value of one minute, ask a person who just missed a train.
To realise the value of one second, ask someone who just avoided an accident.
To realise the value of one millisecond, ask the person who won a silver medal at the olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why its called the present.

So what did Brexit mean to you?

Back in 2018 I put a post on my Facebook page with a little prediction. I meant to turn it into a blog post but forgot, so I'm catching up now.

10 December 2018

Mayhem will return to the EU do a little Tyre kicking, the wording in the backstop will get changed so either side can unilaterally pull out of it, if its used. Then she'll return with the small tweak that was planned all along and making sure its right up to the wire, it'll be my deal or no deal. MP's will panic at the thought of crashing out with no deal and it'll get voted through by 2 votes. :-) :-D

Yesterday in Grimsby, she warned that if her deal does not pass, “the only certainty will be ongoing uncertainty”. If that is so, it will be because of her tactics.

After all if her deal doesn't get through there shouldn't be any uncertainty because the default position should be we leave with no deal. Unfortunately May alienated everyone from the start, its always been MY DEAL it should have been the countries deal.

Next week is when we will see if there are any changes on offer as the EU suggested.

and I guess we should remember the mantras

“no deal is better than a bad deal”.

and

“Brexit means brexit”.

If anyone really knew what the latter actually meant then they are doing well. It was to designed to be vague so that everyone thought they knew what it meant but didn't really.

After all who knew that “Brexit means brexit”, actually meant Mays deal. Those of you who assumed that “Brexit means brexit” meant we leave with no deal and WTO terms were all wrong it didn't mean that at all :-)

“Theresa May's 'Brexit means Brexit' catchphrase is meaningless, Tory minister admits”.

So what did Brexit mean to you?

LINKS

May to EU - Agree to backstop changes or risk disorderly Brexit

Telegraph: The deal is still bad, and there is no reason for Brexiteers to compromise now

Independent: Theresa May's 'Brexit means Brexit' catchphrase is meaningless, Tory minister admits
FT: EU offers new Brexit backstop plan

Thursday, 7 March 2019

Have you restarted your computer?

Have you restarted your computer?

The dreaded question that IT ask when you contact them with a problem. Can be very frustrating especially when your busy and don’t want to restart your computer. We do understand :-)

However contrary to the belief that IT Helpdesk are spawn of the devil and just want to inflict more pain and frustration on people with issues.

There is a very good reason for us asking you to restart.

It’s our job to get you up and running again ASAP and 80% of the time restarting will cure the problem.
It can cure a multitude of issues very quickly.
It’s also one of the 1st things we will want to do if we look at your computer. Obviously if you’ve restarted and it doesn’t fix it then we need to know about it so we can investigate.
80% is good odds so why wouldn’t you do it? The possibility is you’ll be up and running again in about 10mins, against maybe waiting for an hour+ for someone from Helpdesk to look at it …..it’s a no brainer.

So why does it work?

1. Over time your operating system gathers “leftover” digital junk, such as page files, temp files intermittently used by running applications, disk caches, open file descriptors, Zombie Processes, memory leaks, and other mess that hangs around even after you have closed the apps that created them, for days or weeks, until you restart your system.

a. Tech Lingo Explained:

i. Zombie Process is a defunct computer process that has completed execution but still has an entry in the process table.

ii. Memory Leak A type of resource leak when a computer program mismanages memory allocations – can eat up your system’s resources. In such case restarting your machine clears out the Memory and gets everything back to working order.

2. When this type of junk builds up in your computer your system performance is impacted and it starts to slow down your entire system. Over time it will eventually lead to your machine freezing/locking up. This can also lead to driver crashes or software malfunctions, causing issues with your network connectivity.

3. Most important reason to restart your computer: Cybersecurity! The security patches, system, and application updates cannot be applied unless and until you restart. Both security and feature patches are meant to fix or improve your system’s and your software’s performance. Cybercriminals are able to create and implement zero-day vulnerability exploits in less than 24 hours, so if your security patches and feature updates have not been installed and “activated” by a restart, your system can be compromised at any time.

a. So don’t put off windows updates.

b. A restart means a proper windows restart. Do not shut down by holding power button, you will potentially cause more problems…. unless advised by IT Helpdesk.

c. Tech Lingo Explained:

A zero-day vulnerability is a software security flaw that is known to the software vendor but doesn’t have a patch in place to fix the flaw. It has the potential to be exploited by cybercriminals.

Monday, 4 March 2019

Christian Lindemans the Dutch Double Agent 1912-1946

In the book "Arnhem" by Major General R E Urquhart at the end analysis, Major General Urquhart mentions Christian Lindemans a Dutch double agent and his alledged involvement with Operation Market Garden and the location of Panzer regiments at Arnhem.

The below is redacted from the book Arnhem

He took on the double duties after one of his younger brothers had been caught by the Gestapo in underground work. In exchange for assurances about his brothers fate, Lindemans proceeded to give away his colleagues to the Germans.

I have since talked to German officers who were at Arnhem, and who were taken completely by surprise when we landed. A retired Dutch Army Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Boeree, has gone to some trouble since the war to produce detailed evidence which to my mind establishes beyond doubt that Lindemans had no influence on the fate of my division.

The below is redacted from Wikipedia

Sometime in February 1944, his younger brother Henk was arrested in Rotterdam by the Sicherheitspolizei and held captive at The Hague, awaiting execution for helping English people to escape from the Netherlands. Followed on 24 February by the arrest of his wife who was then 3 months pregnant, expecting her second child, a French cabaret singer who worked for the French Resistance named Gilberte Letuppe, the arrest was made by two members of the Gestapo assisted by four German soldiers heavily armed. They searched her bag and her room and found three ID cards, some Kommandantur signatures, pass and some German employment permits, all stolen the previous day, in addition to the items discovered, three revolvers and a box of ammunition, all to be hand over to a French resistance movement in Bordeaux (Lindemans was there at the time of his wife's arrest).

Letuppe was taken prisoner and interrogated for eleven hours that day, she was beaten with such force in the face, she fell from her chair but she refused to speak. She was therefore taken to Fresnes Prison, south of Paris where she was jailed, manacled hand and foot with no food and water on a bed for four days. She was questioned violently a couple of times (twenty-four), beaten in the face on every occasion. Because of her silence, she spent the next six months in Solitary confinement.

By March 1944, he was able to initiate contact with Abwehr operatives in Brussels. Due to his inability to pay 10,000 Florins asked by the first intermediary agent in exchange for their freedom, Lindemans agreed to meet Dr. Gerhard, sometimes called Dr. German (pseudonym for Hermann Giskes) in a villa outside Brussels and agreed to become a double agent on condition that his wife and brother were released. Giskes claimed that he performed his part of the bargain, Henk Lindemans was released in due course and went as a voluntary worker to Germany where he had some acquaintances.

From here on, Lindemans (Abwehr codenamed CC) was instructed to renew contact with resistance agents and transmit back to Major Hermann Giskes information about the resistance movement in the occupied Netherlands, France and Belgium. In return he received large sums of money. During his time as an informant for the German military intelligence service, Lindemans was closely shadowed by an Abwehr agent. Lindemans' early denunciations created a Domino effect resulting in the arrest of 267 Dutch and Belgians resistance fighters.

Since the war various authors have speculated that Lindemans' information led Field Marshal Model (The Tafelberg Hotel was Model's Tactical HQ in Oosterbeek in the neighbourhood of Arnhem and the Hartenstein Hotel was used as the German Officers' Mess. Model moved to Oosterbeek on 11 September.) to reposition the II SS Panzer Corps (commanded by General Bittrich whose headquarters was in Doetinchem 15 miles east of Arnhem.) under the cover of darkness to positions overlooking likely Airborne targets, mainly bridgeheads, near Arnhem and for the troops. They were camping in the nearby forests waiting for the Allied airdrop to begin.

According to Lindemans, the Allies wanted to attack Eindhoven. More specifically, Lindemans' information stated that the Allied attack would be north of Eindhoven and would consist of Airborne troops eventually backstopped by Allied armor.

Lindemans' information (report dated 22 August) was incomplete but enough to let the German High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) to pinpoint some of the enemy targets, likely bridges at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem, the last-mentioned was brought forward in Lindeman's report. Early September, Model who had the task to defend a line running from the North Sea to the Swiss border (500 miles), had ordered the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg to the neighbourhood of Arnhem for refitting and upgrading under the direction of Bittrich who would set up his command post in the area in preparation for the upcoming Allied invasion of Germany in reaction to the V-2 campaign.

Lindemans' second report (dated 15 September) was made into two summaries (general information and prospective aerial landings), enabled the Germans to counter-attack and send further reinforcements made of auxiliary units in the Arnem and Nijmegen area.

On 26 October 1944, Lindemans was denounced as a German spy by a fellow Abwehr agent named Cornelis Johannes Antonius Verloop nicknamed Satan Face (Abwehr codenamed Nelis), Verloop who at that time was in Allied hands, claimed that Lindemans had betrayed Operation Market Garden to intelligence officer Kiesewetter on Friday, 15 September at the Abwehr station in Driebergen.

LINKS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiaan_Lindemans
"Arnhem" Pen Sword Military Classics

Saturday, 2 March 2019

Linda Lykes, The Cock Inn, ERBUM

I just don't believe it :-)

There isn't anywhere in UK called ERBUM
There isn't anywhere in UK called Tillet.
There are many pubs in the UK called the Cock Inn
The pub in the picture is the Cock Inn, Church Ln, Sarratt, Rickmansworth WD3 6HH

But its a great joke!

LINKS
https://www.hoax-slayer.net/best-address-england-adult-joke/
http://cockinnsarratt.co.uk/

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

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.