(Thread.) After operation Market Garden, German High Command regarded the Allied bridgehead north of the Waal River as a severe threat. It might be used as a springboard to the north and cut off the 15 Army in the western part of Holland and threaten the plains of NW Germany.

Hitler ordered offensive operations in the Arnhem-Nijmegen area, also known as The Island.

As a result Germans targeted the Waal Bridge at Nijmegen constantly. Bombers, frogmen with mines, midget submarines and artillery.

The counter-attack by II. SS-Panzerkorps would begin on 1 October 1944. Against four British battalions: 5 Wiltshire, 4 Somerset LI, 3 Irish Guards and 7 Green Howards. (I'll report on the battle fought by 5 Wiltshire, because I live there. )

#OTD in 1944, the first day of the battle. (War Diary 5 Wiltshire.)

(From "The Fifth Batallion" by J.S. Macmath.) "In the early hours of 1 October Major Wheatley of D Company on patrol fought a one-man battle and single handed captured five Germans and killed a sixth with a grenade. A few hours later an enemy patrol approached close to D Company,

and a sharp engagement unfortunately resulted in [Canadian] Lieutenant Roper of A Company being killed, although the enemy were beaten off. At 1000 that morning a tremendous concentration of artillery suddenly crashed down with unremitting fury on B and D Company.

Never in the whole campaign did the battalion experience shelling like this. It was estimated that over a hundred 88 mm guns in Arnhem were pouring their shells with deadly accuracy on to the tiny area of those two farms.

Although telephone lines were cut into a thousand pieces, the wireless held, and soon a report was received from D Company that sixty enemy infantry were forming up. Immediately the battalion’s mortar platoon opened fire with devastating effect.

B and D Companies had been well dug in during the shelling and casualties had not been heavy, but the enemy were exposed and their casualties were high. Two hours later they came in again and a report from Captain Hadow in the OP said with extraordinary cheerfulness

"There are more Germans than I have ever seen in my life about fifty yards away!" He then proceeded to direct the artillery fire on three sides of the OP in which he was observing.

Under superbly accurate fire, the enemy retired in disorder, leaving many dead behind them. And so it went on: at 1530 a tank was engaged by artillery; at 1840 another approaching to within 200 yards of D Company was hit by a PIAT;

Sergeant Nairn with his anti-tank gun knocked out an SP gun at extreme range. But as darkness fell, a strange quietness fell over the battlefield; a quietness which boded ill."

Robert Purver from 11 Platoon, "D" Company 5 Wiltshire.

De Laar memorial in Schuytgraaf, remembering the ultimate sacrifice made by men from 4 and 5 Wiltshire on "The Island". #LestWeForget

Looking in the direction where the Germans attacked from, the former level crossing, now an underpass. And, where Captain Hadow RA earned his Military Cross.

Map with position of 5 Wiltshire companies, and battalion headquarter.

Aerial of where "B" and "D" Company fought. (The upper part is now occupied by houses (including mine).

Amazingly, Captain Hadow, the Forward Observer of the Royal Artillery, remained unnoticed throughout the battle, accurately directing fire on Germans all around him.

At the end of 1 October 1944, 16 men from Green Howards, 13 from Irish Guards and 9 from Somerset LI had died.

#OTD in 1944, the second day of the German offensive. An account of an unknown Wiltshire soldier. "During the early hours of October 2nd, 1944, we were attacked by German Marine troops; they came in, seemingly oblivious to our intensive defensive fire and it was clear that they

would over-run our position in the orchard by sheer weight of numbers. I ordered my gun crew to stop firing, removed all the firing mechanisms and instructed them in no uncertain terms to make for the farm buildings to the rear of our position. These were of course almost in

ruins but surprisingly enough, the barn joined to the buildings off some sort of protection and we could remount our firing position there. We all made it to the barn. Corporals Les Timbrell and Sid Seymour were close behind and alongside me. We came through the

hedge on the farm track where some carriers were burning and turned to go into the barn. This had two big wooden doors, which we dashed through. I waited long enough for the last man to come through and then swung it closed. Just then, there were a number of explosions inside our

refuge, which could have been German grenades or mortars or even our own retaliatory fire. I noticed a long shallow trough running the length of the floor of the building and I shouted to the lads, "In here!"; we all dived into the trough to find it awash with wet cow dung.

It smelled awful and permeated our clothes. All four of us decided to find other refuge but as we did so there was a terrific ripping sound from the doorway and half of it tore away. The next thing I can remember was hauling myself to my feet, while Sid and Tim stayed huddled

on the ground. My position was directly between the two. I saw a heavily armoured vehicle backing up in the lane outside and it was apparent that it had fired its machine gun through the door, killing both of my companions while missing me. This armoured vehicle appeared to be

supporting the German attack through to "C" Company and was firing at random. I had no time to think on a personal level because we were being ordered to take up all round defence of the buildings. I took Corporal Mellors to what remained of an upstairs window and we took up a

position with our Bren. It was while we were making our way to this position that I saw a group of Germans who had been hit; at a quick glance it seemed that two or three of them had been killed. I particularly noticed one man had all his clothing blown off and lie with his rump

in the air. From our position at the window, we saw a wounded Jerry crawling away towards a ditch, dragging his leg, and we let him go as it seemed clear that his fighting days were over. We needed to conserve our ammunition as it was apparent that we had quite a fight

on our hands. After a while, we heard a group of the enemy doubling back through our positions and they came back so tight to the buildings that we could not train our Bren on them and they escaped unharmed. There are probably three blokes alive in Germany today, who owe their

lives to the steepness of that barn wall. From then on, the German attack just fizzled out and our "B" Company counter attacked and retook our earlier positions. We were marched there by Major Norris and rejoined our guns at the old ”D" Company position."

War Diary 5 Wiltshire, 2 October 1944.

(Again, from the excellent "The Fifth Batallion" by J.S. Macmath.)

"At 0328 a short wireless message from D Company said "Being attacked by infantry on both flanks" and quarter of an hour later "Have had to abandon forward platoon position." The artillery put down a concentration east of the railway, but still the enemy came on. It seemed

that they had been doped, for they came on oblivious of fire and shining hand torches to see the way! The forward platoons of D Company fell back on to B Company. The reserve platoon continued to hold the farm where company HQ was situated. Here close and confused fighting was

taking place and grenades were bursting inside the wrecked buildings. An anti-tank gun crew under Corporal Romain fired HE into the approaching enemy, until they, too, were forced to withdraw into the company HQ, taking the firing mechanism of the gun with them. All the officers

of D Company were casualties, but CSM Jones took command and quickly organized his small body of men into a solid defense of the farm. The enemy were held off, but others surged past them, on towards B Company, but there they were halted.

11 Platoon covering the road, held firm; as the enemy came in across the fields and down the road, the platoon opened a devastating fire with Brens and rifles and mortars. The enemy wavered and went to cover. A terrific duel of small arms fire then started. But ammunition was

running low, when one man, Private Schneider, getting out of his trench, went back for more. Several times did he traverse the completely open field swept by fire, to bring ammunition up to his platoon. On the left 10 Platoon, counter-attacking, were fighting it out in the open.

Soon the enemy had had enough and, in confusion, began to fall back, hotly pursued by the carrier platoon who, advancing with dash and determination, took twenty prisoners of 156 Panzer Grenadier Regiment.

A truly magnificent fight had been put up by the men of B and D Companies and of the carrier and anti-tank platoons. The pioneer platoon, too, played a most heroic part. Under the direction of the pioneer officer, Lieutenant Baker, they worked in the height of the battle and

midst of the fighting, laying mines and booby-traps throughout the night. Had the enemy broken through at that point, that might well have cut deep into the heart of the whole division, and Hitler’s order might have been carried out.

But the position had to be consolidated and casualties had been high. A troop of tanks was quickly dispatched to the B Company area. As all the officers of D Company had been wounded, Major E. R. Norris took command of both companies, and falling the D Company men in

"in threes" marched them back to their positions. Meanwhile the enemy guns started shelling the B Company area once more, setting company HQ on fire. But the enemy infantry had had enough, and by 0950 D Company were firmly established once more astride the level-crossing.

All the morning the enemy guns were active and shelling of B Company area was particularly intense. Severe casualties were suffered, including Major Norris and Captain Willick, the carrier platoon commander, both of whom were badly wounded.

By the afternoon the shelling had died down and the opportunity was taken for some reorganization. All that was left of B and D Companies were combined under the command of Captain Rudd, who set up his HQ in the ruins of D Company’s farm. At 2000 that night the shelling started

once again and about midnight another infantry attack was launched but on a smaller scale."

At the end of 2 October 1944, 20 men from 5 Wiltshire had died. Exactly 76 years ago.

War Diary 5 Wiltshire, 3 October 1944.

(Again, from the excellent "The Fifth Batallion" by J.S. Macmath.)

"By 0130 the enemy had succeeded in forcing the forward platoon to fall back and had gained a footing on the level crossing. All attempts to dislodge them failed. Small-scale attacks in the early morning by D Company and by the carrier platoon made little progress; artillery,

mortar and machine-gun fire had for once but small effect. The enemy was well dug in, in most cases using the old D Company trenches. A full scale company attack by Captain Rudd's sorely tried men was therefore prepared for the afternoon. Tanks on the right gave support by

firing along the back of the embankment; the artillery, still being magnificently controlled by Captain Hadow in the midst of the enemy shelling, put down a heavy barrage which was thickened up by anti-tank guns firing HE. At 1345 the infantry advanced, led by Captain Rudd. The

enemy crumbled before them, and within fifteen minutes the positions had once more been captured, and the vital level crossing was again safe. Thirty prisoners were taken. But at once the enemy guns and mortars opened up. And again the tired but triumphant men were the target of

a demoralizing barrage. But they held firm, and at last came the news of relief by another battalion. But still the shelling went on; and at 1900 hours a direct hit on the company HQ exploded the reserve ammunition and damaged the wireless set; for the first time communications

with that gallant HQ were broken. But they were quickly restored and about midnight 4 Wiltshire arrived to take over. Yet one more act of heroism by this gallant little garrison has still to be recorded. As the relief proceeded, the forward section was fighting a light

machine-gun duel with the enemy. In the light of the enemy flares, each man in that section fell, until only Corporal Knight remained; he continued to fire his Bren unceasingly at the German machine-gun’s position, and at last he won, the enemy gun was silent."

In 2013 the remains of Harold Lewis from Hertford and Donald Noble from Leeds from 4 Wiltshire (who relieved the men from 5 Wiltshire) were discovered and later identified. I went to the reburial in 2016 in Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Made a deep impression.

It can be said that artillery support was decisive in repulsing the German offensive, early October 1944, around the De Laar level crossing, now Schuytgraaf. Directed by Captain Hadow, Forward Observation Officer in the Royal Artillery.

End of thread. (Next year, the action around De Heuvel (7 Green Howards), or around Aam (3 Irish Guards), or around Elst (4 Somerset LI) or the attack on Driel.)