MY MEMORIES OF ARNHEM 1944.


Name:Tom Hoare
Rank:Corporal
Unit:Third Parachute Battalion
Regiment:1st Parachute Brigade




We took off from an aerodrome somewhere in Lincoln it was not long before we were over the coast of England.

I understand that the people were out on the street staring up in dumfounded amazement as they watched wave
after wave of the vast air armada of C47 planes which carried the paratroops, and the gliders full
of troops and equipment, being towed by bombers, heading east. From the ground, I understand the tremendous roar
of the engines was earsplitting. The operation involved almost five thousand aircraft, not including the gliders.

Time seemed to go into high gear as swiftly across the north sea we flew. It seemed no time before we crossed
the Dutch coast where we got a bit of flak, otherwise the flight was uneventful. As we flew over the flat
water-veined Dutch country side, the tension began to rise in me as I realized that again we were going into
battle, and I wondered what was in store for us.

It seemed no time to me before we reached our destination, the drop zone. Then on came the red light, and then
the green, "Go", and out we went. I had wondered what might be awaiting us, but we met no resistance, everything
went along quite smoothly.  The element of surprise was what we would have had, had we been dropped near the bridge. 

As we reached the crossroads from Wolfhheze, some of the leading platoon were past the crossing when a German staff
car came racing down the road from the village of Wolfhheze. The driver realized his mistake too late, and while he
was skidding to a stop, our boys opened up from both sides of the road. The car and driver were both riddled with
bullets.  Major General Kussin, Arnhem's field Commander the front seat passenger, along with two others were shot
as they tried to leave the car. We left the bodies where they lay and kept going: we had to make the most of what
daylight was left.

The Dutch people welcomed us with open arms. As we approached the village of Oosterbeek, they were lining the road
cheering, and offering us fruit and drink, they were so happy to see us. Past the village we came under intense
mortar fire from a six barrel mortar, which we discovered was located up in a water tower. It didn't take us long
to find it, and put it out of action. Then a sniper shot one of our boys and we had to deal with him too.
Now the enemy were beginning to oppose us. 

We spent the night in the back gardens of the houses on the edge of the town. At about three a.m. the next morning
we moved off.. although the enemy fire was not heavy, we now followed the shorter route taken by the 2nd Battalion
who we supposed were on the bridge by this time. We made good time on into Arnhem, with a few delays caused by
isolated enemy opposition. But formidable enemy opposition was encountered halfway to the bridge. From here on in
all other actions we had taken part in paled before what we were in for now. The opposition now was self-propelled
guns, and tanks, and flesh and bone are no match for armour plate. It was a running battle from then on. 

All the way back to Oosterbeek they drove us. They used everything on us: self-propelled guns, mortars, and tanks
with flame throwers: they burned the houses down around us, and pushed us back into the perimeter at Oosterbeek,
where we joined the Lonsdale force, named after its commander Major Lonsdale.

We were detailed to hold the Oosterbeek Little Church on the lower part of the perimeter just above the river,
to stop the Germans from cutting off our only escape route down to, and across the river. I had nothing but
admiration for some of the Dutch people, the way they looked after ours, and enemy wounded alike.
At Monday an N.C.O. came around the perimeter to tell the men to report in small parties to what was left of
the Oosterbeek Little church. Major Lonsdale from up in the church pulpit, informed us that we were to be
evacuated that night, which was a very welcome bit of news, (that was much better than a church sermon), I for one
had had enough: this was eight days after we had landed.

After darkness fell, parties were detailed to lay out white tape to guide us to the river, which was a few hundred
yards from the church. Tracer rounds were fired overhead from the south side of the river to guide us, also artillery
from the Second Army were firing at distant targets around the perimeter to keep the enemy occupied.
That night over two thousand men were evacuated, including only seventy five from my battalion, that was all that was
left of over five hundred men. Holding on to each other we set off in single file for the river bank in the drenching
rain, stopping and starting every few yards. Arriving at the river bank we lay down in the mud to await our turn to
cross. Some of the British 43rd Division together with the Canadian sappers were on the riverbank, manning collapsible
canvas boats driven by outboard motors. Man, was it ever good to see those boys!

Fortunately for me the Lonsdale force was among the first to be taken across the river. The enemy had not yet caught
on to the fact that we were getting out of the perimeter. I can't start to describe the feeling I had to be out of
that nine days of hell that was Arnhem: what a relief. All the tension seemed to  drain from me as I realized just
how lucky I was to be alive. And then a mixture of sadness, giving away to anger took over, as I though about all
the wasted lives.

From the south side of the riverbank we were taken by truck to the town of Nijmegen which had just been liberated
by the 2nd army: there we spent the rest of that night in the town auditorium. The following morning the wonderful
Dutch people gave us a fantastic reception; they opened up their hearts and their homes to us. What a luxury to
shower, and to be able to shave off by now ten day's growth of beard.
Next morning we went by truck to the city of Brussels in Belgium, where we had to wait for a flight out from the
airport, back to Britain.

Tom Hoare

Remark webmaster:

Thanks to Andy Hoare for making the first contact by e-mail to The Market Garden Site.
Corporal T. Hoare currently lives in Canada. I wish him and his family good health!