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Yüklə 40,8 Mb. Pdf görüntüsü
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106 T H E QUEEN'S OWN GAZETTE. tanks, a l l o f w h i c h h a d r u n o u t o f f u e l . I t so h a p p e n e d t h a t i n t h i s a r e a t h e A m e r i c a n L o f C r a n f r o m S o u t h t o N o r t h , and n o t a s t h e G e r m a n s t h o u g h t , f r o m W e s t t o East, so t h a t t h e i r a t t a c k m e r e l y r a n across t h e t o p o f t h e A m e r i c a n L o f C and d i d n o t r u n a l o n g i t a s w a s i n t e n d e d . T h e success o f the p l a n w a s based o n t h e c a p t u r e o f A m e r i c a n f u e l d u m p s . The A m e r i c a n d i v i s i o n t h a t t o o k t h e w e i g h t o f t h e G e r m a n attack h a d o n l y b e e n p u t i n t h e l i n e f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e t h e day before, b u t o n i t s l e f t i t h a d t h e A m e r i c a n c r a c k i n f a n t r y d i v i s i o n — t h e 1st. T h i s d i v i s i o n does n o t seem t o h a v e yielded an i n c h o f g r o u n d d u r i n g t h e w h o l e b a t t l e . T h i s deflected the G e r m a n a t t a c k f r o m t h e d i r e c t i o n o f L i e g e , t h e c a p t u r e of w h i c h , w i t h A n t w e r p , w a s i t s o b j e c t i v e . D u r i n g t h e w i n t e r v a r i o u s r e g i m e n t s c a m e t o H e l m o n d , about t w o m i l e s f r o m o u r H . Q . t o r e s t . I n t h i s w a y I s a w several ' o l d Q u e e n ' s O w n . T h e I n n s o f C o u r t w a s t h e r e f o r about a f o r t n i g h t a n d I m a n a g e d t o see L i e u t s . P i p B r o w n e , John H o l g a t e a n d A t t e n b o r o u g h w h o werqe, a l l t r o o p leaders. I a l s o s a w C p l . T u r n e r , w h o h a d b e e n a s i g n a l c o r p o r a l w i t h the 9 t h B i n , a n d T p r . P e n f o l d w h o h a d b e e n i n m y p l a t o o n when I f i r s t j o i n e d t h e 9 t h . L a t e r , j u s t b e f o r e t h e b a t t l e o f the R e i c h w a l d F o r e s t began, 5 3 Recce R e g t . m o v e d i n . T h e y had M a j o r S i r H a r r y d ' A v i g d o r G o l d s m i d a s o n e o f t h e i r squadron leaders. H e h a d already g o t t h e M.C. a n d a M e n t i o n when I s a w h i m , t h e f o r m e r f o r m a k i n g a solo recce o f a r i v e r crossing somewhere i n N o r m a n d y u n d e r v e r y d i f f i c u l t c i r c u m - stances. L a t e r h o g o t t h e D.S.O. I t w a s a t t h e stage w h e n our advance across G e r m a n y was m e e t i n g s t i f f e n i n g resistance f r o m M a r i n e s b e i n g s e n t o u t f r o m H a m b u r g . I t seems t h a t the G e r m a n s h a d p i n - p o i n t e d t h e s q u a d r o n unobserved, a n d then a t d u s k t h e y a t t a c k e d . S i r H a r r y w a s a m o n g t h e f i r s t t o b e h i t , b u t c o n t i n u e d t o c o n d u c t t h e b a t t l e f r o m a stretcher. I n r e p l y t o a d e m a n d f o r surrender, h e r e p l i e d " I ' m d a m n e d i f we d o ! " E v e n t u a l l y t h e y w e r e relieved b y a n o t h e r s q u a d r o n . When I saw h i m h e was r e s p l e n d e n t i n a m a g n i f i c e n t n e w p a i r of c o r d u r o y t r o u s e r s o f b r i l l i a n t h u e . A l s o i n t h i s r e g i m e n t was S g t . Wo o l l e y, p e r f o r m i n g t h e d u t i e s o f O.R.S. F e w m e n , when p r i v a t e s h a v e exercised s o m u c h a u t h o r i t y o v e r officers and N.C.Os. a s Woolley managed t o , w h e n seated i n t h e P.R.I.'s office o f t h e 9 t h B n . F o r h i s d e s p a t c h c l e r k h e h a d L . - C p l . Chandler, w h o h a d p e r f o r m e d s i m i l a r d u t i e s a l s o f o r t h e 9 t h Bn.
I t w a s also a b o u t t h i s t i m e , t h a t w h e n o u t o n some j o b , I w a s t e a r i n g p a s t s o m e c o n v o y i n m y u s u a l s t y l e . w h e n I realised i t w a s 49 Recce I w a s passing. I glanced i n t h e n e x t jeep t h a t I passed a n d t h e r e s u r e e n o u g h , w a s C a p t . B e r n a r d Russell. W e b o t h s t o p p e d a n d h a d a c h a t . H e a t t h a t t i m e was d o i n g 2 1 / c t o M a j o r A r t h u r B a u c h e r, w h o c o m m a n d e d H.Q. S q u a d r o n ! t h e y s p e n t m o s t o f t h e w i n t e r i n t h e i c e a n d slush o f t h e " i s l a n d , " as t h e s m a l l area n o r t h o f N i m e g e n was called. I d i d n o t s e e M a j o r B a u c h e r o n t h i s occasion, b u t had s e e n h i m o n c e i n N o r m a n d y. 4 9 D i v. w a s n e v e r u n d e r our c o m m a n d o r I m i g h t h a v e seen m o r e o f t h e m . S h o r t l y after t h i s I w e n t o v e r a n d s a w L i e u t . J . P. H a r r i s o n , w h o a t t h a t t i m e was L.O. to a brigade in 43 Div. H e h a d l a n d e d as 2 i / c of a s q u a d r o n o f 5 9 Recce. H e h a d t a k e n o v e r c o m m a n d o f his s q u a d r o n t h e d a y a f t e r l a n d i n g , w h e n h i s S q d n . - L d r. became a c a s u a l t y. H e c o m m a n d e d t h e s q u a d r o n u n t i l t h e regiment, w i t h t h e r e s t o f t h e d i v i s i o n , w a s disbanded, w h e n he h a d n o t been c o m m a n d i n g t h e squadron q u i t e l o n g e n o u g h to become a W / S C a p t . , s o h a v i n g b e e n a n a c t i n g M a j o r, h e had t o r e v e r t t o L i e u t , w h i c h a l l w h o k n o w h i m , w i l l agree, was a r o t t e n piece o f l u c k , f o r s u c h a n e ff i c i e n t officer. H o w - ever h e w a s i n a p h i l o s o p h i c f r a m e o f m i n d w h e n I s a w h i m and w e h a d a l o n g gossin a b o u t o l d t i m e s . Our f r o n t o n t h e M a a s w a s g r a d u a l l y r o l l e d u p . a s t h e American a n d C a n a d i a n A r m i e s w o r k e d t o w a r d s e a c h o t h e r along t h e b a n k s o f t h e R h i n e . W e w e r e a l l a l i t t l e s u r p r i s e d by t h e e m o t i o n o u r d e p a r t u r e f r o m o u r l i t t l e village i n H o l l a n d caused. Q u i t e a l o t o f t h e w o m e n w e r e i n t e a r s ! A s w e h a d n a t u r a l l y t o t u r n t h e p l a c e upside d o w n t o g e t i n w e t h o u g h t they w o u l d b e m o r e t h a n g l a d t o see t h e l a s t o f u s . We s e t t r i i n a s m a l l G e r m a n t o w n s o m e m i l e s w e s t o f Wesel, c a l l e d I s s u m , a n d s t a r t e d p l a n n i n g o u r p o r t i o n o f t h e R h i n e crossing. T h e r o l e o f 8 C o r p s f o r t h i s o p e r a t i o n w a s again f o l l o w - u p corps. I n t h i s case o u r j o b w a s t o t a k e o v e r f r o m U.S. 1 8 A / B C o r p s , a s soon as possible a f t e r t h e d r o p o f Gth ( B r . ) a n d 1 7 U.S. A / B Divs.. s o t h a t 1 8 A / B C o r p s c o u l d rush b a c k t o P a r i s t o p l a n a possible A / B o p e r a t i o n o v e r t h e Elbe.
I t o o k a n e a r l y o n n o r t u n i t y t o g o a n d s e e C o l o g n e . Munchen. G l a d b a c h and Crefeld. I was very keen t o see a heavily bombed G e r m a n t o w n , t o c o m p a r e i t w i t h t h o s e w e h a d seen in N o r m a n d y. I h a d b e g u n t o f e e l b a c k i n N o r m a n d y t h a t I never s h o u l d see a whole b u i l d i n g again. C u r i o u s l y enough the least d a m a g e w a s d o n e o n t h e beaches. I c o u l d n ' t h e l p wondering w h e t h e r t h a t m a s s d e s t r u c t i o n o f t o w n s a n d hamlets r e a l l y d i d a s s i s t t h e w a r a l l t h a t a m o u n t . S o m e O f the locals a l s o w o n d e r e d a b i t , t o o , b u t i n s p i t e o f t h i s , w e r e very g l a d t o see u s . I t h i n k t h e answer i s t h a t f o r a l a n d i n g of t h i s k i n d n o possible f o r m o f h i n d r a n c e t o t h e enemy c o u l d be o m i t t e d . B r o a d l y s p e a k i n g , t h e d a m a g e i n G e r m a n y Wa s not s o spectacular as elsewhere. T h e reason f o r t h i s was t h a t the b o m b i n g i n N o r m a n d y h a d b e e n t a c t i c a l , i.e., w i t h H . E . t o create a blockage, w h i l e i n m o s t cases i n G e r m a n y i t h a d been s t a t e g i c a n d t h e r e f o r e w i t h a h i g h p e r c e n t a g e o f incendaries w h i c h c a u s e d f i r e s t o s w e e p t h r o u g h t h e t o w n s . Consequently t o a l a r g e e x t e n t t h e w a l l s o f b u i l d i n g s w e r e l e f t s t a n d i n g a n d o n e d i d n o t g e t those g a p i n g vistas. A n o t h e r p o i n t w a s t h a t t h e G e r m a n s d i d o n l y t h e m i n i m u m o f clearance. I n C r e f e l d a n d elsewhere t h e r e w e r e l a r g e h e a p s of r u b b l e h a l f b l o c k i n g t h e r o a d s a n d covered i n grass. M y first i m p r e s s i o n o n g o i n g i n t o Crete-Id, w a s t h a t i t h a d n o t had m u c h d a m a g e a f t e r a l l , as t h e r e o n l y seemed t o be a f e w heaps o f r u b b l e w h e r e H E . h a d f a l l e n . T h e n i t s l o w l y dawned on m e t h a t n o t a s i n g l e h o u s e I h a d seen h a d g o t a r o o f o n it, o r a n y f l o o r s e i t h e r, f o r t h a t m a t t e r. C o l o g n e w a s m u c h the same, I i n s p e c t e d t h e c a t h e d r a l w h i c h w a s l o o k i n g v e r y gloomy. I t h a d n o w i n d o w s , a h o l e t h r o u g h t h e Chancel r o o f and h a d o b v i o u s l y b e e n " l a i d u p " d u r i n g t h e w a r . The m o s t c o m p l e t e piece o f d e s t r u c t i o n I saw w a s a s m a l l t o w n o f p e r h a p s f i v e o r s i x t h o u s a n d p e o p l e — i t w a s d i f f i c u l t to estimate—called A u n a y s u r ° d o n . i n N o r m a n d y. I t was f o r all t h e w o r l d a s i f a g i a n t b u l l d o z e r h a d w o r k e d i t s w a y systematically o v e r t h e t o w n , a n d h a d o n l y l e f t s t a n d i n g t h e c h u r c h s p i r e . E v e r y w h e r e else i t w a s a l e v e l h e a p o f r u b b l e r a t h e r s i m i l a r t o t h e r u b b i s h d u m p s one passes n e a r b i g towns. I f e v e r t h e expression ' ' N o t o n e s t o n e u p o n a n o t h e r " a p p l i e d to a n y w h e r e , i t m u s t h a v e a p p l i e d t o t h i s u n f o r t u n a t e place. For e c o n o m y o f e f f o r t I g i v e t o p place t o Wesel o n t h e R h i n e . This h a d b e e n a t o w n o f s i x t y t h o u s a n d . T h e t o t a l n u m b e r of h e a v i e s u s e d o n i t i n b o t h r a i d s t o t a l l e d l e s s t h a n 280, using H.E. o n l y, a n d i t s d e s t r u c t i o n w a s c o m p l e t e . T h e o n l y undamaged p l a c e s w e r e t h e s t a t i o n a n d t h e b a r r a c k s n e x t door. T h i s was j u s t a s w e l l f o r t h e y h a v e s i n c e m a d e a v e r y useful s t a g i n g c a m p . T h e r e s t o f t h e t o w n w a s m e r e l y a series o f colossal c r a t e r s . The A / B d r o p a c r o s s t h e R h i n e t o o k p l a c e i n p e r f e c t weather, a n d as a t t h e m o m e n t w e were n o t a c t i v e l y engaged. I w e n t a n d w a t c h e d t h e f l y - i n f r o m t h e t o p o f a f l a t r o o f e d house. E v i d e n t l y I h a d chosen t h e best place, because we were s h o r t l y j o i n e d b y t h e S u p r e m e C o m m a n d e r, w h o a r r i v e d i n a c o n v o y o f t e n jeeps. A s h o r t w a y o f f C h u r c h i l l w a s o n a h i l l w i t h t h e C.I.G.S. a n d v a r i o u s o t h e r h i g h r a n k i n g officers. Some G u n n e r s gave C h u r c h i l l some tea, w h i c h h e n o b l y d r a n k , b u t i m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r w a r d s h a d a l o n g p u l l a t a n e n o r m o u s flask w h i c h h e p r o d u c e d f r o m somewhere o n h i s person. I n h i g h s p i r i t s h e t h e n w a l k e d o v e r t o s o m e o ff i c e r s f r o m o u r H.Q. w h o h a d h e l p e d t o p l a n t h e o p e r a t i o n , a n d a s k e d t h e m i f t h e y k n e w t h a t a n A / B o p e r a t i o n w a s a b o u t t o b e g i n ! I n t h e m i d d l e o f t h i s conversation t h e f i r s t a i r c r a f t appeared o v e r t h e h i l l , a n d e x c l a i m i n g " T h e r e t h e y a r e ! T h e r e t h e y a r e ! " h e ran a s f a s t as h e c o u l d t o t h e c r e s t o f t h e h i l l . F r o m w h e r e I w a s , t h e i m m i n e n t a r r i v a l o f t h e a i r c r a f t was heralded b y t h e sudden cessation o f t h e a r t i l l e r y. A l t h o u g h we w e r e s o m e w a y b e h i n d t h e g u n a r e a t h e n o i s e w a s l o u d enough t o create a n eerie a n d u n - n a t u r a l q u i e t w h e n t h e g u n s suddenly s t o p p e d a n d e v e r y b o d y t u r n e d e x p e c t a n t l y t o l o o k to t h e W e s t . A l m o s t i m m e d i a t e l y t h e h e a d o f t h e s t r e a m appeared. T h e a i r c r a f t s a i l e d m a j e s t i c a l l y r o u n d i n a s h a r p h a i r - p i n b e n d o v e r t h e d r o p p i n g area. T h e h a z e was j u s t t o o t h i c k t o see t h e a c t u a l j u m p s , b u t w e c o u l d s e e t h e g l i d e r s being released. A l m o s t a t t h e same t i m e as t h e f i r s t w a v e , i t seemed, t h e f i r s t a e r i a l r e - s u p p l y s t a r t e d . I n c o n t r a s t t o t h e orderly a n d s e d a t e s t r e a m o f t h e t r o o p - c a r r y i n g p l a n e s , t h e re-supply ones seem t o f l y a l l a n y h o w. T h e y f l e w m u c h l o w e r and t h e r e f o r e w h a t appeared t o b e m u c h f a s t e r. M o s t o f them, w h i c h i n c l u d e d a l l types o f A l l i e d f o u r - e n g i n e machines, flew a t 0 f e e t . We crossed t h e R h i n e on D p l u s 2. a n d t o o k o v e r c o m m a n d of t h e t w o A / B d i v i s i o n s a n d 6 G u a r d s Ta n k Bde., w h i c h w a s w o r k i n g w i t h t h e m . T h e Class 4 0 A m e r i c a n p o n t o o n b r i d g e by w h i c h w e crossed h a d been p u t across b y t h e A m e r i c a n s i n the amazing t i m e o f less t h a n s i x h o u r s T h e y s t a r t e d t o b u i l d i t j u s t before m i d n i g h t o n D p l u s 1. a n d h a d vehicles crossing b y 05.00 t h e n e x t m o r n i n g , a n d i t seems to me i t was an amazing achievement. G r a n t e d t h e y h a d m a r v e l l o u s e q u i p m e n t , l o t s of m a n - p o w e r a n d n o o b s t r u c t i o n f r o m t h e e n e m y. A m e r i c a n s seem t o t r e a t t h e w a r r a t h e r l i k e b i g b u s i n e s s a n d s e e i n g t h e m a t i t some t i m e s m a d e m e w i s h w e w o u l d d o t h e s a m e ! The d e s t r u c t i o n b e h i n d t h e R h i n e u p t o a l i n e r u n n i n g about n o r t h a n d s o u t h t h r o u g h M u n s t e r w a s a l m o s t a s g r e a t as i n N o r m a n d y — a l m o s t , b u t n o t q u i t e . T h e A l l i e d a i r f o r c e had c e r t a i n l y d o n e i t s s t u f f , b u t h e r e t h e r e w a s n o t so m u c h v i o l e n t f i g h t i n g . A l l t h e r a t h e r prosperous l o o k i n g f a r m s were flying a t l e a s t o n e w h i t e f l a g f r o m t h e h i g h e s t p o i n t o f t h e i r houses, a n d m o s t o f t h e m h a d several T h e r e w a s n o d o u b t about w h a t t h e y t h o u g h t a b o u t t h e w a r ! Yüklə 40,8 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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