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Posted on 08/20/2003 12:00:15 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
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K.I.A. Awarded D.S.C. "A" Battery 155 17th Airborne Division My Longest Day The Rhine River has served as Germany's natural western defensive barrier for centuries. By March 1945, the Rhine was the final barrier separating the Allies from the heart of Germany. Plans were underway to cross this barrier and capture the Ruhr, Germany's industrial heartland. With the capture of the Ruhr, Germany's war machine would eventually collapse.  This photo shows a more complete view of the formation, which took up slightly more than half of the west runway at the 439th TCG's airfield (A-39), Châteaudun, France. According to one observer, "no one who saw the double-tow take-offs was likely to forget them." Gliders on short tow behind the C-47 towships were on standard towropes, which were 350 ft. long. Gliders on long-tow were on 425 ft. ropes. The ropes were made of nylon, 11/16" in diameter. During takeoff, gliders became airborne first, but then had to stay low to allow the power pilot to rotate after the C-47 had its tail up. Gliders came perilously close to each other and to the ground during takeoffs, but none crashed (on takeoff). Jim Murphy and I met in an infantry replacement depot in France. Both of us were eighteen years old and discovered that we had a lot in common. We were eager volunteers for the "17th Airborne Division." We were assigned to 1st. Squad, A Battery, 155 Battalion., in Chalon, France. They had been in the Battle of the Bulge with everyone killed or wounded except the squad leader. After 2 weeks of torturous physical training, interdispursed with piling in and out of airplanes and gliders, we received our wings and a raise in pay. Within three days, we were in a marshaling area looking over maps of a little town named Wesel and a bridge that crossed the Rhine river into Germany. We squeezed into this egg crate in what seemed to be the middle of the night. At dawn's light, the view through the window was both awesome and majestic. The sky was filled with planes and gliders as far as the eye could see. Strangely, I felt like more like a spectator then a participant in this event. The ride got bumpy and I could feel my stomach turning. I fought this feeling until I saw Murphy throwing up, followed by the rest of the rest of the squad and myself. It was one big stinking mess. I was in a state of disgust with myself, but was shaken out of it when I saw these big, black puffs of smoke all around us. The realization that this was flack from enemy A.A. guns brought me to the ready; someone was trying to kill me! We jumped out of that stinking mess in what seemed a split second. The next two hours in and around the drop zone, was confusing and chaotic. As I now look back, the events flash through my mind like a kaleidoscope. The squad spread out all over the place, crawling on our bellies trying to get together. Enemy small arms fire was picking off men who dare to kneel or stand up. Mortar shells were opening up the ground here and there. Gliders were landing in every direction, tearing themselves up by hitting houses, telephone poles and power lines. C-47s were being shot down like sitting ducks as they exposed their bellies in banking maneuvers after dropping their cargo. A B-24 was 100 feet up, directly over my head, with its wings aflame and a guy pushing cargo out the door.  Seconds later, we witnessed a thunderous explosion as the plane hit the tree line. I was to see many men get killed or wounded that day. I saw a trooper who had his cheek torn open by small arms fire. He stood there, his helmet down around his neck, blood running down his face and body. With a boiling anger in his eyes, legs spread apart, he began pumping lead from a grease gun into a house 100 feet away. Within seconds he was blown away by small arms fire. Whoever he was, I will never forget him. I’d been on the ground now for over two hours; all I could think of was survival and finding someone to give me orders or direction. Finally, our squad leader got us all together. As we moved out of the drop zone, I kept hearing this snapping and popping at my ears. When I asked Sam Strain, a veteran trooper, about the noise, he informed me that a sniper had me in his sights. Every so often a shell would come lobbing in with deadly accuracy, hitting a jeep or piece of our artillery. I learned to keep my distance from them. I had always loved trees; I was now beginning to fear them. A shell hitting a tree would splinter it into a multitude of fragments, showering death all around it. Within hours, we began taking prisoners. Every so often, Sam Strain would fall back with two or three of them, and within a very short time he would rejoin us. I wondered where Sam had taken the prisoners. Cpl. John Gillespie informed me that Sam was "taking care of them", and that we could expect the same if captured. The unwritten word was that German paratroopers were taking no airborne prisoners and neither were we. My thirst for revenge became aroused as I saw our men lying helpless and dying along this bloody trail. I tried to help one of them who has been hit by a tree burst. The right side of his body had been slashed open, part of the tree still lodged in it. I yelled for a medic, I became somewhat hysteric as Cpl. Gillespie grabbed me by the arm and told me to keep moving.  At the front of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, 23 March 1945, marshaled for the next day's takeoff. Destination LZ S, east of the Rhine River. This mission was the largest combat double-tow mission in history. Airfield is A-39, Châteaudun, France. Tugs are positioned more than half-way down the west runway, and the first 10 ships, including Col. Young's Argonia at the head of the southern stream, finished their takeoff rolls in the wheat field off the end of the runway. Note the patched bomb craters. After experiencing the destruction artillery can cause, learned to hate and fear trees, I soon developed the same fear when crossing open fields. We came upon an open field and began crossing it when the fury of German artillery busted loose. The air bursts were about fifty feet overhead raining shrapnel down upon us. I saw Murphy jump into an abandoned German foxhole, and I decided to do the same. I then felt the butt of Sgt. Strudsky’s rifle on my helmet and heard his orders to "Get out and keep moving." That was the last order Sgt. Strudsky ever gave me; ten minutes later he was killed along with two of my squad members. Cpl. Gillespie was now our squad leader. We had no sooner stopped for a break when he shouted. "Okay guys, on your feet. Let's go." I soon realized that this was a special assignment when only our squad moved out to the edge of another open field and Lt. Mandress was with us. Affectionately called Mandy by his men, I would soon learn to both love him and to hate him. He had volunteered our squad to move out into the field, which was about 2 miles across, in order to test the enemy strength on the other side. As we had just lost our squad leader and two veterans, I wondered why he picked the remnants of a squad which included two rookies. Sam Strain remarked, "Any leader always wants the best with him on a mission, it makes his job easier, but its our ass." We walked out into the field at a very slow pace. I could see a farmhouse which was close to the tree line at the opposite side of the field. Mandy headed us in a direct line to it. We were midway between our lines and the farmhouse when all hell broke loose. Mortar shells came lobbing in from the German side of the field from behind the farmhouse. Seeing Murphy and Tom Burnard jump into a shell crater, I jumped in behind them. Within seconds, the rest of the squad was lying on top of us. Mandy ordered us to get up and spread out. Cpl. Gillespie asked, "Can’t we wait for our outfit to give us some covering fire first?" Sam Strain remarked "Them bastards have probably taken off!". The mortar shell bursts were getting closer and closer to our crater. It would not be long before they had us zeroed in. Without saying a word, Sam Strain crawled out of the crater. The next thing I knew, he was on his knees with a bazooka over his shoulder, aiming at the enemy tree line. Boom! It went off. Gillespie fed him two more shells. Boom! Boom! He had evidently hit something as the mortar shelling ceased. We then crawled out of the crater. Sam Strain had saved all our lives through his heroic action. I thought to myself, "It’s going to be a long run back to our lines." My heart jumped to my throat and then sank again as Mandy started running towards the farmhouse yelling, "Let's go! Let’s go!" My lungs were bursting as I tried to keep up with him.  A glider, which had forced landed 10 miles from the drop zone, came into view as we approached the farmhouse. It had taken a direct hit in its nose and was almost demolished. We ran into the farmhouse as small arms fire traced our steps. The house was occupied by a farmer and his daughter. They were tending the wounds of a trooper who had crawled in from the glider. The trooper said he thought someone might still be alive in the glider. The words were no sooner said than Sam Strain grabbed his carbine and took off towards the glider. He was no further than 100 feet when the Germans opened fire on him. He knelt down and returned their fire. About this time Mandy yelled out "Cover him!" He had no sooner yelled the warning when Sam must have been hit square between the eyes. His head jerked back and his helmet popped off behind him. Throughout the day, Sam Strain had become my role model. Now he was lying dead in a German field. I joined the rest of the squad in a cry of vengeance, emptying our rifle clips into the German tree line. As I reloaded my clip, it took all I could muster in order to keep from trembling. I peered over the windowsill into the tree line and could see figures pop up and then disappear. I followed one figure and kept him in my sights, squeezing off 3 rounds before I realized what I was doing. I could tell that I had hit him by the way he jerked and then fell. I had been firing at tree lines all day, but this was the first human being I had ever knowingly killed or wounded. Gillespie had seen the German soldier fall through his binoculars. He remarked, "Nice shooting trooper." Up until now they had referred to us as "hey you" or "sh*tface." Mandy gathered us together and said, "We have to get back to our lines." "We'll start out together, but we may have to split up and it will be every man for himself." Some of the men started grumbling , "How about the wounded trooper", "how about Sam Strain , we can’t leave them." When Gillespie asked for volunteers, the grumbling stopped. The sun had set. The plan was to try and make it back before it was too dark to see, but still not enough light for Gerry to zero in on us from the tree line. Gillespie looked at me and said, "Okay, I’m going to take off. You count to 10 and then take off after me. The rest of you guys follow Jack the same way." Mandy grabbed my arm and said "Okay, you hold it right here." I could hear the Germans open fire as Gillespie took off with the bullets kicking dust up around him. I counted to 5 and froze. Mandy let go of my arm and shouted "Go kid, go!" The squad was halfway across the field when Gillispie stopped and waved us all down. Within seconds, machine gun fire came whistling over us.
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This book was written to salute the achievements of RAF pilots seconded to the Glider Pilot Regiment in 1944/45 to replace the large number of pilots lost by the regiment during the ill-fated Operation Market-Garden at Arnhem in Holland in September 1944.
These RAF pilots, many of whom had trained abroad under the Empire Flying Training Scheme, had returned to the UK in the hope of flying fighter aircraft such as the Spitfire or Hurricane, fighter-bombers such as the Mosquito or Beaufighter, or heavy bombers such as the Lancaster or Liberator. Most of them were disappointed when they were ‘volunteered’ to fly gliders, a type of aircraft they had never intended to fly. Bearing Arnhem in mind, they were understandably apprehensive about the future...
Despite their misgivings, they went on to play a crucial role in the largest airborne operation of World War II, Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine on 24th March 1945. The significant part played by this large RAF contingent has been largely overlooked by historians to date and it is hoped that this book will go some way towards making up for this oversight.
Mrs. Hashway standing proudly over her son's war trophy captured in Munster.
An E-history by Thomas Hashway, 513 PIR
By March 1945, the Rhine was the final barrier separating the Allies from the heart of Germany. Plans were underway to cross this barrier and capture the Ruhr, Germany's industrial heartland. With the capture of the Ruhr, Germany's war machine would eventually collapse. The area chosen by the Allies to make the amphibious crossing was between the German cities of Emmerich and Wesel. The 17th Airborne Division and 6th British Airborne Division assisted the crossing by seizing several important objectives in a massive a daylight airborne assault. The Operation was titled Varsity. Tom Hashway's email brings us back to that day. (pko)
The day before the jump, I recall studying maps and sandbox images of our drop zone. Some of the boys were shaving their hair and giving each other Mohawk hair cuts using scissors and safety razors; painting their faces using charcoal. We were fed steak dinners that evening and I had a case of goose bumps. The next day, we boarded the planes in combat gear and parachutes. I was third man in the right hand stick (planes had two exit doors). I started to sweat this out and remember thinking, "Is this the end for me?" Our plane took off towing two gliders, each filled with glider troops and gear.
As we approached the Rhine River, the flak was thick enough to walk on. "Stand up", "hook up", "check your gear": I must have done that three times. You could hear some praying aloud. "Stand in the door," the jumpmaster yelled. This is it; "Red Light go!" We shoved each other out the door because everybody feared being hit by flak and going down in flames. I had a quick descent with a low branch landing. While releasing the harness, I looked up around and saw flaming planes and crashing gliders, wondering if those troops got out alive. Gunfire brought me back to reality. I crawled towards a few troopers, saw Col. Coutts, and joined him in the move to the assembly area. We had missed the drop zone by a few miles; firefights and skirmishes continued through the day. Some troopers were killed during descent, others in tree landings, some on rooftops, and a few with chutes wrapped around high wires. As we advanced, the Krauts reluctantly gave ground. Axis Sally had been announcing over the radio for a few days prior to the actual operation, "We know you are coming 17th Airborne Division, you will not need parachutes, you can walk down on the flak." On reaching the assembly area, we consolidated our forces and moved towards our objectives.
The next day, British armor came across and we climbed atop the tanks and moved forward towards Munster. As we moved toward Munster, the enemy was entrenched and we had to dig them out. Initially we took no prisoners, but later they surrendered in large groups. Since we were attached to Gen. Montgomery's northern army, we headed towards Munster aboard their tanks. We took one town after another; clearing out houses and pockets of resistance. Col. Coutts was hit in the shoulder by a mortar fragment, was tended to by medics, and later evacuated. I recall a city named Dulman, which was on the road to Munster, where we met some resistance.
We had acquired the 57mm recoilless shoulder weapons, replacing the Bazookas. This new weapon had much more firepower and accuracy. Roadblocks and opposition were no match for these new weapons combined with the British Tanks. We reached Munster in the dark of night.
We learned about some of Hermann Goring's pilots being billeted there. We waited until their morning roll call and captured all of them. I sent a couple of troopers to the roof of the barracks and brought down the Swastika flag and then raised the American Flag. I sent the Swastika home to my parents as a souvenir. A few weeks later, I received a photo of my Mom standing on the Swastika at a corner near our home for all of her neighbors to see. She was so proud. We stayed in Munster a few days and then were re-assigned to the Ruhr area to close that pocket of resistance.
Email Interview by Pat O'Donnell and edited by David Prim.
Copyright 1999 Patrick O'Donnell
Surviving M22 "Locust" light tank links up with armored column after Rhine River Crossing, March, 1945 (Operation Varsity)
Operation Varsity was the Allies main invasion effort across the Rhine River and into Germany for the Spring of 1945. 6th Airborne Division, along with American 17th Airborne Division, were to jump ahead of the ground forces across the Rhine and secure a beachhead. The plan left little room for the errors that had plagued earlier parachute operations: the jump was conducted in daylight with all units jumping on the first day, and the linkup with ground forces to take place on the first day of the operation. The 3rd Brigade fought on the left of the airborne forces, clearing the area and securing against counter-attack as the ground forces advanced.
It was during the fighting on the 3rd Brigade's landing zones that Corporal George Topham, a medical orderly in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, won the Victoria Cross. He witnessed two orderlies killed in an attempt to rescue a fallen solider. His citation follows:
Without hesitation, and on his own initiative, Corporal Topham went forward through intense fire to replace the orderlies who had been killed before his eyes. As he worked on the wounded man, he himself was shot through the nose. In spite of severe bleeding and intense pain, he never faltered in his task. Having completed first aid, he carried the wounded man steadily and slowly back through continuous fire to the shelter of a wood.
During the next two hours Corporal Topham refused all offers of medical help for his own wound. He worked most devotedly throughout this period to bring wounded in, showing complete disregard for the heavy and accurate enemy fire. It was only when all casulties had been cleared that he consented to his own wound being treated.
His immediate evacuation was ordered but he interceded so earnestly on his own behalf that he was eventually allowed to return to duty.
On his way back to his company he came across a carrier which had received a direct hit. Enemy mortar bombs were still dropping around, the carrier itself was burning fiercely and its own mortar ammunition was exploding. An experienced officer on the spot had warned all not to approach the carrier.
Corporal Topham, however, immediately went out alone in spite of the blasting ammunition and enemy fire and rescued the three occupants of the carrier. He brought these men back across the open, and although one died almost immediately afterwards, he arranged for the evacuation of the other two who undoubtedly owe their lives to him.
This NCO showed gallantry of the highest order. For six hours, most of the time in great pain, he performed a series of acts of outstanding bravery, and his magnificent and selfless courage inspired all those who witnessed it.
The operation was a success, and the Allied ground forces advanced to the airborne positions and relieved them on the same day. By March 25th the paratroopers were relieved by infantry units, and the Division was brought up to continue the advance with the van of the allied drive into Germany. Supported by tanks of the Guards, 6th Airborne pushed rapidly through Germany to the Baltic port of Wismar. This point was important as it cut off the advancing Russian armies from invading Denmark. On 2nd May paratroopers met with Russian soldiers, effectively ending operations. VE Day on the 8th officially ended the war.
'A' Company, 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
In the early morning of March 24th 1945 a force of 440 gliders of the Glider Pilot Regiment towed by 440 tug aircraft of the RAF, took off from airfields in southern England. Their contribution towards the invasion of Germany was to capture and hold the town of Hamminkeln along with three vital bridges over the River Issel. Their loads included 3380 troops of the 6th Air Landing Brigade, 271 Jeeps, 8 Locust Tanks, 2 Bulldozers, and more than 50 Anti-tank guns with ammunition.
Due to concentrated anti-aircraft defenses and the drift of the smoke screen covering the land offensive, six miles away, many of the gliders failed to reach their allocated landing zones. of the 402 gliders which reached the battle zone, 37 were destroyed by fire and only 88 remained undamaged. 102 glider pilots were killed (42 GRP and 60 RAF) and 102 wounded, most of these casualties occurring within the first 55 minutes of the battle. Many of the tug aircraft of 38 and 46 Group RAF were also shot down or damaged with the loss of 43 aircrew killed and 153 wounded.
"Varsity" was the largest airborne operation in history and has been described as the most successful.
An annual remembrance service is held at
The Marks Hall Obelisk Memorial
by kind permission of
The Thomas Phillips Price Trust.
Operation Varsity
from Woodbridge
CG-4A
Horsa
The unwritten word was that German paratroopers were taking no airborne prisoners and neither were we. My thirst for revenge became aroused as I saw our men lying helpless and dying along this bloody trail. I tried to help one of them who has been hit by a tree burst. The right side of his body had been slashed open, part of the tree still lodged in it. I yelled for a medic, I became somewhat hysteric as Cpl. Gillespie grabbed me by the arm and told me to keep moving.
I was struck by this passage; it reminded me of tape of the blasts shown last night--was it of Baghdad or Jerusalem?
I called Nancy away from sewing grandkid clothes to come see.
Four soldiers carried a stretcher with a man on it, and a fifth soldier ran alongside supporting about a five or six-foot length of steel imbedded in the man.
I knew it would remind Nancy of her Philadelphia emergency room shifts wherein patients were brought in with all manner of artifacts protruding, e.g., re-bar, steering columns, etc.
The scum who teach Pallie kids to revile Jews and to train those kids to be bombers, the Syrian or Irani "Islamic Jihad" or "Hezbollah" or "Hamas" bums who plan these cowardly acts--
The "al Qaeda" scum who did the WTC I (Ramzi the Iraqi Agent Yousef), Riyadh 1995, Khobar Towers 1996, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi 1998, USS Cole 2000, September 11, 2001--not to mention the Beirut Embassy and Marine Barracks 1983, Pan Am 103 1988, and the 160 acts of terror on Israelis since the June Hudna and the daily craven attacks on our people during Operation Iraqi Freedom--
Prisoners?
No, no prisoners.
Exhibits to be displayed on signposts at intervals along thoroughfares.
We'll need something to find our way since the road map to peace is in pieces.
If they believe power comes out of the barrel of the gun, we say, after you, Abbas. . . .
Abbas has been fired as a negotiating partner. Who's next?
Walter Cronkite, veteran news correspondent of World War II, flew into Holland in a CG-4A glider. He later said "If you have to go to war, Don't go in a glider"
Thanks for all the follow-up on Varsity. I agree with you about the terrorists. Hunt them down and kill them where they stand, sit or sleep. Due Process in their case should be a bullet or a kife across their throats will they sleep.
I actually liked that series.
I liked it, too. A little offbeat and I like that kind of stuff. Could be because (or so my friends tell me) I'm a half a bubble off? *snicker*
Heck, you could be seeing things from my perspective. LOL!
My favorite, just the right sense of warped humor.
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