Answers to your questions put to Brit Para Vets.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, I have finally got the time to reply. Very sorry for the delay but work has been busy

First of all I will start with a photograph taken at the XXI Indep. Para. Coy reunion two weeks ago. There are a couple of Vets missing from the photo who were at the Reunion but did not get on the photo.

The photo is kind of sad, as the gentleman sitting on the far right of the front row, John Melford, has since pased away. John returned home to the USA where he died quietly in his sleep sitting in his armchair after reading the newspaper. John joined the Coy in 1942 and fought at Arnhem where he was shot through the mouth while he was yawning! The bullet passed through both cheeks and missed his teeth and jaw, leaving him with a pair of holes which healed to form dimples. John fought under the name "Melford" as he was one of over 20 "aliens" of either German or Austrian Jewish descent who fought with the Coy.

[Adrian Stevenson]

I will try and answer each of the questions that you had asked in turn. I did not record converstions, I have found some Vets find a tape recorder puts them off from talking freely, but we have made hand written notes over the years.

Rob (DAK Rommel) asked about the DZ battle on Sept 17th etc:

The DZ/LZ were secured very easliy with little resistance put up by the Germans and several prisoners were taken. Most of the lads recalled it was like an exercise! They did lose one man to an accident, Clp. Jones. He was shot through the head by a rifle or Sten round from a weapon thrown onto the back of a cart that they had commandeered from a Dutch farmer. They were collecting up weapons from the DZ when this happened. He was the first man killed in "OP Market Garden".

No one used the Cricket Clickers or Quackers on this OP. But members of the Coy who formed the "Indep. Para. Platoon" for the drop in the South of France, ("OP Dragoon") did use them as this was a mainly American OP.

[Adrian Stevenson]

John asked about Major "Boy" Wilson, uniforms and brasso and the "Omershof incident":

"Boy" Wilson was a popular commander. It is hard to talk about him without refering to Major John Lander too, the units original CO, who was killed in Italy. Boy Wilson was 2 I/C under Major John Lander. Most of the lads refer to him as "Owd Bob". ("Owd" is British slang for Old) He was 47 for the Arnhem drop. Whereas most were in their late teens / early 20's. He was considered a very good judge of character and he could some sum up if a man was worthy of joining the Coy and was rarely proved wrong. He often would recruit men for the Coy direct from their Ringway training. John Lander was held in very high regard and is fill his shoes must have been a daunting task. Many of the lads said they prefered Major Lander, if forced to make a choice, but that is in no way a detraction from Boy Wilson. All said they would follow him anywhere. He was thought to be a very fair and capable CO.

I should perhaps talk about John Lander. He was a keen fit fanatic but was also very short sighted! He never wore glasses, even though he was "blind as a bat" without them. Stories abound about him. Here are a couple:

He used to take the Coy for route marches across Salisbury plain. This would be a 30 mile run in full kit. often a the half way point he would stop at a Pub for a drink (he liked a drink ) well one day he carried on marching going straight past the Pub. The Coy starting singing, (to the tune of "For he's a jolly good fellow") "For he's a rotton old bastard, for he's a rotton old bastard......." after about a mile he turned them around and went back to the Pub where the songs words were changed back to the proper lyrics! 4 pints of rough cider later they carried on with the march!

In the early days of the Coy everyone wore their old Regt or corps cap badge. Well one chap thought it would be funny to wear a womans ATS cap badge. It took Major Lander a month a spot it!

On one parade the Coy was formed up for inspection. At the time, 6th (Welsh) Battl. Para Regt was based next door to them. Major Lander walked down the line of the XXI and instead of moving around to inspect the second rank, carried on walking and inspected the 6th battl.too! Capt. Wilson, as he was then, wanted to try and grab hold of him and turn him aound but of course that was impossible!

More to come later...

[Allan H.]

In the early days of the Coy everyone wore their old Regt or corps cap badge. Well one chap thought it would be funny to wear a womans ATS cap badge. It took Major Lander a month a spot it!

On one parade the Coy was formed up for inspection. At the time, 6th (Welsh) Battl. Para Regt was based next door to them. Major Lander walked down the line of the XXI and instead of moving around to inspect the second rank, carried on walking and inspected the 6th battl.too! Capt. Wilson, as he was then, wanted to try and grab hold of him and turn him aound but of course that was impossible!

More to come later...

Ade,
I have tears streaming from my eyes from laughter after reading these two stories. Carry on man! Carry on!
Allan

[Si1964]

Ade,

Its been great so far , I wait in anticipation for the rest

[Adrian Stevenson]

Ommershof incident

Hi Guys, finally found time to add a bit more. John asked about this.

I have met Lt. Eastwood several times over the past few years but I had never asked him about this incident until this year, as I had read and been told it was something he was not happy about.

For those of you who have not heard of this action during the battle, here is a quick recap. (See General Qrquharts book "Arnhem" or "First In" for more info)

The 21st Indep Para Coy held a house and grounds named "Ommershof" in the northern part of the perimeter. The Germans called upon the 21st to surrender. Max Rodley who was a native German speaker called back to the effect that they were too frightened to come out into the open and that the Germans should come to get them. Approx 50 Germans then moved out of the woods into the open meadow between them and the 21st in the grounds of the "Ommershof" house.

I asked Lt. Eastwood what happened next. I also said that he was not expected to give an answer if he did not wish to do so? But he replied that he did not mind. He recalled Max calling out and told the platoon to give the Germans a minute. However, once they were all out in the open firing broke out! He stated that he was certain that it was not his men that began the firing, but that it was from a section of Glider Pilots and that it was Bren gun fire. At that point the platoon joined in and most of the Germans were killed or wounded. Lt. Eastwood called for "cease fire" but it was too late. He said he was very annoyed about it all and was unhappy about the whole affair.

I had quite a chat with him. I never realised that he worked for MI5 after he left the Army! He has written his memoires down

Here is a pic of David Eastwood and Lez.

[Adrian Stevenson]

John also asked about "Brasso" metal polish being taken to Arnhem by the Coy. All the Vets seemed to think that this story had been confused with Norway in May 1945. None took any "Brasso" to Arnhem, but they took plenty to Norway. All recall Norway with affection as the Coy had a whale of a time there!


Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Simon asked about the troops they met; the final push; and was it "A Bridge Too Far".

I asked about what did they think to the enemy troops they met at Arnhem to which they replied they did not meet many live ones! Few prisoners were taken due to the nature of the action being fought. But Laurie "Solly" Scott recalled an older German prisoner, aged about 50, who was glad be be out of the war so he thought. Solly said he often wondered what happened to this chap as he was a nice old guy who helped with the wounded. He wishes now he had his name to find out if he survived the war.

There seemed to be no resentment that XXX Corps did not reach them. They realised that they also had a hard fight on their hands.

Was it worth it? They all stated that after the 16 cancelled operations that they would have fought anywhere and under any crazy scheme. They all seemed to think it was worth the gamble at the time. The loss of mates was hard but most of them said "it was a war and that is the cost".

"A Bridge Too Far" is generally treated as a bit of a joke by the Vets.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Lee asked about the Battle at the Bridge and the withdrawl from Oosterbeek and some of the well known characters.


This one is hard to answer: the 21st IPC did not reach the Bridge, so I cannot add anything.

The withdrawl is one of the hardest questions to ask the Vets. Don Turner, who I have know for 6 years has not even told his wife how he got over the river. I have walked down the path with Don that he took to the river but that is all he would reveal. I think he lost a good mate there? Many lost comrades there in the last few hours of the battle and this is a difficult question to put to them.
Lt. David Eastwood told me he moved his No.1 platoon out and made their way down to the Rhine. He called into Kate Ter Horst's house to check if any of his men who had been wounded were there. None were present. He re-grouped his men with a call from a pea-whistle he used to carry. He used this as his men could recognise the note it made. Most got away by boat. He stated that once over the river he formed them up and they marched out in formation as a proud soldiers and not a rabble.
Sorry no stories on the VC winners or the Generals etc

[Adrian Stevenson]

Ashley asked about the Vets thoughts on the current Para Regt.


They would all like to keep ties with the current Pathfinder Platoon Paras. This has been tried over the years with varying degrees of sucess. Sadly, the current lads know nothing of their parent units exploits, but this is beginning to change slowly. The new RSM is keen to forge links with the Vets and has offered them a chance to see the current platoon in training and for them to see the latest kit.

[Gerd Becker]

Adrian,

fantastic report! Its like an episode of "Band of Brothers". Please go on and sqeeze every bit of information out of your brain.

best,
Gerd

[Si1964]

Ade,

Thanks for asking our questions and taking the time to reply, I am sorry to hear that the present members of the Rgt seem to not to be aware of their fore farthers exploits, but its nice to hear that the present RSM wants to change that.

I look forward to any more info you have have from your recent reunion.

Thanks

[DAK Rommel]

Para Vets

Hi Ade,

I have really enjoyed reading this thread.
Thanks very much for putting our questions to the Vets Ade, its not often some of us get the chance to talk to men like these.
And its of great importance to save these memories for the future.

Thanks again

Rob

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks for the replies Guys!

Here is Laurie "Solly" Scott in a wartime photo. Solly, like many others in the unit was a failed Glider Pilot. (This was a ploy of both Major Lander and Major "Boy" Wilson. They used to recruit from the Glider Pilot Regt. depot from men who had failed the course. Bear in mind this was an extreemly tough course, possibly one of the hardest to pass and the men were by no means "failiures". Most jumped at the chance to join the 21st.)

Solly served in No.2 Platoon and was a Eureka Beacon operator. In addition to the heavy beacon he carried a Bren Gun during the battle of Arnhem. He managed to wear out all the Bren gun barrels that he could lay his hands on and so had to carry on fighting using a Lee-Enfield No.4 rifle. Late on in the battle .303 ammo became hard to find, so Solly ditched the No.4 and took up a German K.98. He remembers that it was a good rifle and he said that he accounted for several of the enemy with it. Solly brought the rifle back over the Rhine with him.

Solly is quite a character and has a very dry sense of humour. He loves to wind me up He served after the war until his retirement as a CID Police Officer in the Metropolitain Police. It was during his Police service in the 1960's that he won the George Medal. Solly won his medal for disarming an escaped convict who had armed himself with a rifle. Solly talked him into giving himself up whilst the crook held him and another PC at gunpoint.
After Solly took a desk job, many other Officers used to ask to see his medal. They were only allowed to see it after placing a donation in a childrens charity collection tin which Solly kept on his desk. One day there was a tour of inspection by the Chief of the Met. Solly wanted to go home early to avoid this, but was ordered to stay. Sure enough the Chief stopped at Solly's desk and remarked "ah, you are the Offficer that won the GM" followed by the usual "Can I see your medal?". Solly's boss cringed knowing what would come next but hoping that it wouldn't... Solly said of course he could see it, picking up his charity tin and giving it a shake. The chief fumbled around, looking red faced, as he had no money in his pockets (rather like the Royal family Solly said) and ordered one of his entourage to make a donation on his behalf!

Solly can be seen in the group photo on the back row, second from the right.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Solly is always good for a story, mostly funny things. (In fact, most of the stories you hear from the Vets are about the good times and not the horror of war.) Here is one of them dating from the Companies time in North Africa near Blida in 1943:

Major Wilson ordered a route march which took the Coy up the Atlas mountains. Solly and several others entered the spirit of things and raced up the mountain side, but returned in double quick time by sliding down the shale on their backsides and their boot heels. Major Wilson refued to believe that they had completed the course and ordered them to do it again, but this time to bring proof and leave it in his tent if he was not there.
A few hours later the CO returned in his Jeep after visiting Div HQ. He was not in a good mood as the Coy were awaiting news of a ship back to the UK and none was available. His temper was not improved by finding a crowd of soldiers outside his tent watching Solly and the others arguing with a number of gesticulating Arabs, who appeared to be trying to enter his tent.
"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded. There was silence until one of the climbers ventured a hesistant reply.
"I think they want their Donkey, Sir"
Well, where the hell is it?"
"In your tent Sir, where you told us to put it"
"Well get it out of there and I will see you lot once I get back!"
The Donkey was removed and luckly there was no evidence of it's stay! Solly and the rest awaited the CO's return with trepidation but nothing came of it Later Capt. Spivey told the group that later that evening the CO had had a few Whiskeies in the tented Officers Mess and sat chuckling to himself. When asked what the joke was, all he would reply was "I will never get the better of those young bastards of mine!"