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I served with
distinction in the HQ 1st light machine gun Platoon from August 15th
to September 21st 1944, when I was critically wounded and
evacuated.
On September 17th
1944, a sunny afternoon, we parachuted into occupied Holland.
I landed in a field
occupied by German infantry and anti-aircraft guns just a few miles south
of Nijmegen. I landed without a scratch, the German anti-aircraft guns
were destroyed or abandoned with many Germans killed or captured. We were
ordered to establish a road block on a major highway approach to Nijmegen.
At dawn, I
discovered we were alone. A Company had gone into the city without telling
us. After a guarded tour of the city looking for A Company or other
friendly troops, we made our way back to the drop zone.
There we learned
our Battalion had engaged in a furious fight to wrest the drop zone from
German infantry and anti-tank guns. These Germans were determined to
destroy the arriving 82nd Airborne Division, Glider Borne
Artillery and the Divisions heavy engineering equipment.The Germans were
killed or captured and 19 of the 20 anti-aircraft guns were destroyed.
All of the Gliders
landed safely.
On September 21st,
our Battalion situation was chaotic. Company A, was fighting to hold
Devils Hill. B Company was fighting of German attacks and the Battalion
area was infested with German Snipers.
The marksmanship of
the German snipers was extraordinary skilful.
Of the 17 men
killed by sniper fire, 10 were killed by head shots.
About noon the
Germans increased the tempo of their attacks.
All four of our
guns were firing.
My squad leader
called for ammunition and as trained we threw a box of 250 rounds towards
him.
The ammunition box
hit be on the back and simultaneously I was shot in the head.
The army discharged
me on June 19th, 1945.
I went on to become
a successful husband, father and business man. |
