A strong German Infantry force with antiaircraft guns had occupied the drop area. These German forces were waiting to destroy our glider-borne forces coming from England carrying three artillery battalions and
engineer equipment. The gliders were expected to land around noon.
We raced back to the drop area and supported our battalion as it made a frontal assault and cleared the Germans from the area.
Our assault companies destroyed 19 antiaircraft guns and captured or killed many Germans. In true ‘Hollywood’ style, the first heavily laden fragile gliders arrived over the landing area as the fighting ceased. All of the gliders landed safely.
We did have some memorable times. For example, in Holland I discover-ed that one of our officers had a birthday - and I decided he should have a ‘surprise’ birthday party.
We held our party in a bombed out cellar where a farmer's wife had once stored canned fruits and vegetables. Joe Bressler and Oscar Prasse requisitioned (purloined) some rum from British officers. Bill Frickel cook-ed a pot of the best chicken soup - the chicken was liberated from a farmer's yard. We obtained a five gallon can of jelly to spread on ‘K' ration biscuits from a factory in Elst, a Dutch town in the German lines, and we swapped some ‘K’ rations with a farmer for some canned fruit.
As we were still in combat, not all the men of the platoon could attend the party, some were on observation posts and some were needed to service the mortars. However, most of the old timers were present that had served with the officer in Camp Blanding, and Camp Mackall - like Bill Goudy, Oscar Prasse, Arnold Foster, Larney Vancourt, Bill Frickel, Glenn Sommerville and Joe Bressler.
We sang Happy Birthday to the ‘surprised’ officer, ate the food, drank some rum and went back to our foxholes and the war. Over the years, the officer has told me ‘it was the best Birthday Party he has ever had.’
We celebrated ‘Armistice Day’ on November 11, 1944 by marching 22 miles out of Holland to meet trucks that carried us to Sissonne, France.
We missed going back to friendly Nottingham. However, we looked for-ward to a comfortable winter in the barracks of a French Artillery Post. | 
