A ?? RE: Don Burgett's Memoirs:

[NickM]

Guys:

I read Don Burgett's book 'Road to Arnhem', about his adventures in Holland during & after Market-Garden with the 101st; I recall a tale he relayed about a British Officer he observed, who led a British infantry unit (battalion/brigade?) against a German position--sorry the memory ain't what it used to be and I haven't read the book in quite a while. Anyway, Burgett lambasted the officer because he described the tactics he used as a 'Napoleonic Era Infantry attack by ranks'--of course the unit in question suffered heavy casualties. Does anybody know anything about this battle? Or is it some kind of 'war story'?

Thanks ahead of time.

[Carl Schwamberger]

Tough call. I've not yet seen Burgetts descriptions challenged, which is odd for someone as widely published. At a minimum there should be nit picking over minor details. In his later books Burgett did make use of some sort of historian/s as fact checkers but it is not clear how through this was. One editor described Burgett as having photographic memory or total recall.

Since Burgett provides a lot of dates, times, and locations it should not be difficult to check if there wa a British unit that made a attack when & where Burgett describes, then check for casualties to see if they were severe.

[NickM]

Originally Posted by Carl Schwamberger

Tough call. I've not yet seen Burgetts descriptions challenged, which is odd for someone as widely published. At a minimum there should be nit picking over minor details. In his later books Burgett did make use of some sort of historian/s as fact checkers but it is not clear how through this was. One editor described Burgett as having photographic memory or total recall.

Since Burgett provides a lot of dates, times, and locations it should not be difficult to check if there wa a British unit that made a attack when & where Burgett describes, then check for casualties to see if they were severe.

Do you happen to know the unit in question & the date it occurred? I can't even remember that...

[Carl Schwamberger]

Found it. Chapter Seven, first page. Attack by the Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry 5th Battalion, 6th October. The date places it long past the Market-Garden battle & location was adjacent to the village of Opheusden. Burgetts company or battalion was attacking through the village & the Brits had to attack across the adjacent fields. He describes the Brits walking into the attack in a "skirmisher" formation firing their Enfield rifles from the hip.

If we get any others with info on this I'll toss in the very few other details. Be interesting to see if there is any at all collaboration of Burgetts account.

[NickM]

...Thanks for the info; would a Regimental 'memoir' actually mention anything like a 'less than stellar' performance by an officer or a more costly than necessary op?

[mkenny]

http://www.band-of-brothers.be/index...earch&Itemid=2

D-Day plus 19 – 6 October 1944

During the night the enemy moved into the railroad station near OPHEUSDEN and by dawn they were in positions astride the road-railroad intersection. “G” Company was ordered to attack West along the north side of the railroad and retake the station and intersection. This attack was successful for approximately 600 yards. At this time “H” Company was pinned down and to prevent their left flank from being exposed, “G” Company had to halt. The enemy in estimated strength of one regiment attacked two Battalions abreast astride the railroad. Thus the 1st and 3rd Battalion came under heavy fire of all types. The 3rd Battalion held their ground, but the 1st Battalion had to pull back to the eastern edge of OPHEUSDEN. The 1st Battalion was ordered to hold their present positions until noon, which they did, and the 5th Battalion DCLI would move up on their left flank at this time. The Combat Team Commander ordered a counterattack to commence at 1230 hour. Because numerous delays the attack did not begin until 1345 hour, following a fifteen minute artillery preparation. The plan was as follows:
1st Battalion on the right, 5th Battalion DCLI on the left, with the main east-west street of OPHEUSDEN as the boundary. The attack was to proceed through the town of OPHEUSDEN to the western edge and deny the enemy the use of the town. The attack moved forward about 300 yards where extremely heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire stopped it. During this attack the enemy was infiltrating around the 1st Battalion’s right flank and the British left flank. Both Battalions had to withdraw their flanks to meet this threat. Under existing circumstances it was impossible to evacuate the wounded.
At this time word was received that supporting aircraft (Typhoons) would attack a ferry slip just north of OPHEUSDEN, and any target that could be marked with red smoke also would be attacked on a three minute notice.
Results of the attack: Ground taken which enemy had gained early in the morning.
The 3rd Battalion 327th Glider Infantry Regiment is attached to the Combat Team. The Combat Team Commander used this Battalion as follows:
After dark the battalion was to occupy a line approximately 1200 yards in the rear of the 1st Battalion and the 5th Battalion DCLI. When 327th Battalion is in position, the 5th Battalion DCLI and the 1st Battalion 506th are to withdraw, in the order listed, to a position in rear of the 327th Battalion.
The 5th Battalion DCLI was relieved from the Combat Team as soon as the withdrawal was effected. This was a very delicate maneuver to execute, as the British Battalion could not withdraw in any direction without exposing the 1st Battalion’s left flank, and the 1st Battalion could not withdraw without exposing the British Battalion’s right flank. This would leave the British Battalion with both flanks exposed, and since the 1st Battalion right flank was anchored to the NEDER-RIJNRiver it was decided to withdraw the British Battalion first to be followed by the 1st Battalion 506th.
The withdrawal of the British was completed by 2300 hour.Apparently the enemy was unaware or incapable of taking advantage of the exposed flank of the 1st Battalion.
The withdrawal of both units and the evacuation of all wounded was completed by 0230 hour, D plus 20.
The 1st Battalion moved to an assembly area about 200 yards east and to the rear of the Battalion of the 327th arriving there at 0430, D plus 20.
The attack directed at the 3rd Battalion early in the day was broken up due to excellent observation for mortar and artillery fire. The open terrain afforded good fields of fire for the
3rd Battalion’s small arms.
2nd Battalion reported a relative quiet day.
Dispositions: 3rd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry, 3rd Battalion 327th Glider Infantry, and 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry on the line. 2nd Battalion 327th Glider Infantry in Combat Team reserve, and 1st Battalion 506th moving into assembly area for reorganization.



and from the De Laforce book on 43rd Wessex Division:

. On the 5th and 6th [October] 101st US Airborne Division relieved the Wyverns and brigades withdrew south of the Waal — except for the Cornwalls [5th DCLI] who had to fight one last battle. Opheusden is a village on the Neder Rijn west of Randwijk, which was occupied by 506th RCT (Regimental Combat Team) American battalion backed up by Scots Greys Shermans. But a strong enemy build-up was detected late on the 5th so the Cornwalls, as divisional reserve, moved to Andelst railway station in case they were needed. They were. The Americans, having eliminated 200 Germans the previous day were now pushed back to the eastern outskirts of the village 'Col. Sink and l decided', wrote Col. George Taylor, 'that the best policy was a combined Anglo·American spoiling attack along the road [westwards] to the village church with the Cornwalls on the left, Americans on the right, supported by a thin artillery bsrrage and mortar fire. The Scots Greys were to capture a small bridge and open up the road. lt was a nasty, savage little battle that went on for many hours against A/T guns, mortars, MG and small arms fire from a determined enemy. The many evil-smelling irrigation ditches were just one hazard. The radios all failled to work. One of the Scots Greys tanks, having knocked out about thirty enemy troops was itself 'brewed up' and the road blocked.The village mill was crammed full of American, British and German wounded. Sgt. Baron MM and Lt. Snell fired Brens from the hip and threw grenades. Maj. Kingston, Capt. Spencer and Lt Snell were wounded. The Americans ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw. Lt. Welsh and Sgt. Baron were killed amongst the seventy Cornwall casualties that day. ’Company losses were severe, the men could make no further headway. But they put down enough fire with Brens, mortars to hold the enemy in a deadly stalemate', wrote Col. George Taylor. 'All the battallion jeeps under Lt. Birchenall, the Pioneer officer, late that night ferried out all our wounded, American and British. A new fresh battalion relieved us, digging in further to the east. Maj-G Maxwell Taylor, the American divisional commander, personly thanked the Cornwalls who 'attacked on schedule with vigour and determination in the face of withering enemy fire. Their courage was an inspiration.'




5th DCLI lost 300 KIA from June 24th 1944 to May 5th 1945.
KIA total for October 6th was 19.

http://www.britisharmedforces.org/li...i/duke_ww2.htm

[NickM]

Sounds like the Cornwalls & everyone else had a very tough day--Taylor's comments about attacking with vigour & determination the face of withering enemy fire is helpful.