September 24th, 1944, 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

The Second Crossing

Shortly after midnight, the noise of artillery fire and mortar shells intensifies, joined by the sharp rattle of machine guns. Unlike the previous night, when the fire is more random, the Germans are now targeting a specific objective.

Between 00:20 and 00:50 hours, 12 RB3 boats arrive consecutively and it isn’t until around 02:00 hours that an officer arrives to guide the Polish soldiers. “It took a long time to get the boats from XXX Corps,” is all he says, illuminated briefly by German flares. The boats also arrive without the promised Canadian crews. Consequently, men from the Engineer Company have to operate the boats themselves, using unfamiliar equipment in the dark and under much heavier German fire than the previous night.

The first crossing does not commence until 03:00 due to these issues, compounded by the need to drag and carry the boats 450 metres over fields, ditches, and a high bank. The situation at the riverside further deteriorates with the discovery that the boats can only hold twelve men, necessitating a rapid reorganisation that causes considerable confusion. Captain Budziszewski, the engineer commander, is reportedly heard “swearing like a Polish officer has never been heard to swear before.”

Sosabowski is also concerned about crossing at the same location as the previous night, fearing that the enemy has prepared fixed lines of fire and mortar barrages. The leading troops must carry the heavy boats several hundred metres to the river, moving as silently as possible under the cover of darkness, despite the threat of flares and artillery. As they approach the water, a large mill on the southern bank of the river caught fire, with its massive wings swinging aimlessly. The scene is surreal as the wings rise high into the air before descending toward the dark outline of the forest. Suddenly, a crimson flame erupts near the ferry crossing, though it is unclear whether this is caused by mines, remnants of the jetty, or a rocket igniting prematurely.

The source of the large blaze to the southeast was easily identified as the village of Driel, where the Polish Brigade is beginning its crossing to the northern side. Meanwhile, on the northern side, the suburb of Arnhem and the western edge of Oosterbeek are also burning. The Polish troops are effectively moving from one hazardous situation to another, passing through one area under fire to another.

The sound of machine-gun fire grows louder as the group makes its way to the river. The crossing point is chaotic, with several boats already in the water. Parachute flares light the sky, giving the Germans a clear view, and bullets rip through the river, creating lines of spray as they strike.

When the first boats are launched, they are met with intense machine-gun fire. One boat is hit, and it floats downstream, empty, after the entire crew is either killed or wounded. Other boats sink into the mud, lacking enough men to move them. Recognising the situation as a death trap, Sosabowski orders the remaining boats to withdraw and attempt the crossing from another point.

The brigade shifts to a new crossing point, closer to Sosabowski’s forward headquarters behind a dyke. He observes the troops forming up, impressed by the officers’ leadership under extreme pressure. However, out in the open, the soldiers are exposed to relentless machine-gun fire and mortar bombardments. Sosabowski hears an officer give the order: “Lift boat!” The troops struggle forward, their silhouettes briefly visible against the factory blaze before vanishing into the darkness.

Progress is painfully slow. Bullets hiss past and splash into the water, and just as the boat reaches the halfway point, a sudden shot rings out, striking a soldier. After a tense moment, it becomes clear the helmet has taken the impact, saving him from serious injury. He urges the group to keep paddling.

The far shore comes into view, and they push through exhaustion, finally reaching the muddy bank. They scramble out and seek shelter in the nearby trees, catching their breath. From there, they watch other boats attempt the dangerous crossing. A few boats remain, one of which is hit by a burst of gunfire, sending men overboard. Another struggles through, making it to shore just in time.

A canopy of tracer rounds follows the first boat across the river, hanging over it as it nears the shore, where the men disembark into the mud. This pattern repeats as more boats set out from the southern bank. The boats zigzag across the river to avoid German fire. Sometimes the maneuvres are successful; other times, they are not.

Throughout the night, Sosabowski receives reports of boats successfully crossing while others are lost to enemy fire. Every time he steps outside, he sees stretcher-bearers carrying the wounded back from the front while fresh troops move forward, determined to replace them.

Suddenly, a massive explosion occurs nearby, momentarily disorienting Sosabowski. An airburst has detonated above his position, but miraculously, the only person wounded is the Chief Engineer, who is sitting next to him. Shortly after, a runner arrives, reporting that the embarkation point is under heavy fire, with mounting casualties. Sosabowski immediately heads to the riverbank to assess the situation firsthand.

There is no time to dwell on losses. The reinforcements must be moved to their positions as quickly as possible. The journey across the meadow is even more dangerous than the previous night, with the enemy now targeting it with mortar fire. Machine-gun fire also sweeps the area as the men advance and take cover in the undergrowth on the outskirts of Oosterbeek.

At the church, the Polish soldiers are divided into groups, with some directed to the Airlanding Brigade and others to different positions. One of the guides advises, “Move in open file; there are snipers in the forest, and a German patrol may be encountered.”

Under a large tree, the men discuss the challenges faced during the crossing. Rafts were attempted but sank immediately. Various other methods were tried, including using doors from village houses. The sappers worked continuously under fire as they rowed the boats across. Lieutenant Pudelko notes that everything had to be done by the team alone, without external assistance.

Lieutenant Colonel E. Myers, the Commander Royal Engineers of the 1^st Airborne Division, on the south bank, observes that there is no fault in the efforts made by the Polish the men do as much as they can under the circumstances. He notes that they are not trained for river crossings, a situation not anticipated in the Arnhem plan, and that proper boats are not available. However, their seamanship is considered less than adequate.

Daylight brings a halt to further crossings. In total, 153 men are ferried across: 95 from the 3^rd Parachute Battalion, 44 anti-tank gunners, and 14 men from Brigade Headquarters, less than a quarter of the anticipated number. These figures do not account for the casualties incurred during the boat crossings or shortly after landing, as those individuals were promptly returned to the southern bank of the river for treatment or evacuation.

Major-General Sosabowski does cross the Rhine but also returns to Driel with the majority of his command. The Polish paratroopers who make it to Oosterbeek, take up defensive positions near Villa Transvalia along Kneppelhoutweg and Hoofdlaan. They dig in and construct foxholes to protect themselves from enemy fire.

Driel

At 06:00 hours, the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade returns to its defensive positions in Driel. Sosabowski heads to the dressing station, proud of his men’s bravery, but deeply saddened by the heavy casualties suffered during the crossing. The station is crowded with wounded, and the air is thick with the smell of blood. Surgeons, working by candlelight and paraffin lamps, operate tirelessly, their steel helmets replacing surgical caps. Despite the devastation, their skill and dedication save many lives that would otherwise be lost.

By 10:00 hours, the Commander of the XXX Corps, Lieutenant-General Horrocks, commander of XXX Corps, arrives in Driel to assess the situation firsthand and consult with Major-General Sosabowski. Horrocks warmly shakes his hand and informs him that the 1st Battalion of the Polish Brigade is on its way and should be joining the fight within hours. Horrocks also asks for a full briefing on the situation.

Sosabowski explains that the remnants of the 1st Airborne Division, along with part of his brigade, are north of the Rhine, holding isolated positions. They do not have a permanent route to the river, and a narrow corridor that exists is constantly disrupted by the Germans. He shows Horrocks the area where they had attempted crossings and points out another possible crossing point. Sosabowski warns that with mounting German resistance, any further attempts to send reinforcements across the river should happen immediately.

From the church tower in Driel, Horrocks asks Sosabowski for his recommendation on the next course of action. Sosabowski proposes two options: either launch a significant reinforcement across the Rhine or withdraw the airborne troops before they are overrun. Horrocks favours the first option, planning to send a battalion of the 43^rd Infantry Division across the river that night near the 1^st Airborne’s positions, followed by a complete brigade crossing at Renkum, 6.5 kilometres downstream. After the briefing, Horrocks invites Sosabowski to attend a conference at the headquarters of the 43rd Division. Horrocks then departs, smiling and waving to the troops as he leaves.

Valburg Conference

At 11:30 hours, Major-General Sosabowski, and part of the Polish Headquarters depart for a conference at the Headquarters of the 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry Division at Valburg, midway between Driel and Nijmegen, with the commanders of the XXX Corps. Lieutenant-Colonel Stevens, who has secured a jeep, drives Sosabowski to Valburg. Compared to Sosabowski’s makeshift frontline position, the headquarters is a stark contrast, luxurious by wartime standards. Caravans, lorries, and large tents serve as offices and living quarters, and the officers are clean, well-dressed, and clearly more comfortable.

Sosabowski meets Major-General George Thomas, the commander of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division. The two generals present a striking contrast. Thomas is immaculately dressed in a pressed uniform and cap, exuding confidence, while Sosabowski, in his worn airborne smock and muddy boots, looks battle-hardened and weather-beaten.

The idea is to finalise the details for the night’s crossing operation. Sosabowski, accompanied by Lieutenant J. Dyrda, one of the Brigade’s best English speakers, attends the meeting. The conference takes place in a tent, with Sosabowski on one side and three British generals, Horrocks, Browning, and Thomas, commander of the 43^rd Infantry Division, along with their staff on the other. Dyrda is required to stand behind Sosabowski, creating an atmosphere that Jerzy Dyrda later describes as resembling a court-martial.

Horrocks opens the meeting by stating that two crossings will take place that night, both under the command of Major-General Thomas, who then provides brief details. The plan involves the 4^th Battalion, Dorset Regiment from the 130^th Infantry Brigade, followed by the 1^st Parachute Battalion of the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, crossing near the Driel ferry to capture the Westerbouwing heights. A second crossing, involving the remainder of the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, is scheduled to occur further east at the site of previous attempts. Both crossings are set to begin at 22:00 under the overall command of Brigadier Walton. Sosabowski is shocked and frustrated that one of his battalions is reassigned without his input, a significant breach of military protocol. Lieutenant Dyrda, translating the discussion for Sosabowski, chooses not to mention that a Polish major-general is being required to relinquish control of one of his battalions to a young British brigadier who has not even surveyed the crossing area.

The room falls silent, with no questions from the British officers, suggesting they are already fully briefed on the plan. Sosabowski stands and, through Dyrda, expresses his concerns that the chosen crossing point for the 4^th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment and his 1^st Parachute Battalion will encounter strong German opposition. He proposes a landing further west, which he believes would be unopposed, based on his observations of German movements. Despite this, Major-General Thomas reiterates the original orders with firm resolve.

This situation leads Sosabowski to speak directly in English, his fluency increasing with his frustration. He argues that the planned crossing lacks the strength to significantly impact the battle north of the river and would result in unnecessary casualties. Horrocks ends the discussion, insisting that the operation proceed as planned and warns that a new commander will be appointed if Sosabowski is unwilling to carry out the orders.

As Sosabowski leaves the tent, he sees General Thomas speaking with Colonel Stevens, the British liaison officer for the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, giving instructions for the Polish Brigade. Sosabowski approaches, but Thomas deliberately ignores him. After delivering his orders, Thomas walks away without any acknowledgment, not even a handshake or a nod in Sosabowski’s direction.

Following this uncomfortable exchange, General Browning, who has remained silent throughout the meeting, approaches Sosabowski and invites him to lunch in Nijmegen. Given the slight from Thomas, Sosabowski is pleased by the invitation, especially as he still hopes to persuade Browning to support his plan for a large-scale river crossing.

After the meeting, Sosabowski and Stevens drive to Nijmegen, where Corps Headquarters is located. Along the way, they pass through a landscape scarred by battle, with evidence of fierce fighting in the surrounding countryside. Shellfire continues to rumble from the nearby high ground, held by the U.S. 82^nd Airborne Division. Sosabowski reflects on how precarious the position would have been had Operation Comet gone ahead without support on that high ground.

At Corps Headquarters, Sosabowski and Stevens are warmly received by staff officers, who bombard them with questions about the ongoing battle. They share a meal in far more comfortable conditions than Sosabowski is accustomed to, fine china, attentive waitstaff, and a well-prepared meal, a stark contrast to the basic rations Sosabowski would have eaten from a mess tin at the front.

Towards the end of the meal, General Browning catches Sosabowski’s eye and invites him to a private meeting in his caravan. Browning, always meticulously dressed, gets straight to the point. He explains that his main concern is keeping the road between Nijmegen and Eindhoven open, as the Germans are frequently cutting the supply route. He also wants to bring more vehicles closer to the front.

Sosabowski asks Browning about the chances of successfully crossing the Neder Rhine. He stresses that every delay strengthens the German defence, especially as they become aware that Allied forces are advancing on the south bank. Browning’s response lis that the river crossing may not succeed because they lack adequate equipment.

In disbelief, Sosabowski presses further, pointing out that ambulances are able to reach Driel and evacuate wounded soldiers, so there is no reason why bridging equipment cannot be transported as well. Browning repeats that the Germans have cut the road, and there is no clear timeline for reopening it. Frustrated, Sosabowski urges Browning to make a final effort to assist the 1^st Airborne Division, emphasising the heavy casualties being suffered each day.

After more than an hour, feeling that his concerns are not being taken seriously, Sosabowski leaves the meeting with mixed emotions. Hei returns to his newly obtained staff car, visibly frustrated and returns to Brigade Headquarters. Orders confirming the planned assaults arrive at around 17:00, with the attack scheduled for 21:00 Hours.

Arrival of the missing part of 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

By 19:30 hours Major Thon, the 1^st Parachute Battalion and part of the 3^rd Battalion, totalling 551 officers and other ranks, arrive in Driel after being dropped in the Grave area. The paratroopers spending the previous night at Malden are transported to Driel by truck.

Thon explains that after taking off on September 21^st, 1944, his planes had been recalled due to bad weather, leaving them stranded until they could finally depart on September 23^rd, 1944. This fresh battalion is a much-needed reinforcement, and Sosabowski orders them to follow the Dorsets in the night’s assault.

Meanwhile, the part of the troops that had previously departed as the Seaborne tail arrives in Driel that very same day. This group includes ambulances, which are immediately put to use to evacuate around seventy wounded soldiers to Nijmegen.

Polish Airborne at Oosterbeek

The Polish troops, having crossed the river during the night, are deployed to the western side of the perimeter. There, they take over positions in the woods from the British forces. The Poles share their food supplies with the British troops, although the British decline the cold pudding, as it is too dangerous to start a fire to warm it.

Later that morning, the Poles move eastwards, then shift north within the perimeter to relieve British forces at “the crossroads,” the junction of the Utrechtseweg, just east of Hartenstein, with the Stationsweg and Pietersbergseweg. The British have established emergency hospitals in Villa Vreewijk and Hotel Schoonoord on the eastern corners of the crossroads. The houses along the east side of Stationsweg are under British control, and it is here that the Poles begin relieving the British units, who belong to the same company that secured the gliders on September 19^th, 1944.

During the handover, the Polish commander, Captain Gazurek, is fatally shot by a sniper on a rooftop and is killed within five minutes of arriving, while he is inspecting the positions. Shortly after, the Polish troops, numbering around eighty, take over from the smaller British garrison, which had only about thirty soldiers remaining. In one of the houses, previously held by a depleted British section, approximately thirty Polish soldiers now take up the positions.

Among the British forces are soldiers who originally came to the UK as Jewish refugees from Germany, resulting in communication between the British and Poles taking place in German.

By the afternoon, a temporary ceasefire is declared to allow for the evacuation of wounded soldiers from the emergency hospitals to the main hospital in Arnhem. However, the Poles, with their experience of German tactics from their homeland, are initially suspicious of the Red Cross flag, believing it could be misused by the Germans. They fire on the first Germans they spot. It is only after British intervention that the Poles agree to honour the ceasefire.

During the evening, at the villa Quatre Bras, located on the corner of the Utrechtseweg in Oosterbeek, the Polish troops receive an ultimatum from the Germans. The enemy claims that their field hospital is being shelled from the villa and demands that the Poles surrender their position, threatening to attack with tanks if they refuse. The Polish troops contact Captain Zwolański at the 1^st Airborne Division’s headquarters, who decisively rejects the ultimatum.

Following this, the Germans launch a tank assault. The Polish forces fend off the attack using Gammon bombs, a type of improvised hand grenade. Under the cover of darkness, the Poles approach the tanks. Confusion arises among the German troops when they are addressed in German, or something resembling it, which allows the Poles to get close. Using the Gammon bombs at short range, they manage to scare off the German tank crews, forcing them to retreat.

Later that same evening, more tank activity is observed, with the tanks bombarding the Polish positions for about half an hour, but the Poles hold their ground.

3rd Parachute Battalion’s river crossing

At 21:00 hours, the 2^nd Parachute Battalion is in position, ready to attempt their river crossing. However, Lieutenant-Colonel Stevens arrives with a message from General Thomas delaying the operation due to the non-arrival of boats for the main assault. Sosabowski asks when the boats are expected to arrive, but Stevens has no concrete answer. He then hesitantly asks Sosabowski if he is willing to hand over his brigade’s boats to the Dorsets to ensure the main assault can proceed.

Though reluctant, as Sosabowski believes he could still successfully get his own troops across the river, he recognises the importance of the larger assault. After weighing his options, he agrees the transfer of the boats to the Dorsets.

However, at 21:45 hours, a British officer arrives at the 2^nd Parachute Battalion crossing site and instructs the Polish engineer commander, Lieutenant Szczygiel, to hand over his boats. After confirming with headquarters, the boats are surrendered. Sosabowski has received a request from the 43^rd Infantry Division to turn the boats over to the 4^th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment from the 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry Division indicating that the crossing will be delayed due to a shortage of boats. The boats lent to the Brigade Group for the previous night’s crossing must be returned to the 43^rd Division, which is organising the crossing at the ferry area.

At 22:45 hours, the planned crossing of the 2^nd Parachute Battalion and Brigade Headquarters is cancelled due to the lack of boats. The crossing of the 1^st Parachute Battalion, following the 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment and supplies, remains scheduled.

The crossing by the 4^th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment eventually begins three hours late, at 01:00. Initial heavy artillery fire keeps the Germans suppressed, allowing most of two rifle companies and a headquarters element to cross. However, by 02:15, the operation is halted as German fire intensifies, despite several hours of darkness remaining. This also cancels the planned crossing of Polish 1^st Parachute Battalion.

Approximately 300 men of the Dorsets make it across the river, but, as Sosabowski predicted, they have little impact on the battle. Their route after crossing the river leads into well-prepared German positions, resulting in over 200 of the 315 men who crossed being captured. General Horrocks did also recognise the 1^st Airborne Division’s untenable position, and developped preliminary plans for a withdrawal. Two men who successfully reach the 1^st Airborne Division positions bring copies of the withdrawal plan for Urquhart’s review.

This marks the end of attempts to cross the river from the south to the north.

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