September 19th, 1944, 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

As the Third Lift with the Polish Airlanding forces approaches the 7^th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers holds a critical defensive position around Landing Zone L. This location is of paramount importance as it is where the gliders carrying the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group are expected to land. The Polish Brigade’s vehicles and anti-tank guns are slated to touch down here, while the main body of parachutists is set to drop on Drop Zone K, approximately 1.6 kilometres south of Arnhem Bridge. However, a thick fog blankets the airfields in England, grounding the majority of the Polish parachutists and canceling their lift. Although the Royal Air Force glider airfields are similarly affected by fog, it eventually lifts, allowing the glider segment of the Third Lift to proceed.

The 7th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, face relatively light enemy interference at Landing Zone L, despite a heavy shelling around midday. Earlier in the day, a small number of German fighter aircraft strafes the British positions. Although their attack causes minimal damage, the mere presence of enemy aircraft, after having enjoyed near-total Allied air superiority, catches the British off guard.

As the scheduled time for the Third Lift passes with no sign of the gliders, the 1^st Airborne Division becomes increasingly anxious. They are unaware of the delays caused by the weather and anxiously await the much-needed reinforcements. This delay places the 4^th Parachute Brigade of the 1^st Airborne Division in a precarious situation. Meanwhile the 10^th Parachute Battalion and the 156^th Parachute Battalion of the 1^st Airborne Division are retreating from their positions towards Landing Zone L, pursued closely by enemy forces, including armoured vehicles. The possibility that the zone could be overrun before the gliders land looms large.

The situation is further complicated by the 4^th Parachute Brigade’s need to cross south of the railway line to regroup with the rest of the 1^st Airborne Division and attempt another advance toward Arnhem. Unbeknownst to them, the 11^th Parachute Battalion of the 1^st Airborne Division has failed to secure the critical high ground at Heijenoord-Diependal. The Brigade identifies two potential crossing points for their vehicles: the stations at Oosterbeek and Wolfheze. It is assumed that both, if not already in German hands, soon will be. The closer Oosterbeek Hoog station lies at a junction with Dreijenseweg, which is firmly under German control. Initially, the Brigade plans to attack this area, but intelligence from the Dutch Resistance reveals that a large enemy force, Kampfgruppe von Tettau, is closing in from the west. Alarmed by this news, the Brigade decides to take a longer route to secure Wolfheze before the enemy arrives. With the 7^th Parachute Battalion of the 1^st Airborne Division unable to abandon Landing Zone L and the two parachute battalions being squeezed against the railway line by advancing enemy forces from three directions, the 4^th Parachute Brigade finds itself in dire straits.

This lift, the third glider operation for the 1st Airborne Division, included not only stragglers from previous lifts but also 15 Horsas departing from Royal Air Force Keevil. These gliders carried personnel and equipment from the Brigade’s Headquarters, Signals, Medical, and Transport and Supply Companies, with a total cargo of 22 jeeps, 11 trailers, and 35 men. The gliders were towed by aircraft from No. 196 Squadron and No. 299 Squadron, with pilots from various squadrons including A, B, D, and E.

An additional 20 Horsas assigned to the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade flew from Royal Air Force Tarrant Rushton, towed by aircraft from No. 298 Squadron and No. 644 Squadron. These gliders carry 20 jeeps, 10 trailers, 10 6-pounder anti-tank guns, 16 motorcycles, and 74 men, all from the Polish Anti-Tank Battery. The pilots come from a mix of squadrons, including A, C, and G. Out of the 35 gliders, it is believed that 28 successfully landed on Landing Zone L, with the rest forced to abort or cast off prematurely due to various issues. One glider suffers a direct hit from flak, disintegrating in mid-air and killing all aboard.

As the gliders approach their target, they fly at a higher altitude than the supply aircraft, making them less vulnerable to flak. However, as they descend, they are met with a barrage of anti-aircraft fire and small arms fire. Several gliders are hit, though only one is brought down. Its nose is shot off by flak, causing it to crash and eject its cargo of Polish soldiers and a Jeep over the Landing Zone.

At that critical moment, something completely unforeseen occurs. From the north, Messerschmitt’s appear, rapidly closing in on the slower-moving Horsas. Their machine guns erupt, filling the sky with gunfire. Several gliders catch fire, spiraling out of control before crashing to the ground. Others are forced to land with damaged undercarriages, their torn fuselages and broken rudders visible from a distance. One glider disintegrates in mid-air, scattering a jeep, an anti-tank gun, and personnel as it breaks apart. The severity of the attack is far beyond what anyone anticipated.

Although the 7^th Battalion is unable to prevent the Germans from firing at the gliders while they are in the air, the gliders manage to land without interference once they descend below the tree line. Unfortunately, many gliders land heavily, damaging much of their equipment. Of the ten Polish anti-tank guns that left England, only three are serviceable upon landing.

Polish soldiers who survive the Messerschmitts’ assault and manage to land quickly disembark and begin unloading their gliders. However, the Messerschmitts continue to circle above the landing zone, strafing it with machine-gun fire. As they withdraw, German infantry, advancing rapidly from the surrounding forest, press forward towards the landing area. The numerically superior German forces engage the British defenders, pushing them back and ultimately taking control of the landing ground.

The German troops then turn their fire on the surviving gliders, riddling them with bullets that tear through the wooden frames, vehicles, and men. The soldiers who remain unscathed are forced to flee to escape the overwhelming enemy assault, which has caught them completely off guard.

In the confusion, it is believed that only three of the ten anti-tank guns are successfully unloaded. One of these guns is commandeered by an officer, reportedly from the 10^th Parachute Battalion, and is never seen again. Two others managed to reach Oosterbeek under the command of 2^nd Lieutenant W. Mleczko. Additionally, Major-General Sosabowski’s personal jeep is flown in and safely unloaded, but it is intercepted by German forces en route to Oosterbeek. The driver is wounded and captured, and when the Germans discover a suitcase bearing Sosabowski’s name, they falsely broadcast that he is killed. The landing is costly, with nine of the 93 Polish personnel either killed or fatally wounded.

Compounding the chaos, two gliders mistakenly land 3 kilometres away on Landing Zone S, which has already been overrun by German forces. These gliders should have landed during the Second Lift, and their pilots had not been informed that the Third Lift was designated for a different zone. While one group may have managed to slip away and rejoin friendly forces, the other, part of the 7^th Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers Mortar Group, is quickly surrounded and taken prisoner.