September 22nd, 1944, 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

Return of Captain Zwolanki

Captain Zwolanski returns within the perimeter of the 1^st Airborne Division, at dawn, tired but in good spirits, dressed in Dutch civilian clothes after successfully re-crossing the river by boat. He mentions that the swim across the frigid river was challenging, and that he came under fire from the Germans during the crossing. He reports that he located the Brigade near the ferry and briefed the General, but reveals that only two battalions are accounted for, with the rest unlocated. The Brigade is heavily engaged with the Germans, who are pressing hard, while the Brigade counter-attacks. They plan to search for a way to cross the river today and attempt to cross tonight.

Link up with XXX Corps

At dawn, three Daimler Dingo scout cars from the Household Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant R. Wrottesley, navigate through country lanes and reach Driel. Later that day, a small contingent of Sherman tanks from the 4^th/7^th Royal Dragoon Guards, accompanied by infantry from the 5^th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in Bren gun carriers, also arrive in Driel.

Upon spotting them, General Sosabowski issues a clear order to the tank commander: “Attack those houses ahead and drive the Germans out.” The tank commander responds, “Very good, sir, but there are mines in the area. Someone needs to lead the way.” With no one else available, as all personnel is already engaged in combat, Sosabowski noticed a lady’s junior bicycle nearby. Taking swift action, the General mounted the bicycle and signals to the tanks, “Follow me!”

The result was successful, with the tanks clearing the Germans from the houses. Later on, they also damage a German steamer and sink three German barges on the Neder Rijn, disrupting German supply lines and river operations.

Although this marks a near connection between the ground forces and the airborne troops, the position at Driel remains precarious. The troops are situated at the end of a long, vulnerable corridor that is difficult to defend and can easily be severed.

German Reaction to the Landing of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade

The landing of the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade at Driel one day earlier makes the Germans to reassess their troop dispositions. Concerned that the newly arrived Polish forces might cut off the main road to Nijmegen, thereby trapping the 10. SS-Panzerdivision “Frundsberg”, or even attempt to retake Arnhem Bridge, the Germans divert approximately 2,400 soldiers who would have otherwise been committed to the battle at the perimeter of the 1^st Airborne Division at Oosterbeek. These troops are relocated south of the Rhine to form a blocking line, known as Sperrverband Harzer, to counter a move that ultimately never occurs. Despite this seemingly defensive stance on the southern side of the Rhine, the Polish Brigade endures heavy attacks throughout Friday. Their positions are first subjected to intense mortar fire, followed by infantry assaults supported by tanks. Some outlying positions are briefly overrun, but the Poles hold firm and successfully repel the German advance, maintaining control of Driel.

Contact with the 1st Airborne Division

During the early morning, Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and Lieutenant Colonel Myers cross the Rhine in a rubber boat to join the Polish Brigade, arriving under heavy enemy fire intended to prevent the Poles from advancing towards the Arnhem Road bridge. Before reaching Driel, they witness the first direct contact between XXX Corps and the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade when the three scout cars from the Household Cavalry, arrive.

Once in Driel, Mackenzie and Myers use the Household Cavalry’s radios to contact Lieutenant General Horrocks at XXX Corps Headquarters, relaying Urquhart’s urgent request for immediate reinforcements and supplies. Recognising the critical situation, Horrocks orders units from the 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry Division to move to the Rhine with amphibious DUKW’s. However, the route to Driel is soon cut off again by enemy forces, complicating the operation.

Crossing the Rhine

Mackenzie now approaches Sosabowski with urgent orders from Major General Urquhart. It is crucial to ferry Polish troops across the river to reinforce the perimeter’s defences before they are overrun. “Even a few men could make the difference,” Mackenzie emphasises. He mentions that the airborne forces have several two-man rubber dinghies, which could potentially be used for the crossing. Sosabowski agrees and plans to initiate the operation at nightfall, hoping that the DUKW’s from the 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry Division might arrive by then to assist.

Meanwhile, the 43^rd (Wessex) Infantry Division is struggling to make progress. The 129^th Infantry Brigade is attempting to advance along the Nijmegen–Arnhem road alongside the Guards Division, while the 214^th Infantry Brigade is trying to push forward along minor roads to the west. Both brigades encounter strong resistance from well-equipped German forces supported by armour, making progress slow and requiring well-coordinated, set-piece attacks.

Brigadier Essame, commanding the 214^th Infantry Brigade, decides to send a flying column from Lieutenant Colonel Taylor’s 5^th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry alongside roads in an attempt to reach the river. The column includes two DUKWs loaded with supplies, which they hope to use to ferry Sosabowski’s brigade across.

The journey undertaken by Taylor’s group proves hazardous, but they eventually reach the river after confronting and dealing with two Tiger tanks along the way. With the DUKW’s now at Driel, there is finally a means to ferry Sosabowski’s brigade across the river. However, finding a suitable launching site proves challenging. To make matters worse, rain begins to fall, turning the ground near the river into mud, which immobilises the heavy vehicles. Despite strenuous efforts to push them towards the river, the DUKW’s slide into ditches and become hopelessly bogged down. All attempts to free them fail.

With the amphibious DUKW’s rendered inoperative, the Poles are forced to resort to using the rubber dinghies send over by the 1^st Airborne Division, ferrying two men at a time across the 400-metre-wide river.

Meanwhile, around noon, in Oosterbeek, Captain Harry Faulkner-Brown, commander of No. 3 Troop, 4^th Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, is ordered to report to Lieutenant Colonel E. Myers, Commander of Royal Engineers, at the Hartenstein Hotel. Upon arrival, Captain Faulkner-Brown is instructed to take a portion of his troop and begin ferrying Polish soldiers across the river. Faulkner-Brown is ordered to collect two-man inflatable dinghies, known as recce boats, from a location south of the Hartenstein. The operation is to be carried out under the cover of darkness, with the aim of transporting up to 200 Polish reinforcements. In the early afternoon, Captain Faulkner-Brown sets out in a jeep to retrieve the boats. At the designated location, a single-story timber building, he finds that it is being used to shelter lightly wounded soldiers. With the help of a Non-Commissioned Officer, he locates six recce boats and one large Royal Air Force dinghy, possibly from a crashed aircraft. After loading the boats onto the jeep, Captain Faulkner-Brown is offered a cup of tea by a well-dressed padre. During their conversation, a mortar bomb explodes nearby, and a large splinter fatally injures the padre.

As dusk falls, Captain Faulkner-Brown selects twelve sappers to accompany him. They load the boats, along with tracing tapes, signal cables, and a wireless set connected to Divisional Headquarters, onto two jeeps and head out. Upon reaching the church near the river, they cross the polder and encounter an anti-flooding dyke about 1.2 metres high, beyond which lies the river. The shoreline, sheltered by stone groynes extending about 45 metres into the water, is deemed suitable for loading and unloading.

In the evening, British Lieutenant Maclean of the Glider Pilot Regiment approaches the Polish Advanced Liasson Party under command of Captain Zwolanski with a question about the night crossing to bring the Polish soldiers over to the Division’s positions. When informed that the operation is set to begin around ten o’clock, Maclean expresses his eagerness to join, along with his fellow glider pilots. Their offer of assistance is enthusiastically accepted.

Captain Zwolanski and Lieutenant Maclean quickly collaborated to develop a detailed plan, covering where to establish posts along the riverbank, how to navigate across the meadow, and the route the force would take from Oosterbeek to their positions.

As the group sets out, they pick up the glider pilots along the way. Maclean locates one of his teams in the forest, and they moved ahead into the darkness. The group gathers additional teams and sends them ahead to the river before following themselves.

As they advanced, the roar and whistle of shells passing overhead became the loudest they had experienced in Arnhem. Although the shells were landing at a considerable distance, perhaps a mile or more ahead, their explosions were so powerful that the group instinctively ducked with each passing shell, unnerved by the intensity.

The sound indicated the presence of heavy artillery, a development that caused great concern. While the troops could withstand mortar and light artillery fire, the prospect of heavy artillery posed a severe threat. A single shell could devastate the hotel at Hartenstein and obliterate the trenches, highlighting the precariousness of their situation.

At the same time, Captain Faulkner-Brown sets up a defensive position on the shore and rows across the Rhine to establish contact with the Polish forces. On the far side, he is greeted by a group of Polish soldiers and discusses the plan to attach signal cables to the dinghies to facilitate the crossing. However, the first attempt fails when the cable snaps due to the strong current. Recognising the limitations of the signal cable, Captain Faulkner-Brown decides that the dinghies must be rowed manually, with only one passenger at a time.

The first group of soldiers from the Polish Brigade reports briefly that they are under heavy fire and waiting to cross the river. Despite facing ground fire during the landing, they manage to catch the Germans by surprise. The new arrivals are eager to learn about the situation on the northern bank, but there is little time for detailed explanations.

An hour later, the Polish Advanced Liasson Party begins heading towards the river to collect the Polish soldiers that are crossing it. Rain is falling, and mud clings to their boots as they carefully move through the vegetable plots. Captain Mackowiak leads the way quietly, with 2^nd Lieutenant Majewski following. The group enters the riverside meadow, now part of “No Man’s Land,” where the cover of night provides some concealment.

The night, however, is not as dark as expected. The suburb of Arnhem is burning brightly, and the village of Driel on the opposite bank is also ablaze, where the Polish Brigade is positioned. The flames cast a red light across the meadow and river, revealing large, indistinct shapes moving ahead. The sound of cows, disturbed by the shelling, adds to the atmosphere.

The group passes a hedge and descends into marshy ground before reaching the riverbank, where they take cover behind a stone embankment. Captain Mackowiak identifies German machine-gun positions about 270 metres to the left and others about 800 metres to the right. He instructs the group to remain quiet and hidden to ensure the Polish troops can cross undetected.

As the officers move on, artillery shells continue to pass overhead between the southern and northern banks. The fires illuminate the area, and the dark shape of a dinghy becomes visible as it approaches the bank. The dinghy moves cautiously, its oars dipping silently into the water, reflecting the light from the flames.

Suddenly, a German machine gun fires a burst of tracer rounds, followed by an orange flare. The night brightens, but it becomes clear that the crossing has not been detected. The dinghy reaches the shore, and six Polish soldiers quietly disembark.

Lieutenant David Storrs, a Field Engineer from the Commander of Royal Engineers, joins the operation and, with great determination and physical effort, rows back and forth across the river twenty-three times, ferrying one Polish soldier on each trip. Despite their best efforts, only about forty to fifty Poles are successfully transported across. Frustration mounts as the Polish liaison officer continues to complain about the slow progress, leading Captain Faulkner-Brown to firmly order him to leave.

As more Polish soldiers arrive on the north side of the River Rhine, they quietly move along the embankment back to the meadow. A machine gun fires behind them, but the increasing rain provides cover as the group moves quickly. Despite the challenges, the reinforcements gather with a sense of purpose. The group reaches the artillery positions, where a guard directs the Polish soldiers to the church to await further instructions. Inside the darkened church, the distant fires cast a crimson light through the windows, illuminating the high altar. The atmosphere in the church is focused on the task at hand and the mission ahead.

Once complete, the group forms up in lines along the road and sets off. Captain Zwolanski explains that the reinforcements are needed at the Airlanding Brigade’s positions, where a counterattack is planned for the following day to address the advancing Germans.

By 04:00 on Saturday morning, the ferrying operation is halted, likely due to German interference and the exhaustion of the men. While accounting for his troops near the church, Captain Faulkner-Brown realises that Lance Corporal Flannery remains on the south bank. He, and one sapper quickly row back across the river to retrieve Flannery, who is safely brought back without incident. Only sixty Polish soldiers cross the river that night, too few to make a real difference.