大象传媒

Now began preparations for the Rhine Crossing, known as 鈥淥peration Plunder鈥�. At 4.00 a.m. on 6th. March, 1945 we left the Front to join a long convoy of troop transports moving back into Holland, over the famous Nijmegan Bridge, and on to the Belgian frontier village of Ophoven. Here we were billeted with friendly Belgians, cognac and beer flowed freely, the bustling town of Masseike was only a few miles away, with Liberty Trucks to Eindhoven and Turnhout adding to our luxury.
Our main purpose, however, was training in armoured amphibious vehicles (鈥淏uffaloes鈥�) on the nearby River Maas. In one memorable 2-day Divisional Exercise, we milled around on the river in a deep Fog, totally lost, and finally hit a bank so steep it seemed we must capsize. Although everything we did was labelled 鈥淗ighly Secret鈥�, everyone knew that the Rhine lay ahead.

On 21st. March we bade a fond farewell to our Belgian friends, and set off towards the guns.
By 1.00 a.m. next morning we were in rough bivouacs about a mile from the Rhine bank, listening to the grumble of our artillery. German counter-fire was sporadic but accurate despite the massive smoke-screen which shrouded our positions. Our Section Corporal was hit in the head by shrapnel, not an auspicious beginning. At last Orders came through and we received 鈥渢he Griff鈥�: H-Hour was at 21.00 hrs.on Friday, 23rd March, 1945. The 5/7th. Gordons were in the first assault wave. We moved to our forward positions at 17.00 hrs and embarked smoothly by Platoons, at 18.00 hrs. The Artillery Barrage 鈥� the greatest since Alamein 鈥� was already belting shell after shell over the Rhine at the German defences.

Fully loaded, the Buffaloes took off to their assault positions close to the River Rhine. Here we had a nervous 4-minute wait until 21.00 when, with a mighty roar of engines, we lumbered into the Rhine. Excitement was intense. I looked cautiously over the side at the white foam of dozens of Buffaloes churning over the water which was illuminated by 鈥淢onty鈥檚 Moonlight鈥� (deflected searchlights showing our way). Burning farmsteads on the enemy side showed the intensity of our shelling, and the clatter of the Buffalo鈥檚 heavy machine guns, raking the forward bank, added to the noise and confusion.
In just a few minutes we hit the bank of the Rhine just east of the town of Rees, the major objective of the 5th. Black Watch and 1st Gordons. Fortunately, we met little opposition and were able to mill ashore without casualties, but with loss of some radio equipment. We advanced a few hundred yards in the dark over open ground until bursts of Spandau fire brought us to earth. Almost immediately, a huge explosion marked the end of the bridge over the Alter Rhine (a loop of the main river), which had been our objective. We were now marooned on 鈥淭he Island鈥�, an open area exposed to Spandau, sniper and mortar fire, while battle between Gordons, Black Watch and German Paratroops raged intensely in Rees to our left, and the horrible sound of 鈥淢oaning Minnie鈥� kept us all on edge.
Next morning, we watched in awe as 1,700 Planes and 1,300 Gliders flew over us for three hours carrying 14,000 Airborne troops, not all of them reaching their destinations. The battle still flared in Rees, and we engaged such enemy as we could see with Bren Gun and Rifle fire. At 9.00 p.m. we had our first hot meal in 24 hours; fortunately, as it was a bitterly cold with no available protective clothing. That night Rees was finally cleared.

鈥淥鈥� Group on Sunday 26th. March brought us orders for or next move. At midnight, we crept out of our safe holes in the ground, across the ruined bridge of the Alter Rhine. From an F.U.P. (Forming Up Point) half a mile forward, we fixed bayonets and moved through the dark, behind our Artillery barrage, onto the group of farm buildings which was our objective. This was to become a familiar routine in the advance from the Rhine.
The enemy had gone leaving nothing but dead cattle and a decapitated farmer, though a steady stream of Spandau fire hit blazing buildings on our right which were 14 Platoon targets. At first light we could hear sounds of German armoured vehicles ahead. Rumour spread that we could expect a Panzer counter-attack. Braced and nervous, we were relieved when a strong force of Typhoon fighter-bombers suddenly appeared and attacked a wooded area ahead of us with rocket fire. As they moved away, tall columns of oily smoke showed that any attack had been foiled. Later about 20 enemy prisoners were doubled to the rear. We advanced again by night to a cross roads where, tired and hungry, we found shelter in deserted German trenches. In the late hours, the Black Watch moved along the country road in long columns with armoured vehicles, through our positions. Our situation quietened, and we spent a cold and damp night in our standard procedure 鈥� 2 hours 鈥淥n Stag鈥�, watching our front, and 2 hours 鈥淥ff鈥�, trying to sleep at the bottom of a slit trench.

鈥淪tand To鈥� at dawn brought us some inaccurate shell-fire but no sign of our Platoon Sergeant or his deputy. It was some time later that we found them both, dead, suffocated under several feet of earth in their road-side bunker which had collapsed under the weight of passing armour. As experienced soldiers and leaders their loss was great; to die in this way after long service, in the last months of war, was a cruel fate.
We heard also that four of 鈥渙ur鈥� reinforcement draft had not survived the Rhine. One a Corporal had taken a burst of Spandau fire on the river bank. Another, a dark-haired Scot, had been hit in an open field area by a sniper and, his comrades pinned down, had died a slow and lonely death. Two others, both Glaswegians, had been wounded.

Amongst so many others, a notable casualty of the Rhine Crossing was our Divisional Commander, Major-General T. G. Rennie, whose Jeep was hit by Mortar fire on the banks of the River. General Rennie was a Highland Division veteran; had escaped from St. Valery in 1940, and served through North Africa and Sicily. He landed on D-Day as Commander of the 3rd. British Division, and came back to command the 51st. Highland Division in July, 1944 only to die on 24th. March, 1945 prematurely and lamented.

For us, a new Sgt. appeared, a capable man, our Acting Platoon Commander. We 鈥淎dvanced to Contact鈥� once again, clearing houses and hamlets. A few willing prisoners apart, we met few of the enemy, and were treated with great respect by meek German civilians anxious not to upset the conquering 鈥渂aby killers鈥� of Dr. Goebells鈥� propaganda! Indeed, we soon became contemptuous of their recurring bleat, 鈥淚ch nich Nazi鈥�, and had little sympathy when they told us plaintively that 鈥淎lle ist Kaput im Deutschland鈥�!

On 29th. March we moved into Isselberg. The place was devastated; rubble still smouldering, a burned-out Jeep, and the uncovered corpses of British and German soldiers indicating recent action. We moved straight through to clear some woods, and then attack a large mansion where we took some prisoners without casualty. Unfortunate, though, our Company Jeep was again knocked out, and the Driver and passenger carried off with 鈥淏lighty鈥� wounds. Though close to enemy defences, the night passed relatively peacefully.

Friday, 30th. March brought us new excitement with the arrival on our positions of Tanks from the Guards Armoured Division, and talk of a big armoured offensive. Unfortunately, it also brought an over-zealous Guards Lieutenant who took exception to the 鈥渟cruffy鈥� appearance of we infantry soldiers, and sought to smarten us up. Swift appeal to our Canadian Company Commander restored the situation, and the Lieutenant and his Guardsmen were summarily ordered to 鈥済et to hell鈥漮ff our position. We applauded!

Soon and for much of that day Tanks, Guns and Mobile Infantry Units streamed passed us in steady procession. We younger soldiers waxed enthusiastic, while the veterans of the Desert and Italy watched in silence. At least, the 鈥榖ig offensive鈥� bought us a few days respite.

The armoured attacks, which we had optimistically expected to be half-way to Hamburg and Bremen, had petered out on blown bridges and determined defences at Bentheim, not far into Germany. On 4th.April, our Battalion moved forward past the sobering spectacle of burnt-out Tanks, and hastily-dug graves, to relieve units of the 5th.Guards Brigade. Once again we were 鈥淒igging In鈥�, and 鈥淪tanding To鈥�, and getting shelled, in the familiar routine.

Fresh faces appeared next day in a new draft of 18-year old reinforcements. Our next objective was Emsburin and, on 6th. April, we advanced confidently on the town which patrols had declared clear of enemy forces. Soon, the familiar scream of Mortar Bombs and, as we took to the earth, a huge explosion blasted a crater in the roadway ahead. We called for Stretcher Bearers as we helped two wounded comrades to cover. A farm behind us was quickly converted to a R.A.P. (Regimental Aid Post) and the wounded carried there, including one of yesterday鈥檚 young recruits, a piece of shrapnel embedded in his chest.

Soon it was apparent that this was a rearguard action. The noise of revving vehicles and exploding dumps indicated that 鈥淛erry鈥� was pulling out and, later, we moved quietly into the town. Infantry, Tanks and Guns leap-frogged through our positions once again. All was peace on Sunday, 7th. April when I attended service at a splendid and undamaged Church. Spring weather prevailed and eggs were in plentifull supply, the local farmers readily submitting to the Order, 鈥淓ier fur Offiziers鈥�! We feasted and rested. (cont'd Part 4)

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