In Operation Market Garden part of the British 1st Airborne plan was to land a Special Jeep Squadron in the first wave and speed ahead towards Arnhem Bridge while the rest of the paras followed up on foot.

I have found several resources that state Freddie Gough was the commander of the Special Jeep Squadron and that the jeeps were blocked from the bridge by the same units preventing the main body from reaching Arnhem. The jeep plan was abandoned and small, unorganized groups of the Special Jeep Squadron reached the bridge on foot. My references state that Freddie Gough's Special Jeep Squadron suffered the highest proportion of casualties of all British 1st Airborne units at Arnhem. I believe I have enough info to verify the existence of this plan.

I cannot find any reference as to the equipment package of the Special Jeeps Squadron. In the movie A Bridge Too Far it was mentioned that the Special Jeep Squadron would be armed with twin Vickers MG. This is the only clue I can find anywhere as to the equipment package of the special jeeps. Since it's only a movie I cannot really give it total credibility.

Anyone have any information with regards to the Special Jeep Squadron?? In my mind I am expecting something like the airborne conversion of the Tamiya SAS or Italeri Commando Jeep.

Hi Alan,

There's a good lingk on SAS Jeep and may be this could help : http://souvenirsas.ifrance.com/souvenirsas/PgJEEPS.htm

The page is ibn french but try to use google to translate it . Anyway if you need to have more informations or to translate something , please feel free to contact me.

Steve Zaloga did an airborne jeep in Military modelling a couple of years ago, I might have it somewhere but I'll have to look

Thanks guys. I know there were a lot of airborne jeeps used at Arnhem for communications, medical, etc.by British 1st Airborne but I am looking for information specific to the Special Jeep Squadron that was to speed to the bridge ahead of the paras on foot.

Looking at the links it would seem that my initial thoughts of converting an Italeri Commando or Tamiya SAS jeep might not be too far off the mark.

Here's the link to Steve Zaloga's Airborne Jeep on ML:
http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/britain/szjeep.htm

Cheers
Pedro

Hmmm, the 'latest posts' page indicate that there are 4 replies to this post, but I can't see any of them...and no I have not used my 'Hide User' button..


Henk

EDIT well what do you know? I can see them now.... and again, yes I did refresh before I typed the above post... Gremlins in the computer? I think I'll shake my computer about a bit, that should shift them..

Hi Alan,

If you have a look on Resicasts web site they have about 4 or 5 conversion kits for the Tamiya Jeep. Even if your not thinking of using them they might give you a good idea of how the equipment was stored.

http://www.resicast.com/

They also have a great selection of Paras.

It's more than 20 years since I read 'A Bridge To Far' but from what I can remember some of the Special Jeeps didn't arrive and the others got shot up on the way to the bridge. Col Johnny Frost and the 2nd Battalion were the only troops to reach the bridge on foot by the river road. They held out for 9 days but were finally forced to surrender when they ran out of ammunition and their numbers were depleted through wounded and dead soldiers.

The failure of the radios to work properly meant that communication with other units was almost impossible. Had they been working properly then the outcome might have been very different.

Apoligies if I'v miss quoted but it was a long time ago when I read the history.

There were plenty of other jeeps zooming about but I don't believe any of the Special Jeeps made it to the bridge.

There's a lot of 'British Activity' at the moment!!! LOL, LOL !!!

Cheers

Al

In my research I've noticed that the movie seems to have taken some liberties with the events.

For example the movie indiactes that Frost's battalion on the bridge was out of contact with everyone until 4 days into the battle. My research showed that they were able to contact other units of Brit 1st AB off and on all during the battle (less that 5% of the time) depending on weather conditions.

The movie also seems to present that Brit 1st AB was completely out of touch with England and XXX Corp. In reality they had intermittent contact England through the Dutch Underground. However because the radio messages were sent in code through British Intelligence rather than direct with Market Garden HQ messages were delayed en route to the proper areas.

The movie also implied that only Frost's 2nd Battalion reached the bridge and that everyone else was cut off. Frost's whole unit reached the bridge on the first day. However since every Red Devil was given general orders to advance towards Arnhem Bridge small insignificant units kept arriving at the bridge daily. Freddie Gough, commander of the Special Jeep Squadron and a small group of his men made it to Arnhem on foot around day 3. While they were successful at getting men and some supplies to the bridge, the few who arrive daily certainly did not make up for the number who became casualties at the bridge.

The movie also didn't present how difficult it was to maintain Hell's Highway. It appears in the film that once XXX Corp linked up with the US 101st AB then the 82nd AB that XXX Corp simply contunued right up the road. In reality several times the Germans captured key points on the road and the US paras had to fight off the Germans. Several time XXX Corp had to halt it's advance, turn around and reverse course to re-capture key positions. Both US 101st and 82nd AB suffered more casualties after their XXX Corp link up than in the initial days of the invasion when they were self sufficient.

According to my research, General Browning, over the objections of General Gavin of the US 82nd AB, made the 82nd's primary objective the capture of all the high ground around Nijmegen with the bridge as secondary objective. The reason being that Browning was afraid the Germans could use the high ground to set up artillery to shell the bridge and the roadway. Browning figured without the high ground the bridge could be made useless. Plus the high ground was on the flight path of planes trying to support Brit 1st AB so the flak threat had to be taken out too. The movie implied that the 82nd's objective was to control the bridge ASAP. That is why the Waal River crossing takes place so late into the battle. 82nd was clearing our the enemy on the high ground. They really only made General Sowsabowski, the Polish commander, the one who objected to the plan

Still I think the movie did a relatively good job.

Hey Alan, have you tried the Osprey book for any additional info? Also, I have the "Market Garden - Then and Now " two volume set. I could try and get some more detailed info from it for you or if you know some friends that might lend it to you, this would be of some help I'm sure.

I have one of the Osprey books but am always on the lookout for others. I was lucky that my company actually paid for a lot of my books when I travel. It's cheaper than spending a night at the bar on expense account.

Hi Alan,

As I said, I read the book a long time ago. Your right though 30 Corps was in constant danger of being cut off as they pushed forward. The road was cut several times and there was stiff resistance from the Germans to halt the advance.

The very fact that the paras were dropped so far away from the bridge meant that once the element of surprise had gone they were up against it almost straight away.

Ignoring the intelligence reports from the Dutch Underground was a big mistake and trying to push a whole corps up a single highway fraught with problems.

It was a bold plan but as the story says 'A Bridge Too Far'.

Enjoy the build.

Cheers

Al

Frost's 2nd Battalion made it to the bridge, and was indeed 'bolstered' by some troops who managed to get to the bridge piece meal. They didn't hang on for 9 days though, they were overrun after four days. The bridgehead (last stand..) at Oosterbeek lasted 9 days. The Germans actualy controlled the bridge after three days, but were unable to make use of it because of the debris from the second German attempt to cross in force, which was of course obliterated by the Red Devils massed cross fire.

The Troops at the bridge did have some radio contact with Oosterbeek, notably with Thompsons Artillery. The Pack 75 Howitzers were instrumental in denying the Germans the use of armour in the first few days around the bridge.

The fabeled special jeeps did arrive, mostly intakt ( the first lift for Arnhem had surprisingly few losses) but the quick blokking reaction of Knaust around the Wolfheze area engaged the patrol in fierce combat, and prevented them from reaching even the outskirts of Arnhem. Gough then, realising that the element of surprise was lost anyway, decided to abandon the idea.

I remember ( I to have not read ABtF for a while) mention of a Bren Carrier which seemed to be wizzing about. I'm not sure about that one, I don't recall it mentioned elsewhere.

The decicion to drop the 1st Airborne 8 to 12 KM from their objective was made by the Airforce, as they vettoed dropping at the bridge because of a perceived tread of AA guns in the vicinity.

It is well known that the presence of German Armour close to Arnhem was known, but the treath was 'ignored', as it would have almost certainly meant cancelation of the operation. After all the aborted operation in the run up, this was considered to 'spoil the party', higher command not wanting to risk the 'last change before the end of the war' to have an Airborne operation.

Browning's decicion to glider in his complete headquarters on the first day, although impressive on his resume, was a tactical blunder which deprived the 1st Airborne of ( I think, working from memory here..) some 45 gliders, which could have brought in another company, thus negating the need to hold back a large part of the Division on the first day which needed to secure the drop zones.

And so on..

Cheers
Henk

Ola Alan

I have to do some checking through my reference books about market garden concerning what Jeeps the company of Freddy Gough drove in but I think when I sorted that out I can provide you with good line drawings complete with dimensions and the like. From my memory Gough drove in special Recce Jeeps but I have to ckeck that out as it is already a while ago that I read that stuff. I think in a week or so I can give you some good info about this.

Let me know if you are interested

Hi Henk,

Cheers for that - yes 9 days would have been rather too long, memories not what it used to be.

Cheers

Al

Alan

Some 1/76 scale plans are available from: - Mr Geoff Lacey, 315A South Lane, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 5RR, UK. NB: Please enclose SAE if in UK or 2 International Reply Coupons for US to cover postage.

Regards, John-B
MAFVA Information Officer

I've got several books on Market Garden, but none of them mention the Recce Squadron jeeps in any detail. I suspect that they were similar to the SAS jeeps used in "Bulbasket" in the South of France. These had semi-circular armoured windshields, & twin Vickers K mountings on the scuttle, in similar fashoin to the old Italaeri "Commando Car".
Major Freddie Gough took over command at the bridge after Col Frost became a casualty. At least some of the Recce Squadron men made it on foot. Incidentally Freddie Gough was deaf in one ear! He was also really too old for parachute operations, but managed to distract the doctor at his medical & present the same ear for examination twice!
The Bren Carrier mentioned above did exist. It was commanded by a Canadian lieutenant called Leo Heaps, who made at least one successful attempt to reach the bridge with ammunition. Amongst his crew was a Dutch resistance man.
For a more personal view of Market Garden, "Arnhem" by Major General R.E. Urquart, who actually commanded 1st Airborne contains many character sketches of his subordinates, including Frost, Gough, McKenzie (C.o.S.), Lathbury, Hackett & Hicks.

Faust built an airborne jeep a few years ago for the market garden campaign. He did a bit of research and there may be some useful information there for you!
Borrowed Goods
Also in the gallery is a SAS commando jeep by Ronald Kok.
SAS Commando Jeep met Micky Mouse Camo

Hi Alan. A good reference I've found (although I can't remember if the jeeps feature) is the film "Theirs Is The Glory" which was filmed about 12 months after VE day. It's filmed in and around Arnhem using captured enemy vehicles etc. The quality of the acting is a bit crap but that could have something to do with none of the cast being actors. The whole cast is veterans of Arnhem who were sent back by the War department to make the film! From what I remember Freddie Gough is actually in it. I'll have to dig my copy out and have a look at it

Hi All




That's interesting because I remember reading that Freddie Gough was seen driving towards the bridge in a Universal carrier full of ammo. Can't remember where read but the post has just jogged my memory.

Not sure about the recce jeeps having twin Vickers 'K' guns I thought they were single.

Cheers
Dus

It would appear that at least one jeep made it to the bridge as Gough was involved in repelling Graebners assault using twin Vickers K's.. Read the bio of Freddie Gough on this site http://www.arnhemarchive.org/frames.htm. This is a brilliant site along with the 6 Airborne site. I'd forgotten that Gough took over from Johnny Frost after he was wounded.