CHAPTER EIGHT
Hamminkeln is a large straggling village in the centre of 6th Airborne Division’s area, which, if held by the enemy, would have formed a bastion from which they could dominate a large part of ground, as well as denying an important road hub. Failure to capture it promptly would mean a protracted battle or, as in the case of Wesel, consume numerous troops to overcome the defenders. This made Hamminkeln the Brigade’s most important objective and its capture was allocated to the ‘Sweedbashers’.
Brigadier Bellamy described his intentions for the three companies available to Lieutenant Colonel Paul Gleadell:
12 Devons were to land west of Hamminkeln [LZ R]: the Battalion was to first seal off the place from the north, west and south [phase 1] and then attack and capture it [phase 2]. This battalion only had three companies, as one [C Company] had to be detached for duty with divisional HQ.
In more detail the Devon’s CO, Lieutenant Colonel Gleadell, recounted how in Phase 1:
D Coy, with the Anti-Tank P1 (less two detachments) and some pioneers, was the coup-de-main Company. It was to land as close into the village on the west side as possible, seize the Western Crossroads … [in Hamminkeln], and exploit to the road junctions[just to the east and north of this position].
A Coy, with one anti-tank platoon, was to land south-west and south of Hamminkeln and isolate the objective from the south and south-west.
B Coy, with two 17-pounders, was to land west of the objective and isolate Hamminkeln from the north and north-west.
The Reconnaissance Platoon was to land with B Coy and patrol to the large copse where they were to liaise with 1 RUR and prevent infiltration between the copse and Hamminkeln.
The MMG Platoon were to cover the entrances north and south of Hamminkeln, while the Mortar Platoon was to be prepared to give local fire support, despite the general ban on artillery fire support during the landing period.
A Glider in its final approach to its LZ.
Phase 2 was to begin immediately Hamminkeln was isolated and the battalion were free to concentrate on entering the village.
D Coy was to clear the centre of the village and be responsible for the defence of the objective to the east and south-east. A Coy was to clear and hold the South of the village, and B Coy was to assault and hold the North-East and North-West face of the village. C Coy when available was to concentrate in reserve at the houses 181486 [a mile west of Hamminkeln] and be prepared to counter-attack the objective. Roadblocks were to be erected and manned on all approaches.
Colonel Gleadell landed on the Ox and Bucks LI’s LZ amidst a battle between a platoon of that regiment and the enemy in Ringenburg. After some Germans left a nearby copse surrendered, the Colonel realised that he had been incorrectly landed on the banks of the Issel near the railway bridge. Heading south along the railway track with his Tactical HQ, including a soldier who had been wounded by ground fire during the landing; his group arrived at the correct LZ. He wrote:
The whole situation was chaotic, and I wondered if we should ever get it unravelled. Every farmhouse appeared to contain a defended post and isolated battles were being fought out by detached parties all over the LZ and beyond.
However, the chaos was not entirely one-sided. Colonel Gleadell continued:
The enemy were in greater confusion than we were. A number managed to concentrate in Hamminkeln, particularly on the north-east side. They consisted mostly of flak gunners, Luftwaffe Regiment, Volksturm and Parachutists. Three SP guns, some tanks, armoured cars and half-tracks were cruising about the LZ and engaged troops who were de-planing.
The area was covered with light flak gun positions, manned mainly by personnel of Battle Group Karst. This was a special anti-airlanding formation with small groups of men, mostly paratroops, or Waffen SS, in various places throughout the 84 Div area. The Germans had evidently appreciated the likelihood of an airborne operation in this area.
The CO, however, was not the only man struggling to make sense of the chaos. Lieutenant Bill Cotton of D Company was one of many who had landed with bullets cracking about him, and had, along with his platoon, taken cover in a ditch and set about working out where they were. Corporal Anderson recalled that ‘with no landmarks visible, it was an impossible task’ from their position in the ditch.
Telling us to stay where we were, Bill Collins crawled to the top of the embankment with his map and binoculars. Then he committed a brave but suicidal act by standing up to get a better view. He was immediately hit and fell face downwards, with his body lying at an unnatural angle on the top of the bank. I did not have to risk my life to see whether his pulse was still beating. He was lying in one of those grotesque positions only assumed by the dead.
Corporal Anderson.
Making their way towards their objective, the remains of the platoon gathered other groups of men as they went but they came across no officers or senior NCOs. Eventually arriving north of the village, Corporal Anderson and his followers met a further body of men from other gliders, but again no sergeants. However, a moment later two men came rolling down the bank with a burst of Spandau fire kicking up the dirt. They were Colonel and his batman.
‘Who’s in charge here?’ demanded the Colonel, struggling to his feet. Nobody answered. ‘Speak up, someone,’ barked the Colonel.
‘I don’t know whether I’m the senior NCO, sir,’ I said, ‘but our platoon commander has been killed, and the platoon sergeant has been cut off, and we’ve no maps.’
‘Who are you, then?’ asked the Colonel.
‘Corporal Anderson, 31 Platoon, D Company, sir.’
‘Right, then,’ the Colonel was spreading out his map. ‘This is where we are now. I believe your objective is the southern end of the town, about a mile up the road,’ and he pointed to the location on his map. I nodded agreement. ‘We can’t wait for any more men,’ continued the Colonel. ‘We’ll probably be joined by a few stragglers on the way, and we’ll just have to manage with what we’ve got.’
Private Taylor, whose platoon was already advancing on Hamminkeln, also provides an account of action on the DZ and his meeting with the CO:
We had landed about half a mile from the town, but managed to locate it through the smoke and haze. The platoon commander ordered us to move off in that direction. Some three hundred yards or so from the town we became pinned down by heavy small arms fire and began taking quite a number of casualties. In one section near to me Bert and Frank had been wounded and Stevenson killed, and I believe there were more casualties in other sections. The platoon commander called for smoke, and I reminded him of the Brigadier’s request, but before he could reply we were joined by the Colonel who quickly took command of the situation. He obviously knew where we were and what our objective was.
Airbourne soldiers piling around a Jeep and trailor.
Colonel Gledell, against orders, was wearing his red beret rather than his steel helmet and was fighting the battle in shirtsleeves, with his batman carrying his smock and battledress jacket. He eventually managed to get through to Main Battalion HQ and B Company on the radio and ascertaining that his rifle companies were establishing ‘an admittedly thin cordon around Hamminkeln’. He gave the order for phase 2 and later recalled that:
… I myself joined up with a platoon of D Company and we concentrated about the road junction north of the village and, after encountering some resistance, reached the northern edge of Hamminkeln.
Corporal Anderson’s account of these events is, however, altogether more revealing:
By the time we were ready to move, more men had joined us, and we now mustered nearly fifty, to capture the town of Hamminkeln with its vital road junctions; an undertaking for which our planners had allocated five hundred men. But I got the impression that our determined colonel was quite prepared to attempt it, single-handed if necessary.
The Germans had snipers covering almost every section of the elevated roadway. However, there were houses that might offer cover at intervals of about two hundred yards or so along the road. So the Colonel told us to leap-frog from one to another, spacing ourselves from five to ten yards apart, running like hares and only regrouping when we arrived at the outskirts of the town.
With the Colonel leading and his batman following, Corporal Anderson led the soldiers of D Company towards the outskirts of the village. With the words‘… for God’s sake don’t stop running till you’re under cover. Best of luck, see you in Hamminkeln.’ he was off, followed a second or so later by his batman’. Private Taylor commented:
His fearless attitude and personal bravery instilled courage into all of those present, and we were so inspired by him that when he shouted ‘follow me’ and dashed away, all of us were up and behind him to a man. I was the first man next to him, and we ran, then crawled, then ran again toward the town.
My friend Tom Gittings was hit and doubled up lying over a barbed wire fence. I thought he had been killed but I had no time to stop; it was not until some months later that I found he was still alive.
Before following, Corporal Anderson yelled to his section:
All get up from the bank in different places when your turn comes. If you all take the same route, Jerry will draw a bead on that position, and you’ll have had it. The ones I could see nodded. “OK. Let’s go,” I yelled, and I scrambled up the bank.
Reaching the first house, the Swedebashers kicked the doors in‘… hoping to God the Jerries have only got small arms and that there aren’t any tanks or artillery to shell the houses’. Colonel Gledeall commented that‘The capture of Hamminkeln was to begin at 1135 hours. The companies duly assaulted the village and the objective was taken by midday’. Once again this simple statement belies the difficulties of the break in battle and reaching their objectives in the village centre.
Under fire from unseen riflemen in the houses of Hamminkeln, this is where fitness counted. Anderson had cause to thank his ‘running prowess, improved by all those cross-country runs, which served me well’. He dived through a gap in a hedge, wriggled on his stomach to the door and moved quickly inside. Having equally quickly cleared the house his section were preparing for their next dash:
The Colonel was already knocking out the window frame on the opposite side of the house. Through the window he climbed and was off on the next lap of his mad journey. The batman and I followed. Behind me I could hear footsteps and hoped that the rest of the platoon were still coming on, but there was no time even to turn my head to see as it was a good two hundred yards, probably more, to the next house, which occupied a bend in the road. Wherever the German snipers were, they had evidently realized that the long gap between the two houses was going to be their best opportunity and concentrated their fire about ten yards from the house which was our objective. The Colonel made it safely, but his batman went down about ten yards from safety.
Anderson was nearly hit by small arms fire. There were two cracks, as one bullet whizzed past his ankles and another uncomfortably near to his head, which ‘provided adrenalin’ for him to continue moving at top speed. The soldier immediately behind him, went down with a single bullet wound. With every second being vital, the killed and wounded had to be left.
Writing almost sixty years after the event, Private Taylor also recalled the horror of that gap.
There was a gap between a house and a wall which was a death trap to those who were not quick enough to cross it. It was the last twenty yards of a long exhausting run under fire that were most dangerous. It was only natural that one would slow down at the end of that run just when safety was in sight, but enemy snipers overlooked the spot, and caused a lot of casualties. Each man that got across safely stayed there in turn to warn and urge speed from the next man across. The snipers were hidden in the church spire which I had seen in the model at the time of our briefing. Our return small arms fire did not seem to have any effect, and they continued to cause havoc and heavy casualties for quite a while.
The battle became confused and the house clearing drills learned in the abandoned villages of Salisbury Plain and the blitzed parts of Southampton, came to the fore. Corporal Anderson recounted:
The Colonel advanced to the first doorway, while my men and I, with our backs to the wall on the other side of the road, covered every doorway and window on his side. When he was safely in position, it was our turn to advance, while he covered us. So, doorway by doorway, house by house, we crept forward.
An SS Sniper with his K98 rifle with an optic scope.
Suddenly, machine gun fire spurted from an upstairs window just ahead. I burst open the front door of the next house on our side, closely followed by two men. They ran upstairs and began firing at the house from which the firing had come, while I, at a ground-floor window, pointed it out to the Colonel. Keeping close to the wall, he took three men forward, inching along with their backs to the wall. When they arrived at the manned house, on which we were keeping up a constant fire, they tossed grenades through the front door. Just to make sure, one of the men dashed to the middle of the road, lobbed a grenade into the upstairs window and leaped back to cover again. As soon as the grenades had exploded, the three men ran into the house. I heard a rattle of gunfire from inside and then the men emerged, covered with dust but unhurt …
Enemy and Airbourne soldiers awaiting and receiving treatment during the Operation VARSITY D-Day.
Presently, Anderson reached the first crossroads that was D Company’s original objective and recognized, from the large scale aerial photographs he had been shown during briefing, the main square of Hamminkeln. The square was dominated by a large building over which a swastika was flying, but as it had not been one of his original objectives he wasn’t sure what it was. He explained how ‘Corporal’, shouted the Colonel from across the road, ‘that’s the anti-aircraft headquarters. Take your section and clear it while I carry on through the town’.
Taking the first seven men of my section, I dashed across to the building and tossed grenades in at the ground and first floors. We did not risk throwing any at the upper floors in case we missed and they rebounded on us. We flattened ourselves against the outside walls of the buildings until the grenades exploded; then in we went. We found that the house had a central staircase. Telling Harry Harris and Ray Best to clear the ground floor, I started up the stairs, followed by the others. At the first floor, I left behind Jack Nichols and Ted Lockey, to clear that level; at the second, Tombstone and Jakoff. That left Ponsonby and myself to deal with the attic. Frank followed me up the narrow stairway, ready for anything, but the birds had flown. Only their commander remained, and as I burst into the attic, I was confronted by a German SS captain, who saluted and handed me his Walther automatic pistol, butt first.
It took ten minutes to clear the building ‘or rather to search it to make sure there were no lurking enemy’. The enemy had obviously gone leaving an officer to operate the radio up until the last possible moment. During the searching Anderson found some mementos of Hamminkeln.
I then went quickly through the contents of the attic and found a Schmeisser sub-machine carbine and dagger, with the SS insignia and swastika on it, and this I tucked inside my belt. Finally, I pulled down the German flag from the roof and stowed it inside my airborne-smock. It would make a splendid souvenir.
A wounded German prisoner is questioned as a guard looks on.
The tension of battle is obvious from this confrontation with Brigadier Bellamy (left) and Major Eddie Warren during the reorganisation phase in Hamminkeln.
Private Taylor also recalled reaching the centre of the village.
We rushed the enemy still ensconced in a few houses and captured our objective, the crossroads. About one hundred enemy soldiers surrendered to us there, a mixture of young and old, Home Guard and regular soldiers; we disarmed them and shoved them in to a hall of sorts, I think it was the school. We would not have made it but for the CO.
A 12 Devons 6-pounder anti-tank gun crew pose for the official photograph in Hamminkeln. The proper gun pit was still being dug behind the gun.
He had disappeared, and we found out soon after that he had gone to find the 6-pounder antitank platoon, and having done so, used them to blow those enemy snipers in the church steeple to kingdom come.
Suddenly the noise of battle ceased; it seemed just as if someone had waved a baton like an orchestra conductor at the end of a concert. One moment it was very loud and noisy, and the next moment, silence. The battle was over. I looked at my watch. It had taken only one hour and twenty minutes from landing to finish, but it seemed as if we had been fighting for hours, such a lot of action had taken place in that short period of time. We were cockahoop now that it was over, and feeling on top of the world at the success of the operation.
Returning to the square, Corporal Anderson recalled ‘No one fired at us, and, indeed, there was no sound of gunfire in the town at all, only the distant noise of battle and the Swedebashers were, in control of their objective. They had done what they had been ordered to do, but with about one-tenth of the number of men, the planners had calculated they would need. As Anderson said,‘It was yet another case of well trained men under inspired leadership achieving the seemingly impossible’.
German prisoners including members of assault gun crews are marched out of Hamminkeln. RAF glider pilot Stan Jarvis is to the right of the prisoners wearing a beret.
A victory, however, is not complete and can prove to be a temporary state of affairs, if soldiers rest on their laurels. Colonel Gleadell led the consolidation and mopping-up, which was ‘vigorously carried out in anticipation of the expected counter-attack and to eliminate the remaining flak positions’.
Colonel Gleadell paid tribute to the Army and Royal Air Force glider pilots ‘Who throughout this period did invaluable work under Major Priest, in rounding up and controlling the very considerable number of prisoners (approximately) 500 in the Battalion area’.
12 Devon’s casualties during the morning were:
‘For his part, the enemy casualties must have been heavy during the day.’
With the town taken and mopping up complete, 12 Devons prepared defensive positions in and around Hamminkeln and became the Brigade’s reserve.
A Devon’s carrier prepares to patrol the streets of Hamminkeln in order to dominate the area.
