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Steve's Story Steve’s Story (1943-1945) Private Stephen George Morgan No. 14436780 Colour Sergeant Rouse. for a few days and was posted to In early February 1944 we went the Second Parachute Battalion to Hardwick Hall, near Chesterfeld and put in the Medium Machine for two weeks physical training, Gun (MMG) Platoon as I had had which included clif climbing in MMG experience with the Home an old stone quarry. At the end of Guard. Te Second Parachute February I was sent to Ringway Battalion were stationed at Stoke Airport, which is now Manchester Rochford, near Saltby aerodrome City airport, and lived for two and I arrived there on the 5th May, weeks in Nissan huts. For the frst 1944 and although nobody knew week we were in a hanger practising we were due to arrive, we were drops. For the second week we fed but had to sleep on the tennis went to Tatton Park and did two courts! It was about this time that jumps from a static balloon, fve all of the new reinforcements were jumps from a Whitley bomber in driven to a nearby airfeld and daylight (my course number was taken up in a Dakota to do a jump 106) and one jump at night from and this was the frst time that I uring World War II the the balloon and that was it! We had been in a Dakota. call up age was 17 years were given our red berets and a pair While we were there we were 9 months. As I was not of wings to sew on our right sleeve joined by Major Tate, who had Dquite that old I volunteered to join and we had fnished our training! I previously served in North Africa the Army and went for a medical remember going into the Ringway and although we were trained and “took the King’s shilling”. Hotel one night in my uniform and to fght we were hopeless on the You were literally given a shilling prominently putting my right arm parade ground. Major Tate put a afer signing up and allowed to go on the bar to show of my wings, notice up that we were to report to out and enjoy your last night of hoping I wouldn’t have to pay for the parade ground at 7.30am one freedom before the hard training my beer – it didn’t work! Afer our Sunday morning and proceeded began. Afer going through all the passing out parade we were sent to put us through our paces. We formalities I ofcially enlisted on home on two weeks leave. then saw the fgure of Lt Col Frost 8th July 1943 – four days before my Afer our two weeks leave I coming down the stairs dressed 18th birthday. Afer volunteering went back to Chesterfeld and was in his pyjamas complete with red my mother was pleased and very then sent to Keevil, on the edge of beret on his head, suggesting that proud of me – if only she knew Salisbury Plain, for two to three we make a little less noise and be what was to come! weeks. It was here that a squadron allowed back to bed! On 19th August 1943 I joined of Stirling bombers were being From 6th June 1944 until 17th the Oxford and Bucks Light converted from bombing duties September 1944 the First Airborne Infantry and went to their training to glider tugs and parachuting and Division were briefed for at least centre in Colchester. Afer sixteen the aircrew needed experience in a dozen operations, all cancelled. weeks training I volunteered for dropping men, so for two weeks it During mid-July the battalion the Paras and a separate platoon seemed like a holiday, sunny, dry was temporarily split up and sent was formed to await joining the and warm with RAF food – better to various airfelds around central Paras. We did hard, physical than the Army! I managed to get England and I found myself at training with ex-Airborne Staf in twenty-one parachute jumps Down Ampney. An operation was and many men dropped out. Te and thoroughly enjoyed myself. being planned to safeguard the platoon sergeant at that time was I then went back to Chesterfeld treasures in the French President’s noticed one man jump out of the plane and parachute down. I can only assume that the stick didn’t leave the Dakota fast enough and the soldier, who would have been an NCO, being the last man out of the plane, would not have wanted to go back to England and possibly fy out a day later with the Fourth Brigade. I then looked around to see if the Pathfnders had let of the gold coloured smoke to indicate our rendevouz point and noticed it over a small wood and we all congregated there. We moved of Palace at Rambouillet but was as Tunderbolts, Spitfres and with Lt McDermont’s platoon in cancelled due to the success of the Hurricanes providing an escort. the lead and Lt Grayburn behind Allied troops pushing through Weighing me down were not only him. A German reconnisance afer D-Day. We were given leave my Lee Enfeld No. 4 rife but my vehicle appeared with a small and I hitch-hiked home on the ration packs, 2 Hawkins anti-tank armoured car and an open topped Saturday morning and walked into mines and three sealed boxes lorry full of soldiers. As I was the kitchen to see my 14 year old containing 250 rounds each for our about a hundred yards behind, I brother David sitting listening to Vickers machine gun. Underneath was not part of the fght but saw all the wireless waiting to hear news our Dakota were strapped fve the German soldiers either killed of this cancelled operation! My containers of equipment and or captured. mother told me he had been up a motorbike. Over the North I was with Headquarters all night listening to the wireless – Sea we heard a loud noise and Company, which included a small how he knew about the proposed the American pilot sent back a Support Company consisting of operation I have no idea! message to our Jump Master that a MMG Platoon, Mortar Platoon Another soldier I had met in the motorbike was heading for the and an Assault Platoon. We were the Oxford and Bucks called Billy water! under the command of Capt Panter Gilder had also joined the Second I was number 9 in our stick and and my platoon commander was Parachute Battalion and was put dropped at the Renkum end of the Lt Monsell, an Irishman. Tere in the Mortar Platoon. When we drop zone behind the Pathfnders were three routes heading for the were briefed for Operation Market at about 2 pm. Tis was only the bridge, codenamed, Lion, Leopard Garden, my name went on the second time I had jumped out of a and Tiger. I was on the Lion route jump list – his did not. He was Dakota but the frst time with full and we headed straight for our briefed to come across the channel kit bags! Afer landing I released target, being Arnhem Bridge itself. with our kitbags and catch us up my parachute and emptied my We threw smoke bombs to – was he mad? He went to see an kitbag containing the ammunition. provide cover and we made good ofcer with £5 in his pocket – it While I was doing this I noticed progress. Along the way we came worked and Billy joined me on a container drop to the ground to a low rise in the landscape, the jump list. We took of from rapidly because its parachute had which stood out because Holland Saltby on Sunday 17th September not opened and on impact there is so fat, this was called Den 1944 in a Dakota, which was part was a huge explosion. Brink and on the top, unknown of a vast formation of planes and I also saw a Dakota leave the to us, were some German soldiers, looking out the window it seemed formation afer dropping its troops one of whom took a shot at me, as if you could touch the wings of and I wondered what was going on missed, narrowly missed Sgt Joy, the planes either side. All around because it circled round the area our platoon sergeant and hit a us were hundreds of British and and few back in underneath and nearby tree. I started to run up the American fghter aircraf such across the stream of aircraf. I then hill to shoot back and I remember Pte Humphreys shouting afer me a piece of cake Steve!” It was for Afer arriving at Arnhem we “Morgan’s afer a medal!”, I was told him, he was riding, I was on my feet were told to go in groups and to get back in line – we had to get with a heavy pack on my back and warn the civilians that we needed to the Bridge! Just a short distance another four miles to fght to the to defend the bridge and that from Den Brink on our right-hand bridge. Ten a jeep caught up with they were in danger. I remember side was a large metal railway bridge us and we were told we could load standing with a group of soldiers in crossing the Rhine that had a stone our heavy boxes of ammunition on a Sunday school while the teacher arch for the road to go under the to it, which we did, unfortunately was told to evacuate the building.
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