THE SOMME BUGLE

NEWSLETTER OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SOMME BRANCH

ISSUE NUMBER 4 Winter/Spring 2009

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Somme Bugle. Last year 2008 saw 90th Anniversaries commemorating events of the last year of the Great War including the Armistice. This year 2009 not only sees the 70th Anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War but also the 65th Anniversary of what became to be the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, Operation Overlord – D Day. This year is also the 65th Anniversary of immortalised in celluloid as “A Bridge Too Far”

In the following paragraphs you will find a brief report on some of the events attended by members of the Somme Branch since the last issue of the “Bugle”.

Branch Events Round up – Steve berridge

Branch Pre Armistice Day Social Evening – 10th November 2008

For the second year members and friends of the Somme Branch met up for an extremely enjoyable social evening at “Le Poppy” in La Boiselle. We were joined once again by our good friends the Band of the Hampshire Constabulary some of whose members played during the evening and after dinner provided the musical accompaniment to our now traditional sing a long of old wartime and patriotic songs. After dinner presentations were made by the band of a special plaque to the branch by their bandmaster and in return our Chairman Rod presented the band with a “Somme Bugle” an original bugle with the Hampshire Regiment crest on the bell, which was very warmly received. A member of the band sounded an excellent “Retreat” on their latest acquisition much to the delight of all present.

Presentation of the Somme Bugle Armistice Day 90th Anniversary – 11th November 2009

This year being the 90th Anniversary of the guns falling silent along the Western Front at the end of what was then known as the “Great War” was commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. This year the band and standards were joined by members of the Herts and Bucks Wing of the Air Training Corps, who paraded their standards and a very well turned out marching contingent who followed the standards and band on parade.

This year being a special anniversary it was felt that it needed to be marked by something special and our Chairman Rod did indeed organise something special! Bang on 11.02am as requested a solitary Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force made a fly past The Royal Air Force arriveth- over the Thiepval Memorial.

What made this even more special was that the plane was from 30 Squadron, a squadron that had operated over the Somme during the First World War. Special thanks must go to Rod for asking, - the Royal Air Force for saying yes, - and to Monsieur Max Potie the Mayor of Thiepval for allowing the plane to fly in his air space.

A Special thank you to Branch members Ken and Pam for allowing us to use their superb photos of the “Herc”. The Royal Air Force departeth-

Following the service in a break from tradition the standards and band followed by the congregation moved to the other side of the memorial to the Anglo French cemetery, where a number of French schoolchildren placed flags on the headstones in a very moving gesture organised by the Mayor. Afterward the parade remustered and marched to the Thiepval village church where a service was held at the village war memorial.

Our third service of the day was another village service held as last year at Mailly- Maillet where the standards of local organisations joined the branch standard and the Hampshire Police band and the villagers in a march around the village to the village war memorial where the service was held. After which all were invited to a buffet in the village hall. Here we said good bye to the band who made their way back to catch the ferry to Blighty.

The standard however was off again, this time to the village of Achiet-Le-Grand where a service was held in the Communal Cemetery Extension. Buried here among the fallen lie 36 airman of the Great War and for the past couple of years the Herts and Bucks Wing of the Air Training Corps have attended the service here on the 11th November organised by the Somme Remembrance Association. This year the branch was invited to attend this quite moving service, where once again the cadets turnout and bearing did them great credit.

Commemoration at the Neuve Chapelle Indian memorial – 12th November 2009.

On the 12th November the Branch Chairman and Standard had been invited to attend a memorial service to commemorate those of the old Indian Army who fought and died alongside their British counterparts on the Western Front 1914-1918. The Branch Standard alongside our French counterparts, a French Army band and guard of honour fell in around the inner walls of the circular monument. The event was well attended by dignitaries from many nations including an Indian Army General resplendent in “Rifle Green”. Indian Army Pipers were also in attendance to play the lament. The memorial itself commemorates over 5,000 fallen of the Indian Army who have no known Grave.

The Indian Corps made up of 2 Divisions each made up of 3 brigades, each brigade containing 1 British and 3 Indian battalions, fought in the area around Neuve Chapelle in October 1914 and by the end of the year had suffered over 9,000 casualties of which over 7,000 were Indian. In the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 the Corps lost 1/5th of its strength. The Indian Corps was disbanded in December 1915, but other Indian units continued to serve on the Western Front, probably the most well known being the Deccan Horse who are remembered for their cavalry charge at High Wood on the Somme. Somme Branch Poppy Appeal 2008

The Thiepval Visitors Centre collected a grand total of 1,916 Euros and £86 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal from visitors to the Centre. As a mark of appreciation our Chairman Rod Bedford presented the Visitor Centre with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the Branch.

Branch Chairman Rod Bedford presents the Certificate of Appreciation to Vincent Laude, Manager of the Thiepval Visitor Centre.

Members Article – A Few Rivers To Cross - By Steve Berridge 2009 sees the 65th anniversary of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, in effect the beginning of the end of the war in Europe and Operation Market Garden a bold attempt to end the war by the end of 1944. A common dominator for both of these actions is the presence of members of my family regiment the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Below is a short account of the actions of the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion of the regiment from D Day to VE Day which I hope may be of interest to you.

NORMANDY (Operation OVERLORD) At around 15 minutes past midnight on the night of 5th/6th June 1944 Six Horsa Gliders carrying members of Major John Howard’s reinforced Letter D Company of the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (2OBLI) (known regimentally as the 52nd due to the regimental affectation of calling the two regular battalions by their pre 1881 titles:- 1st Battalion were originally the 43rd Light Infantry and the 2nd Battalion the 52nd Light Infantry) began landing in Normandy, their task was to capture two bridges over the Orne River and the Caen Canal, vital to the holding of the left flank of the invasion, and to hold them until relieved by the 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. At least that was the plan, in the event only five gliders touched down near the two objectives; number 4 glider landed further East near the bridges at Varaville on the River Dives from where they had to make their way across the flooded Dives valley, having many adventures on the way (including one of their number, L/Sjt “Tich” Raynor, being shot by a dead German!!), before eventually rejoining Letter D Company on the 7th June. The Canal and River bridges at Benouville were captured intact after a brisk fire fight and the code words for the capture of the intact bridges was sent out, in the words of the wireless operator Cpl Ted Tappenden, “ hello four dog, Ham and Jam, Ham and bloody Jam”. The “coup de main” party had lost two of its number killed in the assault, Lieutenant Den Brotheridge who died from a gunshot wound to the neck and L/Cpl Greenhaulgh who drowned in the “pond” after being thrown out of his glider when it crash landed. The two bridges were renamed Pegasus and Horsa in honour of their Airborne liberators. At around 3am the “Bridge Prangers” were relieved by 7 PARA who took over responsibility for the bridges and under whose command Letter D Company now came. Lord Lovatt’s Commandos moved through the position around 1330hrs but it was not until 2115hrs that a relief force from the 3rd Division that had landed at Sword Beach reached the bridges. During their “Longest Day” the defenders had been in constant action repelling counter attacks and under constant sniping. The rest of the Battalion arrived by glider during the evening of the 6th June. During the following days the battalion suffered many casualties in actions around Escoville and Herouvillette and in the holding of the left flank of the Normandy Bridgehead and were in continuous action in the line following the breakout and the advance to the Seine until being returned to England at the beginning of September 1944.

ARNHEM (Operation MARKET GARDEN) The Battle of and the subsequent defence of the Perimeter have passed into legend and the subject of numerous books and films, meaning that the story of the Operation is quite well known by most who have an interest in military history, what is probably less known is the contribution of the regiment in Operation Market Garden. The objectives of the 1st Airborne Division were to capture and hold the bridges over the river at Arnhem, however in the end only a force slightly over battalion strength managed to reach and hold the northern approaches to the Road Bridge. Only the Second Parachute Battalion (less C company who were separated in the town), reinforced by part of 1st Para Brigade HQ, The“Bridge Too Far” The John Frost members of C Coy 3rd Parachute Battalion Bridge at Arnhem and some attached arms personnel actually reached the objective.

Among the Officers of the 2nd Parachute Battalion were some ex Ox & Bucks officers, the Battalion Second in Command Major David Wallis had served with 4OBLI, while A Company was commanded by Major Digby Tatham-Warter (ex 52nd) who took over as battalion 2ic when Major Wallis was killed. When training his Company in the UK and remembering his Light Infantry roots, Major Tatham-Warter concerned about the effectiveness of radios had set up a system of using Bugles to send signals within his company that were used to good effect on the march to the bridge and in its defence. After the withdrawal of the remnants of the Division across the Rhine at the end of the battle Tatham-Warter was involved in organising many of the evading Airborne troops left behind to get back to Allied lines in “Operation Pegasus”. The umbrella wielding officer in the film “A Bridge Too Far” is based on Major Tatham-Warter who carried his umbrella because he could not remember the password. Also in A Company was Lt John (Jack) Grayburn (ex 43rd) who was to win a posthumous Victoria Cross at the bridge. The regiment was also represented at Headquarters, 1st Parachute Brigade, by its Commander Brigadier , formerly of the 43rd and the Brigade Staff Captain, Captain Edward Moy-Thomas from the 52nd. Originally the 52nd had formed part of 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st British Airborne Division and at that time were tasked with providing the Divisional Defence Platoon. This they continued to do when the 52nd were transferred to the 6th Airlanding Brigade on the formation of the 6th British Airborne Division in 1943. By the time of the in September 1944 the Divisional Defence Platoon although by now slightly watered down by the inclusion of men of other units and commanded by a Parachute Regiment officer was still in the main made up of men of the 52nd.

The Hartenstein Hotel,1AB Div HQ During the defence of the Oosterbeek perimeter to where 1st Airborne Division withdrew after it had been cut to pieces trying to get to the famous “Bridge Too far” the Divisional Defence Platoon was engaged in the defence of the Hartenstein Hotel which had become the Divisional Headquarters. Eventually after fighting solidly for nine days the remnants of the Division were withdrawn across the Rhine.

ARDENNES In December 1944 the 52nd together with the 6th Airborne Division were rushed from England to the Ardennes to help hold the line during what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

THE RHINE CROSSING (Operation VARSITY) At 9pm on the evening of 23rd March 1945 British troops made an assault river crossing of the Rhine, Operation Plunder has begun. By the early hours of 24th March allied ground units had secured a number of crossings on the eastern bank of the Rhine. At around 10am on the 24th March two allied Airborne Divisions, the 6th British Airborne Division and the 17th US Airborne Division began landing in Germany this was Operation Varsity. The objectives of the 6th Airborne Division were to prevent German reinforcements known to be in the area of Hamminkeln 52nd Memorial at and Ringenburg, reaching the Allied bridgehead on the Hamminkeln Rhine. The 52nd’s task was to land on LZ-O, to the north of Hamminkeln, and secure a road and a railway bridge (the 52nd seem to have an obsession with bridges) across the River Issel. The Battalion was the first unit of the 6th Airlanding Brigade to land, and their vulnerable gliders became targets for all of the anti-aircraft weapons in the immediate area. As a result casualties were enormously heavy, gliders were shot out of the sky and others collided or crash landed. During the 10 minutes that it took for the battalion to land it lost half of its fighting strength. Those who survived quickly disembarked and began to deal with the anti-aircraft batteries. With all of the Battalion's companies fighting independent actions all over the landing area, the scene was one of great confusion for several hours. Nevertheless by 11:00, all objectives had been taken. "B" and "C" Companies had successfully captured the road and the railway bridges respectively, and "A" Company were dug-in around the intersection of the two roads that ran across the zone. By the end of the day the Battalion had lost all but a third of its strength, the regimental chronicle records 400 casualties for 24th March of which 103 were killed (mainly in the gliders). On the 26th March, the 6th Airlanding Brigade led the Division's advance out of the bridgehead. The 52nd along with the remainder of the 6th Airborne Division living up to the Divisional motto “Go To It” continued the advance into Germany carrying out an assault river crossing of the River Weser, through Minden, Celle, across the River Elbe and eventually met up with the Russians at Wismar on the Baltic on the 2nd May 1945.