Table of Contents
List of Photographs vii
List of Maps ix
Introduction 1
1 The Path to Arnhem 5
2 'First Airborne' and Friends 20
3 The Arnhem Area 49
4 Preparations for Battle 59
5 The Air Armada 75
6 The Morning in Holland 90
7 The Landings 96
8 The Vital Hours 116
8 The Vital Hours 116
Battalion Krafft 117
1st Parachute BrigadePlan 119
The Reconnaissance Squadron 123
The Divisional Commander 126
The 3rd Parachute Battalion 129
The 1st Parachute Battalion 137
The 2nd Parachute Battalion 142
The Divisional Area 162
The Other Landings 165
9 The Battle in the Town - Monday 167
The 3rd Parachute Battalion 170
The 1st Parachute Battalion 175
C Company and No. 4 Platoon, 2nd Parachute Battalion 184
Reinforcements 186
10 The Battle in the Town - Tuesday 190
The 1st and 3rd Parachute Battalions 195
The 2nd South Staffordshires 200
The 11th Parachute Battalion 206
In the Rear of the Fighting 209
11 Waiting for the Second Lift 217
12 The Second Lift 224
13 The Battle in the Woods 248
The Evening Moves 251
l56 Parachute Battalion the Dreijenseweg Action 254
The 10th Parachute Battalion - the Pumping-Station-Area Action 261
The Third-Lift Glider Landing 269
The 4th Parachute Brigade Withdrawals 272
Wednesday -into Oosterbeek 282
14 The Battle at the Bridge 287
Monday 288
Tuesday 300
Wednesday 307
Resistance Fails 317
15 The Formation of the Oosterbeek Perimeter 324
The Eastern Perimeter 324
The Western Perimeter 329
Wednesday - Lonsdale Force 331
16 The Battle at Oosterbeek 341
The Thursday Attacks 341
The Siege - Friday to Monday 351
The Local People 365
The Divisional Units 372
The Medical Services 378
17 The Resupply Flights 386
Tuesday 387
Wednesday 391
Thursday 393
The Final Flights 396
18 The Polish Brigade 402
19 The Sacrifice of the Dorsets 418
20 Evacuation 423
21 The Reckoning 436
The Cost 438
Was It Worth It? 441
22 The Years That Followed 445
Appendix 1 Order of Battle and Operational Details, 1st British Airborne Division and Attached Units 455
Appendix 2 Order of Battle, Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group 461
Appendix 3 Order of Battle, 38 and 46 Groups RAF and RASC Air Despatch Unlts 462
Appendix 4 Order of Battle, US Air Units Carrying British and Polish Parachute Troops on Operation 'Market' 464
Appendix 5 Arnhem Today 465
Acknowledgements 478
Bibliography 486
Index 487