Posted this on a specialist Arnhem forum but no one has replied so to get a wider audience........ Anyone have any thoughts as to the exact (or close to it!) casualty figure for the attacks by A and B Companies on this day..... If I've counted correctly John Hey gives 14 deaths on this day from the 156 excluding those buried at Ginkel. Most books give the impression that both companies virtually ceased to exist.....so from the 5 platoons...one of A Company left at Ginkel to guard the wounded- about 130 to 150 men..... It is said the Btn went to Arnhem about 480, 35 men or thereabouts lost on the flight in/Ginkel area so down to about 440.... O'Reilly says in the afternoon Btn on the way back to Wolfheze had about 130 men missing.....which conveniently is the number roughly that could have been in A and B Companies.....with me so far? Then in Harry Bankhead's book he says they did a roll call of C Company befroe leaving the Dreijenseweg area - 57 in total...so they'd lost about 60 to 70 men also......then men from Support Company also became casualties in the fighting here.....regretfully no real records from 133 suggesting how many they A&D'd this day...... My thought is the Btn had lost more than the 130 suggested in O'Reilly........any comments guys.....??????
Looking at the War diaries on Peggy, I would tend to agree with you Medic, on the 19th it says parts of the Battalion were divided with the outcome by 1600 hrs on the 19th being that B Coy had 6 men left........ which is the same amount quoted at 10.00 on the 20th and at the same time it says A Coy had 15 men left, with HQ coy having 30 men and C Coy 40.
HI Niall, Here you go the war diaries for The 156 I've just added 19.9.44 if you want more let me know Cheers Tom 19th September 1944 0330 - This firm base was completed. 0500 - Orders were received from HQ 4 Para Bde to capture the feature pt 567 (710798). 0700 - C Coy supported by B Coy captured the feature pt 565 (696798) as a first bound in capturing the objective. 0830 - A Coy put in an attack on the line of defence on the rd running from 702805 to 699792. The axis of advance was along the track running from 693778 to 700798. The coy met very heavy opposition including S.P. guns and armd cars and was brought to a standstill, after suffering heavy casualties including all the officers along the line of the track running from 699802 to 700797. 0900 - B Coy put in attack on the same line of enemy defence, moving round the North of A Coy, and met the same heavy opposition. B Coy Comd was then fatally wounded and heavy casualties were sustained. 0930 - S Coy and Bn HQ put in a counter attack and about 30 men of the Bn reached the rd running from 702805 to 699792. 1100 - B Coy was attacked by ME 109's and sustained heavy casualties. 1400 - The Bn formed a firm base posn in the area of the southern part of the wood at pt 565 (697797). 1600 - Orders were received from HQ 4 Para Bde to move to the area of Hotel Walfhegen 6779 in 15 minutes time. Owing to the speed of this move and the fact that enemy patrols were attacking the Bn got divided and S Coy and half of B and C Coys moved along the North side of the rly to the area 673804. They were attacked and overrun during the night and except for the QM and 6 men who got back, have not been seen or heard of since. 1900 - About 200 of the Bn arrived at the area pt 232 (6879) where they received orders from HQ 4 Para Bde to leaguer for the night in a Bde perimeter with the North flank of the Bn resting on the rly. The Bn was mortared and shelled throughout the night and several enemy patrols were encountered.
