I am looking into the activities of Brigadier Arthur Gordon Walch, O.B.E. (34819), (1906 – 1994) was a member of The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), and was the Chief of Staff for Lieutenant-General Browning. On Sunday 17th September, Lieutenant-General Browning's glider landed on the Groesbeek Heights, one hundred yards west of the Reichswald Forest. His descent was not without incident as one of the glider's front wheels was torn off when it struck an electricity cable, however the craft landed safely and came to a halt in a cabbage patch. Browning immediately ran over to the woods and returned several minutes later, explaining to his Chief of Staff, Brigadier Gordon Walch, "I wanted to be the first British officer to pee in Germany". A few German shells began to explode in the vicinity, prompting Colonel George Chatterton, Browning's pilot and commander of the Glider Pilot Regiment, to throw himself into a ditch to seek cover. Completely unperturbed, Browning stood over him and asked "George, whatever in the world are you doing down there?". From: http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/frederick_browning.htm He received a Bronze Star for his activities during the invasion of Holland. Does anyone have any further information they could share?
Arthur Gordon Walch (1906 – 1994) Arthur Gordon Walch was born on 23 September, 1906 to John Crosby Walch and Aileen von Steiglitz at Jabalpur (Jubbulpore), India. He was educated at Tonbridge School, in Tonbridge, Kent commencing circa 1919. In 1924 he entered Sandhurst, leaving in 1925 and was commissioned on the 4th February, 1926 (Gazetted in the London Gazette, 33130, on the 5th February, 1926, page 887) as a 2nd Lieutenant of the Loyal Regiment. He joined the 2nd Battalion, Loyal Regiment at Gravesend, Kent, later being sent to join the 1st Battalion in India. Between 1926 and 1935 he served with the latter battalion in Secunderbad and Cawnpore, including undertaking a course at the Army School of Physical Training at Ambala. He rejoined the 2nd Battalion at Tidworth, serving there between autumn 1935 and early 1937, after which and until 1938 he was at the Small Arms School. Between 1938 and September 1939, Arthur Gordon served with the 1st Battalion Loyal Regiment, as a part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division as Adjutant at Tidworth and the Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot. In September 1939 he went to France and Belgium, in January, 1940 he attended a shortened War Course at the Staff College, Camberley. From April 1940 he served as the Brigade Major of 128th Brigade (43rd Division), and GSO2 for the said division and XII Corps, UK. His Commanding officer was Brigadier Frederick Arthur Montague Browning. In November, 1941 he was posted to the newly formed Airborne Forces as GSO1, 1st Airborne Division. He was involved in the planning of the following operations: Operation Biting[ii] Feb 1942 Operation Husky: Sicily[iii] (Airborne Sections) Sep 1943 Operation Neptune: D-Day Normandy[iv] Jun 1944 Operation Market-Garden[v] Sep 1944 From October, 1944 to August 1945 he served as the Chief of Airborne Operations at the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia in Kandy Ceylon. He died on 12 Mar 1994 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. NOTE: This information is from the online record for 9487 01/11/2 Private Papers of A G Walch, on the Imperial War Museum website. This will be updated when copies of these records in full are received. Frederick Browning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [ii] Operation Biting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [iii] Airborne forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [iv] Airborne forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [v] Airborne forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I think that you'll find that Walch was in the same glider as Jack Reynolds (South Staffords) for the invasion of Sicily on the night 9th July 1943. They separated on landing but both Reynold's and Walch's parties ended up at the Ponte Grande bridge. John
