Just been watching the Jeramy Clarkson programme on Bob Cains and his VC action, I know that Cain's fought up around the "Monastery" and "Den Brink" then made his way back to the Old Kirk and joined up with Dickie Lonsdale and the "Lonsdale Force" where he run amok gaining his VC, I also read an account that Jack Baskeyfield was killed prior to the Lonsdale Force being established, my question is did Jack fight with Cains up at the monastery and got back to Oosterbeek with Cains or did Jack not make it to the Lombok area and was only in Oosterbeek and did he meet Cains in the Benedendorpwag area.
Hicks took all of the anti tank guns from the Staffords, and kept them for defence around the Hartenstein, as they moved forward towards Arnhem on the 18th, So a short answer to your question is that Jack Baskeyfield was not at the fighting at the Monastery/Museum on the morning of the 19th. Ths Staffords anti tank guns were sent down to the Benedendorpsweg/Acacialaan area on the 19th to form a defensive perimeter and it was into this area that those falling back from the abortive attempt to reach the bridge were formed up under Majuor Buchanan (South Staffords). It was only later that Lonsdale was later sent forward to take charge of these troops. As Major Cain wrote the recommendation for Buchanan's DSO there is little doubt that he was in the fighting in the Acacialaan area where Baskeyfield won his VC. I cannot say whether he met Baskeyfield but he would have been aware of the presence of his Battalion's anti tank guns John
I agree with Horsa.....the only comments I would add is that the 6 pounder A/T screen would have been part of Thompson Force from the 19/09 and then later part of Lonsdale Force when Thompson was injured.....Lonsdale was wounded in the hand just before exiting his aircraft over Ginkel Heath....it was enough to 'put him out of action' and he was at Div HQ on 19/09 when Thompson asked if htere were any spare infantry officers to assist him with Thompson Force....The other thing I would add is to try and get hold of a copy of By Land Sea and Air as this book is on the 2nd South Staffs in WW2 and there are several pages together with pictures/maps on Jack B...... .
Its funny reading about Dickie Lonsdale and his battle injury, As wrote he was wounded while flying in to the drop zone, When on the ground he went for treatment from the RMO of the 11th Para Capt Stuart Mawson, Mawson wrote in his book Arnhem Doctor that Lonsdale was very angry that Mawson could not undertake proper treatment to his badly damaged hand and told him to go to a FDS , I presume that Lonsdale went to Div HQ for treatment as Mawson says he did not see Lonsdale after his First Aid Treatment, Mawson ending up in the Schoonoord and Londsdale down at the Church.
From conversations with Stuart M the finger was sort of 'hanging off' as he recalled....I guess he was seen by 133 and then ended up at Div HQ....in the film TITG he 'portrays' himself with arm in a sling, blood stained bandages round his head etc etc......There is a photo of him taken after the evacuation which is used in the book 'Who was Who at Arnhem' (and no doubt others) of him with a Signals officer being given a light for a cigarette and all he has is a small plaster over one eye........
