Operation Pegasus - which Engineer unit?

Dave

It's much easier to do the research I assure you - I find that when you sit down to try to write something you get to the end of the paragraph and realise that you've just identified another area that you need to go and do some work on.
I've been working on Pegasus for a number of years now though so perhaps it's about time.

John

 

Dave

It's much easier to do the research I assure you - I find that when you sit down to try to write something you get to the end of the paragraph and realise that you've just identified another area that you need to go and do some work on.
I've been working on Pegasus for a number of years now though so perhaps it's about time.

John
On the writing side of things I would have to agree with you John. The more I research and find out,the more I have to re-write my own effort.

 

Lt. Russell Jordan Kennedy, 23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

Unit : 23rd Field Company RCE, 43rd (Wessex) Division

Awards : Military Cross
​

From Mark Hickman's site:

During the evacuation of the 1st Airborne Division on the night of the 25th September, Lieutenant Kennedy and his Canadian sappers made numerous trips over the Rhine to bring men to the safety of the southern bank. At 05.30, Kennedy was in the last of the powered boats to attempt the crossing, by which time it was broad daylight and the River was under such intense enemy fire that the operation could no longer continue, almost every man in this final boat was hit. For his actions on this night, and later operations, he was awarded the Military Cross. ​

 

A Bridge Too Far: The Canadian Role in the Evacuation of the British 1st Airborne Division from Arnhem-Oosterbeek, September 1944 by David Bennett

 

From 23rd Cdn Field Company, RCE War Dairies





War diaries : T-18578 - Héritage

 

From 23rd Cdn Field Company, RCE War Dairies












War diaries : T-18578 - Héritage

 

For the record the evacuation of the Airborne forces from the Oosterbeek perimeter on the night of 25/26th September was Operation Berlin. Operation Pegasus 1 was undertaken on the night of 22/23 October and the 23rd Canadian Engineers were not involved. Because of much stronger river currents their storm boats were required for operation Pegasus 2, on the night of 18/19 November, but this operation was a failure with only seven people, including two Dutch guides, managing to get across the river over two nights. The 23rd were again warned for a further evacuation operation in early December but that was cancelled. A section of the 23rd, under Lt John Cronyn, who had commanded No 1 Platoon on Op Berlin, were seconded to IS9 and spent the remainder of the war covertly ferrying equipment and agents into the occupied area by small boats and electric canoes, bringing back a number of evaders, as well as returning agents, on their return trips.

 

Lt-Col. David T. Dobie, 1st Parachute Battalion

Aberdeen Weekly Journal 21 December 1944