Eric Allwood

7th KOSB became glider-borne troops with the 1st Airborne Division and in September 1944 they were flown into the landing zone west of the villlage of Wolfheze, near Arnhem. At Johannahoeve Farm and later The White House, the battalion found themselves surrounded by superior and better equipped German forces. They fought gallently but never really had a chance and by the order was given to retreat on the 25th September the 740 strong battalion had been reduced to 4 officers and 72 men. 90% of the battaion had been either killed or captured.

War Diary:
1/9/1944-16/9/1944 the battalion was on stand by for the attack on Arnhem and Nijmegen and several times they were loaded onto the gliders only for the operations to be postponed or cancelled.

16/9/1944:Briefing for the Bn for operation 'Market' was completed, and during the afternoon the Bn moved in groups to their respective airfields.
17/9/1944: Down Ampney and Blakehill Farm Airfields.
10:00 hrs: Off at last. After having been briefed for so many operations which have been postponed and eventually cancelled, the Bn really gotaway this morning. Operation "Market" in which we are taking part is designed to seize the river crossings at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem and to hold them until 30 Corps of the 2nd Army comes up to take them over and use them. 1 Airborne Div is to seize and hold the Arnhem bridge and form a bridge-head North of it around the town. There is a scene of suppressed excitement as we embark in our gliders at Down Ampney and Blakehill Farm Airfields. Most of the Bn flying from the former, but the CO, part of HQ and 'A' coy group from the latter. Soon after 1000 hrs all are airborne and out great adventure has started.
10:00-13:30 hrs: Our flight is a good one, though ground mist between the airfields and the coast makes it difficult for the glider pilots, and a few gliders have to pull off and land in England to prevent accident. We cross the coast of East Anglia, a long and impressive stream of aircraft, and head for Holland. The Dutch coast is struck slightly South of Antwerp and it is seen there that the islands have been completely flooded. One glider makes a forced landing there but seems alright. We expect flak now but none comes, only some small arms fire. We fly inland a little and swing in a Northerly direction towards our goal.
13:30 hrs: We release some two miles from our LZ (landing zone) and glide in.Still no flak. Most of the gliders make good landings, though in a number of cases the undercarriages sinks in the soft ground causing a minor crash. Two gliders dash into the wood on the edge of the LZ and are smashed, but with only one fatal casualty. it is an impressive sight seeing these dozens of gliders nosing their way in, but there is no time to watch it as unloading has to be proceeded with at once.
15:00 hrs: The Bn commenced its fwd movement. The LZ snd RV drills were carried out with precision and despatch. There was no interruption from enemy fire. Infm from local inhabitants indicates that there are a few Germans in the immediate vicinity. The Dutch seem delighted to see us. Out of our original strength of 56 gliders, 8 have failed to arrive. One Atk gun is broken up in its glider and unserviceable.
'A' coy was first to move, going off on its independent role of taking up a posn on the main rd EDE-ARNHEM. This it succeeded in doing, though it met opposition including an armoured car. The coy inflicted several casualties on the enemy and took a number of prisoners. One Pl (platoon), with Atk gun was pushed out to the edge of the wood towards EDE, overlooking DZ "Z", which it was the Bn's task to protect.
The remainder of the Bn started in adv to contact fmn towards DZ "Z" without opposition. A few stray Germns were captured. On reaching the DZ "b" coy Gp proceeded to direct to their pre-briefed posns on the Western side of it, to cover the approaches from EDE. Bn HQ was established at the Southern end, just south of the hugh motor road which is under construction there.
19:00 hrs: This road is built up like a high rly (railway) embankment and runs right across the Southern end of the DZ. "D" coy were kept in reserve in the vicinity of the Bn HQ but one Pl, under Capt Gourley and Lt Mason was sent out to seize and hold a group of houses in the middle of the DZ. This turned out to be a small settlement occupird by the refugees from Arnhem, but the CO decided it should be held in order to prevent the enemy occupying it.
By nightfall the Bn's dispositions to protect the DZ for the Parachute landing next day had been completed according to plan and digging was well advanced. Infm from prisoners suggested that some 600 enemy tps had been occupying the barracks in the EDE and that there were other reinforcements available further north. One prisoner taken was a girl, a German WAAF. She was sent to Bde HQ.
19:00 to 04:30 hrs: Vigorous patrolling was carried out by all Coys. throughout the night, by B & C coys towards EDE, and by D coy to the South and East. Lack of communication proved a great drawback, both now and later. Uwing to the thick woods the wireless sets would not function over the distances between Coys. Line was laid out but, being of assault capable, was also unsatisfactory owing to distance and breakages.
During the night the Pl of A Coy (under Lt Strang) which was on the main road was repeatedly attacked by a party of enemy which advanced with an armoured vehicle, carrying a Hispano type of gun firing explosive cannon-shell. Their tactics were to shine a searchlight on the Pl posn and then rain cannon-shell and MG gunfire into it whilst the inf (infantry) infiltrated around it. Lt Strang's Pl withstood three such attacks but they were severely shaken by them.
18/9/1944: 06:00 hrs: Though, owing to lack of comms, the CO was not aware of the details of these attacks it became apparent to him that the small wood at the North and of the DZ was being occupied by the enemy in some strength. He, therefore, in the early morning, ordered OC D Coy (Major Sherriff), to carry out an attack on this wood and to seize and hold it. The plan was to make Capt Gourley's posn in the settlement a fire base and for the rest of the coy (two Pls) to work up through "A" coyPl and attack from a North Easterly direction. Fire sp was also to be given by "A" coy Pl and by "B" coy Gp, which incl MMG's and Mortars and was firmly established at the Northernend of the wood West of the DZ.
This operation did not go according to plan. When Major Sherriff went fwd to contact Capt Gourlay in the settlement he was greeted by outbursts of fire both from the edge of the wood on the east of the DZ and from the vicinity of the settlement itself. It then became apparent to him that the Pl there was closely surrounded if not already overrun. On his reporting this to Bn HQ the CO oredered C coy, who had not yet been engaged, to send a Pl out into the DZ to engage the enemy forces surroundingthe settlement. This was only partially successful owing to the long range and the fact that folds in the ground afforded the enemy a considerable amount of cover.
07:00 hrs Major Sherriff decided now to bye-pass the settlement and carry on towards his original objective. That was the last seen or heard of him for the rest of the day and the CO was left, owing to failure of R/T (radio transmission), without further knowledge of his movements, though sounds of heavy firing came from the woods.
09:00 hrs: About this hour it became apparent, from sounds of firing, that the enemy were advancing Southwards through the wood in the East, where D coy was, and several attempts to gain touch with that Coy failed. The CO had now no reserve left except a composite made up of 17 men of Sp coy. This he sent into the wood under Major HR Hill, OC Sp Coy, to investigate. There followed increased sounds of firing, both MG and rifles. When Major Hill returned, some two hours later, he reported having engaged the enemy who were infiltrating through the wood, and inflicted casualties (two to his own rifle).
10:00 hrs: The 4th Parachute Bde were due to make their drop at the this hour and their appearances was anxiously awaited. At this time the situation was reasonably well in hand. 'B' coy Gp were inflicting severe casualties on enemy parties on the main rd where at least six armd tracked vehs were knocked out by their atk gun and their occupants eliminated by the fire from MMGs. They were also mortaring the wood at the North of the DZ. 'C' coy were covering the SW portion of the DZ and engaging any enemy seen in the open. On the Eastern side there was the unknown factor of 'D' coy, but they appeard to be containing the enemy, and Major Hill's small force had the situation in hand in the SE. At the Southern end Bn HQ were holding a firm base.
Unfortunately, however, the aircraft did not appear at their appointed time.
10:00 to 14:00 hrs: There followed now a difficult period during which the enemy pressed in all sides. Steps were taken, by using every man and weapon, to keep him in check and these were so successful that he eventually drew off the majority of his force Northward. Therefore, when the Parachute drop did eventually take place, between 14:00 and 15:00 hrs, the DZ was completely clean and fire on it came from only a few isolated enemy weapons situated at a distance.
15:00 hrs: All parachutists down, with very few casualties. Brigadier Hackett, Comd, 4 Para Bde, specially thanked the CO for the protection provided. The bn has thus accomplished its first task successfully.
During the intensive clearing of the woods just prior to the drop, the whole of Bn HQ was actively engaged. Unfortunately whilst crossing the embankment of the moter-road a party which incl the CO and Major Hill came under enfilade KG fire and major Hill was shot through the head. His loss is a griveous one as he was a cool and couragous leader.
"A" coy under Major Buchanan, had, during this day, a very uncomfortable time. Lt Strang's Pl was eventually forced, by dint of enemy pressure and sp weapons, to fall back on the main Coy posn at Planken Wambus.
The enemy followed up closely and attacked this posn repeatedly, but "A" coy held on, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and taking a number of prisoners.
During the forenoon the 2IC, Major Coke, was sent back to recce the route to our next posn. At Bde HQ he was informed that the 1 Para Bde, a small part of it, had seized the Arnhem bridge and was holding the North end of it, though cut off from the remainder of the Bde. The GOC, as well as Comd 1 Para Bde. was missing and Brigadier Hicks, Comd 1 Airldg Bde, had assumed Comd of the Div.
These circumstances necessitated some alteration in the plan and the G1 came up, at the time of the parachute landing, with orders. One Bn of the 4 Para Bde, - 11 Para Bn, - was to go to the assistance of 1 Para Bde, whilst the remainder were to process with their original task of clearing and holding the North of Arnhem. 7 KOSB, having completed its task of protecting the DZ, was to seize and hold the high ground in the woods about Pt 56 (698797) and Pt 54 (704801). Infm was that these were strongly held by enemy outposts.
17:00 to 19:00 hrs: The CO, having co-ordinated plans for the move with Comd 4 Para Bde, ordered the start to be made at 19:00 hrs. This enabled the adv units of 4 Para Bde to get clear and also gave time for our men to prepare and eat a hasty hot meal from their 24-hr packs, - the first since landing. Much to the CO's satisfaction D Coy turned up again at 18:00 hrs, having been engaged in close combat with the enemy in the woods all day. Major Sherriff had been slightly wounded in the arm, but was carrying on, and Lt Kipping had been killed. About the same time certain sub-units which had come in on the second lift appeared. These incl Lt Doid's Pl (B Coy) and Lt Waite's Pl.
19:00 hrs: The Bn moved off in the semi darkness in the order: B Coy Gp (Maj Forman), D Coy, Bn HQ, Sp Coy, C Coy (Maj Dinwiddie). The route lay along the North side of the rly till past Wolfheisen, then in a North Easterly direction towards the objective.
There was considerable congestion on the route, owing to the number of units, incl tpt and guns, of 4 Para Bde, who were using the same one for the first part of the way.

Eric was killed on the 18th along with 14 other men. The Bn held out for another week under heavy shelling and machine gun fire. Eventually on the 25th they were withdrawn to Nijmegen, but had to leave the wounded behind.
Major Henry Ralph Hill and Lt James Henry Strang were killed. Major Sherriff was wounded twice more and was taken prisoner when the battalion withdrew. However he managed to escape and was found by the British SAS on the 18th April 1945.

There is a youtube series, fronted by James Holland and Al Murray, 'WW2Headquaters' were they walk the ground of Operation Market Garden and explain how the battle for Arnhem and the surrouding area panned out. The section on the drop zones 'The Drop Zones wasn't the Problem' covers the period described above.