The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-09-28
WOUNDED REMAIN
IN ARNHEM TRAP
Rv ROGER GREENE

,pMy IN HOLLAND, Sept. 81
~ ~ Between LOO and 1900 sur.
:nors of an original force of ap.
-ovimately 5000 British airborne
tons trapped at Anthem escaped
..ross the Neder Rhine, leaving
.ome 1000 wounded behind, a Sc
-. British staff officer disclosed
tonight. ~ 4
.ross the Neder Rhine a week
seo sunday to secure vital bridges
% held out for eight days and
s s of incessant bombardment,
t,aaSn,med in by the enemy within
.' inv perimeter and without sup
lies, using only the weapons they
vi brought with them in what
been called history's greatest
';rhorne operation. Their sacrifice
vas bitter,
Al All through the long period of
.soir travail, beset by German
t.nks -throwers, mortar fire
md artillery, they we're unable to
tnr,, either their own dead or the
Germans.
Corpses lay in rotting heaps
roht at the edge of their sill t
trenches.
But they exacted a terrible price
~ enormously superior N m y
t,rces and according to an unof-
fcial estimate, killed $4,000 to 49,
nm enemy troops.
The British f officer who
cave the official explanation of the
first setback suffered by the AL
lies since D-day, indicated that we
must not look upon this contribu-
fon as gallant failure, but rath-
er as gallant but expensive sue
cess,
The operation, which had as its
objective the seizure of vital bridg-
es across the Rhine, has proved,
he said, 80 per cent successful, and
lie corridor to the Rhine now has
ceased to be merely a corridor
and has become great bastion.
Failure of the daring sky thrust
into the heart Of Holland was Of
ficially ascribed to bad weather,
which day after day virtually
grounded Allied planes, preventing
them from bringing supplies and
reinforcements to the beleaguered
airborne troops in their tiny peri
meter, and to t h unexpectedly
strong German interference with
the communications line. on Gen.
Dempsey's drive to make contact
with the airborne forces.
Aside from 1900 wounded left be-
hind, it was reported that there
were about 1000 airborne troops
who still were hi ding in the woods
on the German-held north side of
tie Neder Rhine.
The German commander was
said to be treating the wounded
extremely we'll" 80
The staff officer said Field Mar
shall ST. Bernard L. Montgomery
PERSONALITY had. decided remnants
Of the British First Airborne divi-
sion which fought the last four
days cornered within an area Of
1000 square yards, should be
brought back when it became evil
dent that no junction in strength
could be made across the Neder
Rhine.
Estimates of the number who
succeeded in getting back varied.
According to one official report L.
700 swan or rowed across the riv-
er in small boats. But another
version said $500 of the sky-troop-
ers were waiting at a forward air
field for transportation b c k to
Er9l34d.
The tWo-day ban on news was
it was explained, because
1t obviously was important mot to
give any information to the enemy
hat such an action was taking
place and that we no longer had
any hope Of making a link-up."
Looking into the future, the next
phase Of the war in Europe will
be tough, logged fighting. But it
Will not be as long as the stale
mate in Normandy. It is difficult
&c believe the Germans could go
On much longer in their last-gasp
efforts to delay the inevitable col
lapse Of Hitler's reich.