page_title: Antrim Fortress Royal Engineers
section_title: Operation Varsity
hierarchical_section_title: Antrim Fortress Royal Engineers / World War II / 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron / Operation Varsity
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 Kelpen North Bailey Bridge, Holland, 25 November 1944.
context_page_description: The Antrim Fortress Royal Engineers was a coast defence unit of the UK's Territorial Army formed in Northern Ireland in the late 1930s. During World War II it was converted to a parachute role and dropped into Normandy on D Day and across the Rhine during Operation Varsity. Its successors continue in the Army Reserve today.
context_section_description: For the Rhine operation, the airborne landings (Varsity) took place in daylight following a night crossing by ground forces (Operation Plunder). 6th Airborne's objective was to seize crossings over the River Issel beyond the Rhine. 591 Squadron was organised into two troops: No 1 Trp had six glider parties with 6th Airlanding Brigade for the assault on the three Issel bridges, while Maj Jack and No 2 Trp parachuted from four aircraft, accompanied by two gliders carrying Jeeps and stores, supporting 5th Parachute Bde in securing routes to the Issel. They took off from RAF Rivenhall at 05.30 and 07.30, and arrived over the Rhine at 10.00. 
  The gliders with the coup de main party each contained five sappers with a Jeep, trailer and motorcycle; two of these groups were assigned to each bridge. There was considerable Flak on the run-in: two of the gliders were shot down en route and two others were shot upon landing with considerable casualties; two parties arrived intact, only one (led by Lieutenant Peter Cox) in the correct position. Cox's party arrived at 10.20 and was involved in heavy fighting at the bridge, but once a company of 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles had captured it at 11.15 the sappers were able to prepare it for demolition. The two surviving parties then went to the bridge captured by 2nd Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, but this bridge was under heavy fire and demolition charges could not be placed until after dark. This bridge was successfully demolished next day when threatened by a German armoured counter-attack.
  The parachute party encountered considerable flak and small arms fire, but suffered few casualties. There was chaos at the rendezvous, most of the brigade having been dropped 1 mile (1.6 km) from its target. 2 Troop concentrated at 5th Parachute Bde HQ and dug in, but there was little need for engineering work, so one party left to destroy a captured German gun position and in the evening the troop moved off to join Cox's party with 6th Airlanding Bde.
  After the Rhine, 6th Airborne advanced rapidly across North Germany, even outpacing 11th Armoured Division. On 1–2 April 591 Sqn built 'Antrim', a 120 feet (37 m) Class 40 (40 ton) Bailey bridge across the Dortmund–Ems Canal. On 5 April the squadron used assault boats to get 6th Airlanding Bde across the River Weser at Petershagen, and then helped 5th Parachute Bde consolidate a bridgehead over the River Leine at Neustadt am Rübenberge. 6th Airborne's sappers were held in reserve when 21st Army Group stormed across the Elbe. By the time of the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath on 4 May, 6th Airborne had reached Wismar on the Baltic coast.
caption: A completed Bailey bridge in North West Europe 1944–45.
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