The 43rd (Wessex) Division
Operation Market-Garden

	Two Universal Carriers pictured in front of a DUKW amphibious vehicle, all pertaining to the 43rd (Wessex) Division. Click to Enlarge

After spearheading the crossing of the River Seine at Vernon (Operation Neptune) at the end of August 1944, the 43rd Division had been enjoying a period of two weeks well-earned rest.

With the advent of Operation Market Garden, the bold plan to cut Holland in half and secure the northern route into Germany, the 43rd was selected as the lead Infantry Division.

The 43rd was to follow immediately behind the tanks of the Guards Armoured Division, which was to lead XXX Corps to Arnhem, over bridges secured commencement of the operation on 17th September by the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and the British 1st Airborne Division. The 43rd Division was then to pass through Guards Armoured and fight through to the Appledorn area, thus blocking the escape routes of the German Armies in Holland.

Following Guards Armoured, the 43rd passed through Eindhoven to reach Nijmegan on 21st September, and on 22nd, the lead Brigades of the 43rd crossed the Nijmegan Bridge heading north up the main road to Arnhem. In a short time, the Division was involved in heavy fighting as the Germans sought to block the link up with the beleaguered British 1st Airborne Division, whose situation in Arnhem was becoming desperate.

In an effort to assist the hard pressed 1st Airborne, an armoured relief column comprising troops from the 43rd Divisions’ Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry carried on the tanks of 4th/7th Dragoon Guards was tasked to move on side roads across 10 miles of enemy held ground to the River Lek, and ferry supplies to the Airborne units. Despite heavy opposition, the river was reached, but the re-supply effort that same night unfortunately failed.

	Universal Carrier of the 43rd Division. Click to Enlarge

As the 23rd dawned, the entire 43rd Division was involved in heavy fighting over the open marshy ground to the north of Nijmegan. Communication was difficult and a Brigade strength thrust to reach the River Lek encountered heavy opposition in the area of Elst, which delayed the link up with Polish Airborne troops on the banks of the river until nightfall. The 43rd Divisional Engineers did however manage to pass supplies over the river during the night.

Despite the efforts was made, the position of the airborne units was becoming critical. The area of ground they held on the far side of the river was too small to mount an adequate crossing in the strength required, and the entire area was under enemy observation and fire. In addition, the town of Arnhem was almost entirely occupied by the Germans. In these impossible circumstances, the decision was made to withdraw the 1st Airborne Division from the far side of the River. This would necessitate the expansion of the tiny bridgehead held by the Airborne and to this end the 4th Dorsets from the 43rd Division crossed the river on the night of 24th September.

This operation was extremely difficult and could only take place at night as the entire 1st Airborne Division position was overlooked by the enemy, making daylight movement well nigh impossible. As the Dorsets carried their assault boats down to the river at nightfall, they came under heavy machine gun and mortar fire, but with the assistance of the Royal Engineers, the entire assault party had crossed by first light. Under heavy enemy fire they began to fight their way up the steep slope to the high ground they had been tasked to seize. By the end of the day, the 4th Dorsets had taken their objective and begun to dig in.

	Military convoy of the 43rd Division. Click to Enlarge

To cover the planned night evacuation of the Airborne, the enemy was to be deceived by a feint attack further downstream, supported by a heavy artillery barrage and the support battalion of the 43rd, the 8th Middlesex, with their Vickers Machine guns mounted in Universal Carriers, moving up and down and firing at the German positions.

As the feint attack developed, the airborne units moved silently to the north bank of the river where the Royal Engineers waited to ferry them to safety. The limits of the crossing area were marked by directional tracer fire from the Bofors guns of the Light Anti Aircraft Regiment. As the Airborne units were evacuated, the 4th Dorsets covered their withdrawal, by holding the perimeter of the bridgehead on the far bank.

	Personnel of the 43rd Division take a break. Click to Enlarge

During the course of the night, 2,163 men of the 1st Airborne Division were carried over the river. Of the 250 men of the 4th Dorsets, and an artillery forward observation party from 112th Field Regiment that accompanied them, some 170 did not return.

Every unit of the 43rd Division had endured hard and difficult fighting for 14 days on what became known as ‘The Island’. Against a skilled and well-equipped enemy, the 43rd had cleared a considerable area of ground and held it against determined and heavy counter attacks until the end of Operation Market Garden.