| Original caption: “Men of the second airborne landing moving forward into Arnhem with their guns and equipment.” Men of the 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st Airlanding Brigade, United Kingdom 1st Airborne Infantry Division, entering Oosterbeek along the Utrechtsweg on their way towards Arnhem. Although these glider troops have 6-pounder (57 millimeter; 2.2 inch) artillery, the British at Arnhem did not have enough guns, or heavy calibers, to stop the German tanks from elements of the 2nd Schutzstaffel (SS) Panzer Korps for long. Their guns ran out of ammunition soon due to the Allied air resupply landing beyond German lines. The 1st Airlanding Brigade, under Brigadier Philip H.W. “Pip” Hicks (September 25, 1895 – October 8, 1967) would land on LZs “S” and “Z” and move to secure the drop zones and landing zones for the following days’ drops. The Airlanding Brigade moved quickly to secure the landing zones. The 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment moved into Wolfheze on September 17. The commander of the 1st Airborne Division, Major-General Roy Urquhart (November 28, 1901 – December 13, 1988), was reported missing, hiding in an attic in Arnhem while Brigadier Hicks assumed command of the 1st Airborne Division during a crucial 16 hours. Hicks’s Brigade went on to sustain severe casualties over the next few days. On September 19, 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshires were part of an offensive to try to relieve paratroopers holding the Rhine River Bridge crossing. Only 150 men survived the attack to return to British lines; the rest were killed, captured or wounded. The South Staffordshires and remnants of 3 other battalions retreated to Oosterbeek, where they were formed into a defensive line. 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment was withdrawn to the United Kingdom with less than half of its original strength. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0533.jpg |
| Image Size | 577.85 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2006 x 1940 |
| Photographer | Dennis M. Smith |
| Photographer Title | Number Five United Kingdom Royal Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 17, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Arnhem |
| State or Province | Gelderland |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | BU 1091 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database