Operation Pegasus
Encyclopedia
Operation Pegasus was a military operation carried out on the Lower Rhine
near the village of Renkum
, close to Arnhem
in the Netherlands
. Overnight on the 22–23 October 1944, the Allies successfully evacuated a large group of men trapped in German occupied territory who had been in hiding since the Battle of Arnhem
.
The fighting north of the Rhine in September had forced the 1st British Airborne division to withdraw, leaving several thousand men behind. Several hundred of these were able to evade capture and go into hiding, usually with the assistance of the Dutch Resistance
. Initially the men hoped to be able to wait for the British 2nd Army to resume their advance and thus relieve them, but when it became clear that the Allies would not cross the Rhine that year the men decided to escape back to Allied territory. The first escape operation was a great success and over 100 men were able to return to their own lines, but a second operation was compromised and failed. Despite this the resistance continued to help the evaders and many more men were able to escape in small groups over the winter.
, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to bypass the Siegfried Line
and advance into the Ruhr
, Germany’s industrial heartland. The operation required the First Allied Airborne Army
to seize several bridges over rivers and canals in the Netherlands, allowing ground forces to advance and cross the Lower Rhine at Arnhem.
The 1st British Airborne Division dropped onto Arnhem on 17 September. They encountered far greater resistance than had been expected and only a small force were able to reach Arnhem road bridge. XXX Corps ground advance became delayed and without reinforcement this small force under Lt Colonel John Frost
was overwhelmed. The rest of the division became trapped in a small perimeter in Oosterbeek
and were withdrawn on the night of 25–26 September in Operation Berlin
.
Major Digby Tatham-Warter had escaped a German hospital as early as the 21 September and having lain low for a week was contacted by the Dutch Resistance
who requested his assistance in Ede
. In early October he was joined by Brigadier
Gerald Lathbury
and soon a ‘Brigade HQ in hiding’ was set up. Tatham-Warter made contact with Lieutenant
Gilbert Kirschen of the Belgian SAS who arranged supply drops of weapons, uniforms and supplies for the growing number of British hiding in the area.
Piet Kruijff, head of the local Resistance, had been organising the evaders into safe houses in Ede
. Soon there were over 80 men in the town and it was becoming so congested that he began housing men in Reemst as well. By the time of the evacuation there were an additional 40 men here.
At first it was hoped that the Allied offensive would be quickly resumed thus liberating the men - Tatham-Warter even made plans to carry out operations against the Germans when the 2nd Army began crossing the Rhine. But in October Kirschen informed the Resistance that there were no plans to attack north of the Lower Rhine in the near future. As the presence of so many Allied evaders would place a great strain on the Resistance and expose the civilians hiding them to great risk, it was decided to evacuate the men as soon as possible.
The ‘HQ in hiding’ was in contact with 2nd Army’s escape organisation based in Nijmegen, and when Lt Colonel David Dobie, (commander of 1st Battalion), successfully swam the Rhine on the night of 16 October and reached Allied lines, he was able to make further arrangements. Dobie contacted the XXX Corps and the 101st Airborne Division
who approved of the evacuation. He was also able to make contact with Tatham-Warter by telephone and together they drew up a plan that would hopefully allow all of the men in hiding to escape.
Dobie was able to suggest a suitable location on the river near Renkum to make the crossing (codenamed Digby). An RV and route to the river from the north were decided upon, and it was arranged that the men would be met on the north bank by Royal Engineers
of XXX Corps escorted by men of the 506 PIR, 101st Airborne Division
. To help guide the evaders the crossing point would be marked by tracer
fire from a Bofors Gun. The American forces made patrols north of the river and tracer fire was sent over the bank for several nights to disguise the actual purpose of the operation when it came. The date was set for the night of the 23–24 October.
By dark 139 men had assembled. They were mainly from the 1st Airborne Division, but there was also a US 82nd Airborne Division trooper, a number of aircrew, some Dutch civilians and some Russians wishing to join the Allies. The men were organised into platoons and at 9pm began moving south towards the river. Tatham-Warter recorded that the Germans were almost certainly aware of their presence, but perhaps unsure of their numbers and wary of American patrols they kept some distance. There was one ‘contact’ with a patrol and a brief exchange of fire, but no-one was hurt.
At midnight the group reached the riverbank and moved to the crossing point indicated by the Bofors tracer fire. Once there they flashed a V for Victory
signal with their torches, but there was an anxious wait of twenty minutes for the boats. In fact, on the south bank Dobie, the engineers and a patrol of E Company, 506 PIR
observed the signal and immediately launched their boats, but the British were some 500-800m upriver of the crossing point. Upon reaching the north bank E Company established a small perimeter while men headed east to locate the evaders. The men quickly moved downstream and in the next 90 minutes all of them were evacuated, with the exception of a Russian who was caught and arrested by the Germans. The Germans opened fire sporadically and some mortar
rounds fell near the crossing, but the fire was inaccurate. Once on the other side the escapees were led to a farmhouse for refreshments, before being driven to Nijmegen where Dobie had arranged a party and champagne. The men were later flown back to the UK, rejoining the men who had escaped in Operation Berlin.
Major Hugh Maguire (of HQ, 1st Airborne Division) was put in charge of the second escape The operation largely replicated the original, but was due to take place 4 km further east on the evening of the 18 November. A party of between 130 and 160 men would attempt to cross the river on this occasion, although this number included a much higher proportion of civilians, aircrew and other non-infantry who were unused to this sort of operation. Because of the distance from Ede to the crossing point and the need to skirt a German 'no mans zone', the main party's march to the river was approximately 23 km (compared to the 5 km of Pegasus I) and would take two days to make. The main party became fragmented on the second night and whilst attempting to make a short cut one party under Major John Coke of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
inevitably stumbled into a German patrol. Several men were killed in the resulting firefight - perhaps more than twenty and the evaders were forced to scatter. No-one was able to cross that night, although seven men crossed during the next two days. The Germans searched the area intensively with patrols and spotter planes, enabling them to capture more of the evaders, and most of the Resistance's Dutch guides were killed or captured.
had been on the abortive Pegasus II, but were able to escape capture. Like many of the remaining evaders they continued to hide in German occupied territory for some months. In February they joined Brigadier John Hackett
, who by now had recovered well from his injuries sustained at Arnhem. Kessel had saved his life during the battle and even performed minor operations during their time in hiding. They eventually escaped across the Waal at Groot-Ammers
, 25 miles west of Arnhem on a route later used by another 37 men, including Gilbert Kirschen.
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
near the village of Renkum
Renkum
Renkum is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.The municipality has 31.801 inhabitants and has a land area of 47,12 km². Renkum is situated along the river Rhine The municipality Renkum is part of the Stadsregio Arnhem-Nijmegen.The surrounding of the municipality are mainly...
, close to Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Overnight on the 22–23 October 1944, the Allies successfully evacuated a large group of men trapped in German occupied territory who had been in hiding since the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
.
The fighting north of the Rhine in September had forced the 1st British Airborne division to withdraw, leaving several thousand men behind. Several hundred of these were able to evade capture and go into hiding, usually with the assistance of the Dutch Resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
. Initially the men hoped to be able to wait for the British 2nd Army to resume their advance and thus relieve them, but when it became clear that the Allies would not cross the Rhine that year the men decided to escape back to Allied territory. The first escape operation was a great success and over 100 men were able to return to their own lines, but a second operation was compromised and failed. Despite this the resistance continued to help the evaders and many more men were able to escape in small groups over the winter.
Battle of Arnhem
In September 1944 the Western Allies launched Operation Market GardenOperation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to bypass the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
and advance into the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
, Germany’s industrial heartland. The operation required the First Allied Airborne Army
First Allied Airborne Army
The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary Force and controlled all Allied airborne forces in Western...
to seize several bridges over rivers and canals in the Netherlands, allowing ground forces to advance and cross the Lower Rhine at Arnhem.
The 1st British Airborne Division dropped onto Arnhem on 17 September. They encountered far greater resistance than had been expected and only a small force were able to reach Arnhem road bridge. XXX Corps ground advance became delayed and without reinforcement this small force under Lt Colonel John Frost
John Dutton Frost
Major General John Dutton Frost CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DL was a British airborne officer best known for being the leader of the small group of airborne forces that actually got to Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem...
was overwhelmed. The rest of the division became trapped in a small perimeter in Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, about 5 km west of Arnhem.The oldest part of the village of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp , on the northern bank of the river Rhine...
and were withdrawn on the night of 25–26 September in Operation Berlin
Operation Berlin (Arnhem rescue)
Operation Berlin was a night-time evacuation of paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division trapped in German occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine in the Netherlands. The aim of the operation was to safely withdraw the remnants of the division who were surrounded on three sides by...
.
Evaders
The figures of men involved in the battle are imprecise but it is believed well over 10,400 men fought north of the Lower Rhine. In Operation Berlin, between 2,400-2,500 men safely withdrew to the south bank, leaving some 7,900 men behind. Of these almost 1,500 were killed, 6,000 were in German hands and up to 500 were in hiding in the woods and villages near the river.Major Digby Tatham-Warter had escaped a German hospital as early as the 21 September and having lain low for a week was contacted by the Dutch Resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
who requested his assistance in Ede
Ede, Netherlands
' is a municipality and a town in the center of the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland.- Population centres :Community :* Bennekom: 14.749* De Klomp: 508* Deelen: 50* Ede : 67.812* Ederveen: 3.167* Harskamp: 3.464...
. In early October he was joined by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Gerald Lathbury
Gerald Lathbury
General Sir Gerald William Lathbury, GCB, DSO, MBE was a British Army officer during the Second World War and later became Governor of Gibraltar-Military career:...
and soon a ‘Brigade HQ in hiding’ was set up. Tatham-Warter made contact with Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Gilbert Kirschen of the Belgian SAS who arranged supply drops of weapons, uniforms and supplies for the growing number of British hiding in the area.
Piet Kruijff, head of the local Resistance, had been organising the evaders into safe houses in Ede
Ede, Netherlands
' is a municipality and a town in the center of the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland.- Population centres :Community :* Bennekom: 14.749* De Klomp: 508* Deelen: 50* Ede : 67.812* Ederveen: 3.167* Harskamp: 3.464...
. Soon there were over 80 men in the town and it was becoming so congested that he began housing men in Reemst as well. By the time of the evacuation there were an additional 40 men here.
At first it was hoped that the Allied offensive would be quickly resumed thus liberating the men - Tatham-Warter even made plans to carry out operations against the Germans when the 2nd Army began crossing the Rhine. But in October Kirschen informed the Resistance that there were no plans to attack north of the Lower Rhine in the near future. As the presence of so many Allied evaders would place a great strain on the Resistance and expose the civilians hiding them to great risk, it was decided to evacuate the men as soon as possible.
The ‘HQ in hiding’ was in contact with 2nd Army’s escape organisation based in Nijmegen, and when Lt Colonel David Dobie, (commander of 1st Battalion), successfully swam the Rhine on the night of 16 October and reached Allied lines, he was able to make further arrangements. Dobie contacted the XXX Corps and the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
who approved of the evacuation. He was also able to make contact with Tatham-Warter by telephone and together they drew up a plan that would hopefully allow all of the men in hiding to escape.
Dobie was able to suggest a suitable location on the river near Renkum to make the crossing (codenamed Digby). An RV and route to the river from the north were decided upon, and it was arranged that the men would be met on the north bank by Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
of XXX Corps escorted by men of the 506 PIR, 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. To help guide the evaders the crossing point would be marked by tracer
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
fire from a Bofors Gun. The American forces made patrols north of the river and tracer fire was sent over the bank for several nights to disguise the actual purpose of the operation when it came. The date was set for the night of the 23–24 October.
Operation
On 20 October the Germans ordered residents of nearby villages to leave their homes by the 22nd. Deciding to take advantage of the confusion this would cause, the operation was thus brought forward to the night of the 22–23 October. The men were brought together from their various hides to an RV in the woods north of the river. The German presence in this area was very heavy after the Arnhem fighting and the men assembled in a location only 500 metres from German machine gun nests.By dark 139 men had assembled. They were mainly from the 1st Airborne Division, but there was also a US 82nd Airborne Division trooper, a number of aircrew, some Dutch civilians and some Russians wishing to join the Allies. The men were organised into platoons and at 9pm began moving south towards the river. Tatham-Warter recorded that the Germans were almost certainly aware of their presence, but perhaps unsure of their numbers and wary of American patrols they kept some distance. There was one ‘contact’ with a patrol and a brief exchange of fire, but no-one was hurt.
At midnight the group reached the riverbank and moved to the crossing point indicated by the Bofors tracer fire. Once there they flashed a V for Victory
V for Victory
For information about the victory sign, see V sign#The V campaign and the victory/freedom sign.V for Victory is a series of turn-based strategy games, set during World War II.Four games were produced in the series:* V for Victory: D-Day Utah Beach...
signal with their torches, but there was an anxious wait of twenty minutes for the boats. In fact, on the south bank Dobie, the engineers and a patrol of E Company, 506 PIR
E Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
observed the signal and immediately launched their boats, but the British were some 500-800m upriver of the crossing point. Upon reaching the north bank E Company established a small perimeter while men headed east to locate the evaders. The men quickly moved downstream and in the next 90 minutes all of them were evacuated, with the exception of a Russian who was caught and arrested by the Germans. The Germans opened fire sporadically and some mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
rounds fell near the crossing, but the fire was inaccurate. Once on the other side the escapees were led to a farmhouse for refreshments, before being driven to Nijmegen where Dobie had arranged a party and champagne. The men were later flown back to the UK, rejoining the men who had escaped in Operation Berlin.
Operation Pegasus II
The success of the first evacuation prompted the Allies to arrange a second attempt. Unfortunately the security of this operation was compromised early, when a reporter impersonated an intelligence officer and interviewed several escapees from the first operation. The subsequent news story alerted the Germans who strengthened their patrols along the river.Major Hugh Maguire (of HQ, 1st Airborne Division) was put in charge of the second escape The operation largely replicated the original, but was due to take place 4 km further east on the evening of the 18 November. A party of between 130 and 160 men would attempt to cross the river on this occasion, although this number included a much higher proportion of civilians, aircrew and other non-infantry who were unused to this sort of operation. Because of the distance from Ede to the crossing point and the need to skirt a German 'no mans zone', the main party's march to the river was approximately 23 km (compared to the 5 km of Pegasus I) and would take two days to make. The main party became fragmented on the second night and whilst attempting to make a short cut one party under Major John Coke of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
King's Own Scottish Borderers
The King's Own Scottish Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division.-History:It was raised on 18 March 1689 by the Earl of Leven to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II. It is said that 800 men were recruited within the space of two hours...
inevitably stumbled into a German patrol. Several men were killed in the resulting firefight - perhaps more than twenty and the evaders were forced to scatter. No-one was able to cross that night, although seven men crossed during the next two days. The Germans searched the area intensively with patrols and spotter planes, enabling them to capture more of the evaders, and most of the Resistance's Dutch guides were killed or captured.
Later escapes
Colonel Graeme Warrack and Captain Alexander Lipmann KesselLipmann Kessel
Alexander Lipmann-Kessel, MBE, MC, FRCS , was a famous orthopaedic surgeon, often known by his nickname of Lippy. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, he was involved at the Battle of Arnhem where at the time he was a Captain in the RAMC, and is credited with saving the life of Brigadier Hackett when...
had been on the abortive Pegasus II, but were able to escape capture. Like many of the remaining evaders they continued to hide in German occupied territory for some months. In February they joined Brigadier John Hackett
John Winthrop Hackett Junior
General Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia...
, who by now had recovered well from his injuries sustained at Arnhem. Kessel had saved his life during the battle and even performed minor operations during their time in hiding. They eventually escaped across the Waal at Groot-Ammers
Groot-Ammers
Groot-Ammers is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Liesveld, and is located about 13 km southeast of Gouda on the Lek River.In 2001, the town of Groot-Ammers had 2822 inhabitants...
, 25 miles west of Arnhem on a route later used by another 37 men, including Gilbert Kirschen.
Notable escapees
Although many men had failed to return after the Battle of Arnhem, many were able to escape in Operation Pegasus or with the aid of the resistance over the winter. They included:- BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Gerald LathburyGerald LathburyGeneral Sir Gerald William Lathbury, GCB, DSO, MBE was a British Army officer during the Second World War and later became Governor of Gibraltar-Military career:...
, CO 1st Parachute Brigade (Operation Pegasus). - Brigadier John HackettJohn Winthrop Hackett JuniorGeneral Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia...
, CO 4th Parachute Brigade (February 1945). - ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Graeme Warrack, Senior medical officer, 1 Airborne Division (February 1945). - Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
David Dobie, CO 1 Battalion, Parachute Regiment (in advance of Operation Pegasus). - Lieutenant Colonel Martin Herford, 163 RAMC (October 1944).
- MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Allison Digby Tatham-Warter, OC A Company, 2 Battalion, Parachute Regiment (Operation Pegasus). - Major Anthony Deane-DrummondAnthony Deane-DrummondMajor General Anthony John Deane–Drummond CB, DSO, MC & Bar is a retired officer of the Royal Signals in the British Army, whose career was mostly spent with airborne forces....
, 2IC Divisional Signals (Operation Pegasus). - Major Tony Hibbert, Brigade MajorBrigade MajorIn the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
1st Parachute Brigade (Operation Pegasus). - Captain Alexander Lipmann KesselLipmann KesselAlexander Lipmann-Kessel, MBE, MC, FRCS , was a famous orthopaedic surgeon, often known by his nickname of Lippy. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, he was involved at the Battle of Arnhem where at the time he was a Captain in the RAMC, and is credited with saving the life of Brigadier Hackett when...
, 16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance16th (Parachute) Field AmbulanceThe 16th Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The unit was the first parachute field ambulance unit of the British Army. Their first deployment was in Operation Torch the Allied landings in North Africa. This was followed...
(February 1945).