An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 29 and attacks, drastically decreasing the German advantage. Without these artillery support fires the Oosterbeek perimeter could not have held. With this added firepower support, the airborne resistance stiffened. Thoroughly shaken and with his sight greatly impaired, Major Blake nonetheless displayed the greatest courage and deter- mination throughout the operation in carrying out his duties and was awarded the US Distinguished Service Cross, gazetted on 14th November 1947. (Major Blake's medals are exhibited at the award- winning Soldiers & Chiefs exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin.) A 'perimeter defence' can be a structured, deliberate form of defence, organised to give depth and a mutually supporting series of strong points with interlocking arches of fire and forward defensive screens. Even a hastily put together all-round defensive position and situation can adapt its circumstances to informally incorporate the principles employed in an otherwise more estab- lished and considered defence. The strong points are often referred to as hedgehogs because even within the perimeter's protection they themselves are designed to be stand alone, three hundred and sixty degree (360°) self-protecting positions, so if the area within the perimeter wherein they are located is overrun they can themselves hold out until the ground around them is retaken by the defenders. Rarely fixed however, a perimeter's defence line can be fluid and fluctuate, vary or alter as the action around it of enemy offensive assaults and defender's defensive efforts swing and seesaw with positions held, lost and retaken. The line penetrated here, pushed back there, shifting and changing and may not necessarily have been neatly linear to begin with. With German patrols probing the perimeter looking for weak spots, British airborne patrols seeking to neutralise German snipers, any particular portion of the perime- ter, even if not being attacked, could see activity along it, as patrols pursued their designated tasks as ordered. The boundaries be- tween specified areas of responsibility are particularly vulnerable, as individual units may leave these areas for the other to defend and it might end up being ignored, undefended or gaps occurring, particularly after an engagement due to deaths and destruction suffered. It is advisable to confirm the integrity of the line, that one's own troops and those of one's neighbouring units are intact, physically remaining and capable of continuing a defensive effort. Sent out to do just that, a four-man patrol from 21st Independent Parachute Company (Pathfinders) ventured out from their position at Pietersbergseweg towards Annastraat where the 10th Parachute Battalion were in situ. Proceeding through laneways, back gardens and other obstacles, Private Tommy Scullion from County Antrim gave necessary covering fires with his Bren gun. Private James Vincent Fiely from Dublin was another Irishman amongst them. On arrival at the area of their patrol's objective they occupied a house along the perimeter and noticed a presence of troops in the house adjacent. Enquiring if they were from the 10th Parachute Battalion, their query was replied to in the form of an abrupt eruption of gun- fire as the German occupiers opened up with machine guns and grenades. Private James Fiely, in a kneeling position at the exterior corner of the house, was mowed down and died immediately. A fire-fight developed and the remaining three Pathfinders managed to extricate themselves from their situation. Killed in action also on 22nd September was Private 'Paddy' Patrick Hurley from the Republic of Ireland, soldiering with the 1st Battalion Border Regiment. All around the perimeter, all day, concurrent activities were on-going as the battle raged, with an attack here, concentration of mortar fires there, fighting patrols elsewhere and of course within the perimeter there were those fighting to save the lives of the critically and seriously wounded casualties. Three hotels at the Oosterbeek crossroads, the Schoo- noord, the Tafeberg and the Vreewijk Hotels, were converted into temporary dressing stations during the battle, with doctors and medical orderlies from the Royal Army Medical Corps doing their best in desperate conditions to render medical aid as best they could in the circumstances. Military Chaplains and local padres Sherman tanks of the Irish Guards Group advance past others, which were knocked out earlier during Operation 'Market Garden'. Allied tanks of British XXX Corps cross the road bridge at Nijmegen during its capture. 17th – 20th September 1944.

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