Corporal Albert Wiggins

Albert Wiggins was born on the 15 October 1921, and came from Oxford. He was a labourer before the War. Note that his only next of kin was listed as his grandmother.

He enlisted into the Royal Army Service Corps on the 22 April 1941 and then joined the 250th (Airborne) Light Composite Company, RASC on the 3 June 1942, and was initially assigned to ‘B’ Motor Transport Platoon.

He volunteered to become a parachutists and was on Parachute Course 43, at RAF. Ringway, 20 December 1942 to 2 January 1943. His course report stated “Keen type, good descents”.

He went to North Africa in May 1943, and probably served in Italy on Operation ‘Slapstick’ in September 1943.

In England in 1944 the Company was reorganised and he became a member of No 2 Parachute Platoon.

On Monday, 18 September 1944, he took off from Saltby aerodrome in a Dakota aircraft of the 314th Troop Carrier Group, USAAF bound for DZ ‘Y’, Ginkel Heath, in Holland as part of the 2nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’. Although the platoon encountered some enemy fire during the drop the main body of it made it to the RV Point and then joined up with the 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters.

The next day the platoon was tasked to try and collect supplies from the main Divisional Supply Drop Zone. Unfortunately this was in enemy controlled area, and the small convoy of jeeps and trailers ran into an ambush on the bridge across the railway line at the Oosterbeek Railway Station.

From Dvr. ‘Ken’ Clarke: “We had a few Jeeps and trailers in readiness to collect supplies of food and ammunition to be dropped to us by air. The planes had of course been given a DZ when leaving England. My most memorable experience was on the second day. With our Capt. and others, we travelled from the Hartenstein Hotel along Stationsweg to an area we knew the RAF were to drop supplies. We had four Jeeps and trailers and as we went along Stationsweg, we passed a burning Bren Carrier with the personnel all dead around it. Looking back now, this should have been an indication that something was wrong in the area. Never-the-less we headed straight on to the railway bridge. It was at this point that the attack took place. The first Jeep took a direct hit. It came so suddenly that the following three Jeeps and trailers all telescoped into each other as we were travelling at a considerable speed. Those that were not thrown out, jumped out, some took cover to the left of the road and some to the right. Those on the right were unfortunately in view of the enemy and paid the price. Capt, Kavanah had been in the first Jeep and he jumped to the left with myself and others. He called for the Bren Gun (which had been in my possession since landing), so I moved along the ditch to be at his side. He exchanged his Sten-Gun for the Bren and said ‘when I stand up you all run back over the bridge.’ This he did, standing in the road obviously diverting attention to himself to cover our escape. I know the Germans were occupying the houses on Drienseweg and Van Limburg-Stirumweg, because I saw them, and it was from the third house along that a grenade was thrown, and a shot fired that killed one of my best friends Cpl. Wiggins. I asked permission to throw a smoke grenade into the house, but Capt. Kavanagh’s last instruction to me was ‘no, just run for it’. As we ran towards the embankment leading to the railway I was ordered by Sgt. McDowell to stand on the corner and give covering fire with the Sten-Gun. This was long enough for the others to get away. I followed last of all.”

Of those killed immediately in this action, Capt. DT Kavanagh and Cpl A Wiggins were buried in a mass grave to the north of the Railway Station, in the garden between No 1 and No 9 Dreijenscheweg [Dreyenseweg], Oosterbeek.

Albert Wiggins was 22 years old when he was killed on Tuesday, 19 September 1944. He was relocated to the Arnhem/Oosterbeek War Cemetery on the 8 August 1945, and now lies at rest in plot 6. B. 12.