Transcribed extract from Eric Butler's personal diary

Below is an extract from my father’s war diary that he penned during his time as a POW after being captured at Arnhem.
The diary came to light a few years ago, and my brothers and I have been deciphering his handwriting. 

10.30 am Sept 17th, 1944.
Took off from Manston for Arnhem – everyone in high spirits – the operation had been rehearsed, rehearsed, and practiced till everyone knew everything in their sleep - 2 lifts - myself in the first - guns to come next day in the 2nd lift.

1.16 pm Sept 17th, 1944
Landed in ploughed field 100’ from the appointed place and the first lift assembled as planned. No opposition – The enemy was taken completely by surprise.
Formed up a temporary defence around a farm about 3 miles W of Arnhem to wait for 2nd lift next day. Everything seemed too quiet.
Parachute brigade came 15 min later and everything seemed to be going according to plan. Not much to do myself because my platoon of guns was not coming until 9am the following day. So stayed with Battalion HQ. The night was spent at the farm.

Sept 18th, 1944
2nd lift did not appear on time. As midday came everyone became very anxious. About 25 FW190’s machine gunned the gliders - no casualties.
The Parachute Brigade was meeting stiff opposition in Arnhem. We were about to reinforce them without our supporting arms and less 2 rifles Companies - Everything seemed rather disorganised now.I just tagged to Battalion HQ. 2nd lift came about 2.30pm (They could not take off from England owing to ground mist)

Sept 19th, 1944
I made contact with my platoon of 4 guns at 8.30 hrs. All complete and correct and so reported to Divisional HQ - Lt Brian Easton now in charge of the battalion. Ray Dickens had been promoted Capt. and 2nd in command of ‘E’ Company. Tried to make toward the bridge where the CO and A B Companies were held up – past the outskirts of the town – situation was rather fluid - Lost contact with CO and A B Coys - W/T (wireless telegraphy) broke down altogether.

Sept 20th, 1944
Enemy tried to attack us and push us back west. We decided to stand, under mortar fire all the while suffering heavy casualties - Tanks were reported coming, so organised quick deployment of guns on side of road. Force under Maj Buchanan (OC ‘S’ Coy) consisted of remnants of all Battalions of all Brigades.
Tanks came and we held them off. My guns were knocked out.

Sgt John Baskeyfield died in action “very gallantly” and was posthumously awarded theVictoria Cross. I was wounded in the wrist, and my arm went dead on me.
Guns were either knocked out or lost one by one. We were still under very heavy mortar and “moaning minnie” (multiple rocket launcher) fire. Suffering casualties all the time. No news of 30 Corps - beginning to give up hope of ever seeing them. Polish paras were dropped south of the river to try and form a bridge head for 30 corps to come across - no go - Supplies by air - most of them dropped into enemy hands. Med. supplies urgently required for wounded - arm hurting like ‘hell’ by this time. Still, we hung on all night (20th)

Sept 21st, 1944
Mortar fire again at dawn and decided we would have to go back at the end of this day owing to too many casualties - Fellows fighting wonderfully - only 2 guns left now out of 8. About 4pm retired westwards to ??. The remainder of the Division was in the area of Oosterbeek. I went in the R.A.P (Regimental Aid Post) by the church as it was growing dark and had my first food for 2 days (cup of tea and biscuit - later a little soup) came out next morning and whilst walking along outside a
mortar fell on the road not 5 yds away from me - Threw me over the wall backwards where I was picked up and carried into the same R.A.P.

Sept 24th, 1944
After having been mortared out of four 4 R.A.P’s (Regimental Aid Posts), I finally ended up in the M.D.S.(Main Dressing Station).
During the last 3 days we had hardly any food, but our chaps were still hanging on outside against increasing resistance. We still had hope of 30 Corps reaching us - Could not sit up now and thought I had permanently ruined my spine - not too painful though. Captured and Captivity M.D.S about 11am this morning and all organised resistance on our fellow’s part seen to be at an end German doctors came and brought what little aid they could under the circumstances - Had
a cigarette from time to time but these were running short, soon we were to go without for 9 days.The enemy got ambulances from somewhere and also converted a lot of trucks into ambulances. Our M.O’s (Medical Officers) and medical aids were wonderful, also ADMs and enemy medical services very cooperative.

Sept 25th, 1944
We were evacuated to Apeldoorn about 20 miles north of Arnhem - there we (about 1200) were housed in the Dutch Barracks which was turned into a hospital – Our MOs somehow did with what they had and started operating night and day. A lot of men were dying through lack of attention. Some of them now being wounded for over a week and nothing but first aid so far - Padres doing all they could to get us supplies. Over the next two weeks things somehow managed - We managed to get 2 slices of German bread in the morning with some German coffee and sometimes something hot at night. After a while the Padres got some cigarettes for us, and we tried to total up how many of the Battalion were left - came about that about 10 officers and 50 OR’s (Other Ranks) were at Apeldoorn. The remainder goodness knows where. However, the Padre (Alan Buchanan) knew that the CO and most of the A Company officers and men were taken in the town and were at least alive.
Through tales swopped, we found out somehow some of the Battalion casualty list. This is very rough, but 6 officers were definitely killed and about 70% of the OR’s were wounded or prisoner (mostly everyone was wounded). The remainder of the Division went back over the river to 30 Corps - how few I had no idea but later heard that Maj Robert Cain (OC B Company) had got the VC and had got back to England.

So ended my first Airborne action. After waiting about for a train to take us onto captivity in Germany we finally (those who were fit for it, about 400) entrained at Apeldoorn enroute for Germany and after 5 horrible days in a cattle wagon with 1 loaf of bread each, arrived at Stalag at Fallingbostel on or about Oct 5th, only a fortnight after leaving England…Seemed like 14 years already.

Oct 5, 1944
Here we were searched and sorted out – said goodbye to the remainder of my platoon (Sgt Carr, and Privates Kane and Trotter) and after about 3 hours, 17 officers
Entrained at noon for our first OFLAG - I seem to have somehow got the dates a little wrong - because after 2 days we arrived at OFLAG IX A/H at SPAGENBURG about 30 miles south of KASSEL on Oct 7th at 5.15am. Had breakfast in the German canteen and went to the command centre, all particulars taken and sorted out again. I was able to send my first card to Mrs Preece via the Red Cross. About 8.30am 7 of us started for the castle at the top of the hill which was the upper camp - the other 10 remained at the lower camp including Lt P B Evans. The only S Staffs at the upper camp were Lt John MacDonald (Canada) and me. Now I was in for a great surprise - on arriving I went to the small camp hospital and to my utter astonishment one of the first persons I met was Lt Bill Etches. In fact, Col Newman
and mostly all the St Nazaire offices were here. They were highly delighted and surprised to see me as was I, especially Bill. It seemed hard to call him Bill now when before I had to call him ‘Sir’. They took me into their mess, the others being all St Nazaire officers (Col Newman, Lt Bill Clibborne, Lt Ronnie Swayne, Lt Bill Etches, Lt Hoppy Hopwood, Lt George Lane (X Troop, No.10 Commando). He had been captured on a small raid on the French coast about May 44 (Operation Tarbrush).

Other Officers included Lt George Lascelles (nephew of the King) – captured in Italy in June and another surprise, Lt Jack Simpson (DC??.) Peter Simpson’s brother.
Now it was a matter of settling down - They were all very good to us - in the way of clothes and things, and I found the camp much better than ever I imagined a P.O.W camp. It was entirely what the fellows had made it though. There were about 190 officers in the camp (all British), the majority belong to the 51st Highland Division, captured at or after Dunkirk 1940. I was able to send another wire to Mrs Preece and given 7 cards to write myself - what a relief that was - to get some word away that I was OK.

Escape and return to England.
We found a few sheets of paper describing the return to the UK. Those notes are transcribed, and expanded below Tuesday, April 10th, 1945

07:30 – departed for the airfield at Langensalza that had only been taken four days ago – FW190’ s gunned us twice – Dakotas didn't arrive - Wrong airfield - trucks came back and took us to another airfield.

13:00 – 14 Dakota came in and took off at 1640 – crossing the Rhine at 1730 – arrived DREUX – 20 miles - South West of Paris

19:30 – had a meal – then moved by truck into town to the French Club - there we were distributed amongst houses for night – Major Porc and I in very nice house - double bed – Coffee rolls - in morning back to the Club at 10 a.m.

Wednesday April 11th, 1945
American trucks to station? Entrained? At station? for Le Havre at 10:45 – Long wait at Versailles - then 1 hour roundabout and finished up 12 kilometres from Paris again waited another 2 hours - more rations (C rations - good) - off again at 19:00 Arrived Beauvais at 22:40 hours – (NW Paris) - journey seems to be getting longer and more tiresome, after an airlift of 400 miles in 3 hours Trying to contact Le Havre re the boat - plenty of USA rations on the train so no need to worry – unduly – seems funny all the lights on and not having to worry about the blackout - I can't yet realise I am on the French soil and that I may be in England tomorrow and probably home Friday. One of the guards says that we may not arrive before 9 or 10 in the morning - maybe noon - seems as though we’ll never get there.

They are attaching us to another train – now 150 kilometres away from Le Havre - another guard says he hopes to move off in an hour and reach there by 6 am - So many conflicting stories every railwayman seems to have a different one.

Day 1 - Thursday April 12th, 1945
Arrived – Forges-les-Eaux 02:30 Fed in USA mess hall - wonderful meal. We arrived Le Havre 10:00 hours - to airport in trucks - bacon and eggs and coffee –

Took off in first RAF Dakota at 11:25 for England and home First sighted English coast at Littlehampton 12 noon. Arrived RAF Wing 14:30 - small snack in hanger then by bus to Chalfont St Giles – 2.15 – wash – tea - and all fixed up – British Reception Camp - stayed the night.

Friday 13th April, 1945
Caught 8am train from Amersham – 9.30 from Waterloo Arrived home 1.30 pm