05 Utrechtseweg 72

05 Utrechtseweg 72
During the Battle of Arnhem various British units tried to reach the Rhine Bridge via Utrechtseweg/ Utrechtsestraat (“Bovenover”). The attempts failed, getting no further than the Municipal Museum (in 2008:
Museum for Modern Art Arnhem) and the PGEM offices (Provincial Gelderland Electricity Company; the NUON building now occupies this site).
This story tells of the first attempt made by ‘C’ Company of the 2nd Parachute Battalion on 17 and 18 September 1944. It got as far as the
PGEM building on Sunday night 17/18 September. Next day they were
thrown back in a westerly direction by the Germans to Airborne House,
opposite the museum. There they were captured by the enemy. Early in
the morning of 19 September the 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire
Regiment made a further attempt. They reached the museum, and for a
few hours ‘A’ Company managed to occupy the PGEM building. Later in
the morning this company withdrew to Airborne House, and not long
after midday the Germans counter-attacked. The men of ‘A’ Company
were taken prisoner.
After the war a plaque was placed above the door of Airborne House
commemorating the fighting that took place there and in the surroundings.
Introduction
‘C’ Company advances
Attempt to secure the railway bridge
Further advance to Arnhem
‘C’ Company occupies the Centraal Beheer building
Withdrawal to Airborne House
David Russell’s escape
2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment
‘A’ Company captures Utrechtseweg 32
Counter-attack by the Germans
Plaque
Introduction
Above the door of Utrechtseweg 72, better known as Airborne House, is a plaque inscribed as follows:
‘In this building 30 members of the 1st British Airborne Div
heroically defended themselves
against superior forces from the 18th to the 19th of Sept 1944’.
In the centre is an image of the Greek hero Bellerophon on his winged steed Pegasus. Both figures
are also depicted on the divisional emblem worn by all British Airborne Forces. The city coat of arms
of Arnhem appears below the Greek mythological figures, and the name ‘Airborne House’ above. It is
an attractive plaque but alas the text is incorrect. The building was actually defended on two occasions by British soldiers from two different units, and on two different days.
Before the renumbering of Utrechtseweg after the Second World War, Utrechtseweg 72 was number
38 and was used as an office by a textile wholesaler. At that time Mr J.A. Panhuijzen, the owner of
the house, lived at Kemperbergerweg 51 Arnhem. Utrechtseweg 38 was occupied by the caretaker, M.
Bokhoven, and his son Martien.
1
C Company advances
On Sunday afternoon 17 September 1944 the 1st Parachute Brigade left the landing zones and headed for the road bridge and pontoon bridge in Arnhem. ‘C’ Company of the 2nd Parachute Battalion,
commanded by Major Victor Dover, had the job of capturing the railway bridge at Oosterbeek and
then to occupy the Ortskommandantur (German local military commander) building at Nieuwe Plein
37-39 in Arnhem.
‘C’ Company’s unopposed landing at Heelsum had gone better than expected. Major Dover wrote in
his report after the war:
“Within 30 minutes the first message was sent to battalion HQ regarding the strength of the
company and the equipment. There were just two wounded: a broken arm and a broken ankle.
Company HQ’s spare Bren gun was missing and all the lightweight motorcycles were damaged.
Only one folding bicycle was complete: all other weapons and equipment were complete and our
battalion’s 18 set [radio] was working well (….)
We followed ‘A’ Company along the planned route and made good progress, although it was
clear that the walkie-talkies within the company were not a success. Nothing could be sent or
received. The only alternative was intercommunication using orderlies, and this system was
used by the company throughout the entire battle. The battalion’s 18 set still worked perfectly.
‘A’ Company dealt with the light opposition during the advance and although we were following
them we had no trouble. Five prisoners were sent to battalion headquarters. Inhabitants offered
advice and practical help, and a number of bicycles were also offered, which were accepted by
the company.” [1]
Attempt to secure the railway bridge
‘C’ Company reached Doorwerth at about 4 pm and was seen by H. Buhrs Jr. who noticed that one of
the soldiers was injured:
“I joined ‘C” Company on its way from Doorwerth to the railway bridge. I went along on the
‘journey’ not so much to act as a guide but more to help the sergeant with a foot injury with his
kit (first on my back and then on one of the requisitioned bikes).”[2]
Buhrs’ position in the column was close to the company HQ. It advanced further along Benedendorpsweg and reached Oosterbeek-Laag church later in the afternoon. Dover continues his story:
‘C Company arrived at a path which led to the railway about 600 metres further on, and received permission to leave the battalion column and approach the target. Although the civilians
were very enthusiastic they did cause some discomfort with their continual questions and advice. The company advanced in the direction of the bridge. (…) [The German ack-ack] gun and
searchlight equipment had been badly shot-up from the air and the buildings were damaged.
7 Platoon, 8 Platoon and two sections of 9 Platoon remained by the buildings while Lieutenant
Barry and the 9 Platoon’s third section attacked the bridge, still some 200 metres away. The
section captured and consolidated the northern end of the bridge, but as they were trying to
reach the southern bank the bridge was blown up by a small group of Germans on the other side of the river. Lieutenant Barry was wounded and took no further part in the action.”[3]
2
Further advance to Arnhem
Dutchman Buhrs was now near to the brickworks with the rest of the company and recalls:
“When the railway bridge was blown up at about six or seven in the evening, I took cover with
the staff in or near the brickworks on the flood plain. As the troops appeared to be packing up
and heading for Arnhem, I asked if my continued presence had any further use, and I was requested to accompany the unit to Arnhem as a guide.
We then set off for Arnhem via Benedendorpsweg and Klingelbeekseweg. In or at the front
garden of the Oolgaardthuis [then Klingelbeekseweg 19] the map was consulted by torchlight,
after which the march was resumed. (….) As I had been asked by the staff to remain, I walked
at the head of the company (pushing the bicycle). A small group of German soldiers was standing in line at St Elisabeths Gasthuis. It was only at a distance of a few metres that one could
see they were Germans. I can’t say if they were armed but suddenly shots were fired, at
which point I took cover behind a tree on the embankment opposite the hospital. The British
did likewise and began firing at the Germans from these positions.”[4]
Meanwhile radio contact with battalion headquarters was lost and ‘C’ Company’s radio operator was
unable to raise anyone. Major Dover continues:
“Everything was going well until the leading platoon reached the hospital, where they encountered about 40 Germans formed up in rows of three on the hospital drive at the left-hand side
of the road. A short skirmish ensued. The German group was knocked out with the exception
of a few prisoners.
It was now pitch black and the company was still unable to contact battalion HQ on the 18
set. I began to doubt if the battalion was following the main road [Utrechtseweg]. (This assumption later proved to be correct.) The company continued its way through the city (along
Utrechtsestraat) until we were held up by heavy fire. (…) Two armoured vehicles and two barricades blocked the way. No. 8 Platoon destroyed the barricades with PIAT fire, but the enemy
had positioned heavy machineguns in buildings on both sides of the road.” [5]
‘C’ Company occupies the Centraal Beheer building
Map showing the situation in the
surroundings of 'Airborne House' in
September 1944. (Copyright F. van
Lunteren, from a map by Th. Boeree)
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Below, Buhrs describes the route as follows:
“After the hold up [at St. Elisabeths Gasthuis] the march to the museum was resumed. In the
garden the map was consulted again. I was surprised when the leading officer asked me to
point out Bovenbergstraat on the map. I again warned about the Gestapo building [6]
(Utrechtseweg 55a) and this was searched. We then began to descend towards the station. We
were fired on by Germans (who later turned out to be older Wehrmacht soldiers) positioned at
the bend near the Public Orphanage.”[7]
The group marched on to the Centraal Beheer (Central Management) building, Utrechtsestraat 16.
Part of the house was occupied by the Rinia van Nauta family. Meanwhile, gunfire continued across
Utrechtseweg. Major Dover asked them to find somewhere safer to stay, then ‘C’ Company took up
positions throughout the entire building. Buhrs, the Dutch guide, remembered that night:
“The entire group spent the night in this house which had been vacated at the request of the
officer. (….) The huge mansion was packed with soldiers, with the staff officers in the cellar.
During the night three more Wehrmacht soldiers were captured, and I concluded the house was
not only being defended by the British, but they sent out scouts as well (to take prisoners).
Early in the morning the radioman had still been unable to make contact, and faces became increasingly worried-looking. The commander informed me that they were withdrawing a few
houses further back. About seven or eight o’ clock he and his men left the house, leaving behind: three wounded British, two wounded Germans, a British medical orderly and me.
When the last British had left, the Germans (SS) carried out a thorough search of the house.
The house search (which I was forced to lead under threat) revealed two more British who had
been hiding in a cupboard.”[8]
Major Dover’s report gives a good overview of his reason for leaving the house, and explains the
‘worried-looking faces’ Buhrs had noticed:
”At 02.00 hours Major D.E. Crawley spoke to me over the 18 set via ‘S’ Company. He told me
that ‘B’ Company had arrived at the pontoon bridge. I told him where I was and that I intended
attacking and occupying “Victor” [codename of the Ortskommandantur] as soon as it was light.
This was the last direct contact that ‘C’ Company made with the 18 set, but just before daylight
Corporal Millington received another message saying that ‘B Company and ‘S’ Company would
head for battalion HQ at the road bridge.
At that moment my thought on the situation was as follows: the battalion commander had decided to concentrate all his units at the road bridge (later this proved to be correct) and thus it
was pointless to have ‘C’ Company isolated in the centre of the city. My conclusion was that,
given the circumstances, it was essential for ‘C’ Company to reach the bridge as quickly as possible and rejoin the rest of the battalion. Therefore I ordered the company to leave this area via
the back gardens, veer off straight to the river and then advance to the road bridge.
This plan was not carried out in its entirety because as soon as we left the house the Germans
attacked with tanks and armoured vehicles with 20mm guns. The effect was that the company
was split into small groups. During this fighting the PIAT and Gammon bombs were all used in
attacks on the enemy armoured vehicles and in the blowing up of high walls and iron railings.
The two remaining platoon commanders Lieutenant D.E.C. Russell and Lieutenant I. Russell were cut off from their groups. All that remained with me were company HQ, the deputy company
commander and the remnants of the company – about 30 men in total.
The enemy set fire to adjoining buildings with flame-throwers and also fired on the house occupied by the company. (…) The company headquarters group, which had stayed with me, withdrew through the gardens and over the walls at the rear of the house in Utrechtsestraat,
crossed over a narrow road [Nachtegaalspad] and blew a gap in an iron railing on the other side.[9]”
4
Withdrawal to Airborne House
Major Dover’s report continues:
“The last position was chosen in a house about four hundred metres from the place where we
had spent the night. (This house is now known as “Airborne House”.) The house [Utrechtseweg
38] was attacked by four armoured vehicles with 20mm guns and two tanks. While the attack
was progressing, enemy armoured vehicles appeared to the right of the house, and after about
forty-five minutes they were able to set it alight by gunfire and enter the house. Resistance
then ceased.”[10]
Caretaker Bokhoven and his son left their house but popped back for a while a few days later.[11]
The British on the premises were captured and taken away by the Germans. Later that morning Lieutenant Ian Russell’s group was taken prisoner.[12]
David Russell’s escape
Lieutenant David Russell, no relation of Ian Russell’s, nevertheless managed to escape with seven
men, and joined up with Lieutenant James Cleminson’s 5 Platoon of ‘B’ Company, 3rd Parachute Battalion, in the street complex west of St. Elisabeths Gasthuis.
Shortly afterwards Russell and his group left the platoon because he wanted to link up with 1st Airborne’s main force in Oosterbeek. Two of his men were cut off trying to cross a road, probably Oranjestraat, while heading in the direction of the Koepelgevangenis (prison). One of these scouts, Private
McKinnon, eventually reached Oosterbeek, and withdrew across the Rhine with the remnants of the
division during the night of 25/26 September 1944. He was killed in late March 1945 in another airborne operation in Germany. Russell and his remaining men made their way to the Den Brink estate
where they dug slit trenches and spent the night.[13]
2nd South Staffords Battalion
Next day, Tuesday 19 September, Utrechtseweg 38 was again occupied by a British unit. That morning the 2nd South Staffords under Lieutenant Colonel Derek McCardie tried to break through to the
bridge via Utrechtseweg, while the 1st and 3rd Parachute Battalions tried to find a way along Onderlangs.
At 04.45 hours the battalion began its attack from there, attempting to force a way through to the
road bridge via Utrechtseweg and Utrechtsestraat [14]. An hour later ‘D’ Company had reached the
museum, having suffered heavy losses on the way.[15] At this point a halt was called because there
were only a few officers and less than half the company left. Only Canadian Lieutenant Albert E.
Boustead was not wounded, and he was given command of
what was left of the company. Boustead and his men dug in at
the south side of the museum.[16]
Canadian Lieutenant Albert E. Boustead (left) with his little British
niece and Canadian Lieutenant John E. Erskine. Both officers signed up in England as CANLOAN officers. In 1944 the British army
was desperately short of junior officers, while Canada had a surplus. Under the 'CANLOAN' scheme Canadian officers were offered
the opportunity of serving in the British army. Boustead and
Erskine were assigned to D Company of the 2nd Battalion, The
South Staffordshire Regiment. (Photo via Mrs Boustead. Freedom
Trail Arnhem Collection, Gelders Archive)
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‘A’ Company captures Utrechtseweg 32
After a short pause to re-group, ‘B Company captured the museum, and at about 07.00 hours Major
Henry Lane with his ‘A’ Company was sent forward to capture the PGEM buildings on the north side of
Utrechtsestraat. Part of company HQ and 10 Platoon stayed behind with ‘B’ Company. Lieutenant David Russell and his small group from the 2nd Parachute Battalion were also there. They had linked up
with ‘A’ Company earlier that morning.[17] The company succeeded in occupying one of the two buildings, Utrechtsestraat 32, but were driven out. A new attack did succeed, and ‘A’ Company established itself in the building. By now it was almost 8 am.[18]
The attack was temporarily halted in order to co-ordinate with the 11th Parachute Battalion which was
following up the 2nd South Staffords. The Germans used the time to carry out an infantry attack supported by a number of tanks. ‘A’ Company was unable to stop the tanks driving in the museum direction but did succeed in holding off the German infantry.
Towards the end of the morning it became clear to the officers and men of ‘A’ Company that their position was, slowly but surely, becoming untenable. In order to stay in touch with of the rest of the 2nd
South Staffords at the museum they withdrew and occupied the houses immediately opposite the museum, including Utrechtseweg 38.[19]
Counter-attack by the Germans
German units with self-propelled guns enter Arnhem via the Zypendaalse city gate, Willemsplein and the Station. They then
mop up Utrechtsestraat and Utrechtseweg. (Bundesarchiv Collection)
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Lieutenant Boustead as POW in Germany. (Photo via Mrs Boustead.
Freedom Trail Arnhem Collection, Gelders Archive)
Shortly after midday Lieutenant Colonel McCardie ordered the withdrawal to a second defensive position of ‘C’ Company and the Support
Company a few hundred metres to the west, but the message failed to
reach ‘A’ Company. The official battalion report records the events of
that morning:
“Unfortunately, when the order to withdraw came through, a large
group of Germans, who had assembled unseen in a house about 20
metres away from the ‘monastery’ [museum], stormed the building
and came in through a hole blown in a wall by a self-propelled gun.
Almost immediately German Tiger tanks appeared. From then on
everything became very confused. No one from ‘A’ Company on the
north side of the road could escape and it is probable that they never
received the order to withdraw. When last seen they were fighting
back strongly.”[20]
At about 14.00 hours, the small, separate groups of ‘A’ Company were
overrun and taken prisoner. The group in Utrechtseweg 38 were also
captured at this time.[21]
The previously-mentioned Lieutenant Albert Boustead was wounded in the leg by a mortar bomb
splinter and was brought to the museum, where he was taken prisoner.[22] Lieutenant Russell was in
the museum and decided in consultation with Major Lane to surrender the building: the opposition
was too strong and they could do nothing against the German tanks and self-propelled guns.[23]
British paras are taken prisoner near the
museum.
(Bundesarchiv collection)
The same premises in Utrechtseweg in
2007. (Gelders Archive Collection)
Utrechtseweg near the Municipal Museum remains deserted
after the German counter-attack. (Bundesarchiv Collection)
Civilians flee the tumult of battle; here at the
corner of Utrechtsestraat and Bergstraat.
(Bundesarchiv Collection)
7
Captured British paras are led away
to Musis Sacrum via Renssenstraat,
the Station and Jansbinnensingel.
(Bundesarchiv Collection)
Plaque
Shortly after the war Mr Panhuijzen, the owner of Utrechtseweg 38, decided to have a plaque placed
on the front wall of his office premises to commemorate the defence of the house. He had heard
from caretaker Bokhoven that 30 British – Major Dover’s group – had occupied the building and defended it resolutely for two days. The plaque, which was made by local artist John Grosman, was
unveiled on 18 September 1947 by the Arnhem burgomaster Chris Matser. Among those present at
the unveiling were Mr J.H. Peck, first secretary of the British Embassy in Den Haag, and his wife,
and Captains Wright and Pickward[24] representing the 1st British Airborne Division.
Unfortunately it would appear that the text on the memorial tablet is incorrect. None the less, the
plaque recalls the fierce fighting that took place in the vicinity of the museum, thereby keeping alive
the efforts of the 1st British Airborne Division in its attempt to reach the Rhine Bridge.
8
Noten
to top
[1] Major Victor Dover, ‘Arnhem Airborne Operation.’ Battle report by Major Victor Dover, M.C., i/c
“C” Company, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1945). Gelders Archive, Boeree Collection, inventory number 18b.
[2] Letter from H. Buhrs jr. to Theodoor Boeree, 27 October 1952. Gelders Archive, Boeree Collection,
inventory number 18c.
[3] Dover, ‘Arnhem Airborne Operation’.
[4] Letter from H. Buhrs jr. to Theodoor Boeree.
[5] Dover, ‘Arnhem Airborne Operation.’
[6] Buhrs meant the SD office.
[7] Letter from H. Buhrs jr. to Theodoor Boeree.
[8] Ditto.
[9] Dover, ‘Arnhem Airborne Operation.’
[10] Ditto.
[11] Letter from Martien Bokhoven to Theodoor Boeree, 13 November 1952. Gelders Archive, Boeree
Collection, inventory number 18c.
[12] Martin Middlebrook, Arnhem. Ooggetuigenverslagen van de Slag om Arnhem (Baarn 1994), 187.
[13] Telephone conversation between Frank van Lunteren and David Russell, Tuesday 8 May 2007.
[14] From Arnhem station to Utrechtseweg 85 (number 55a in the war) it is Utrechtsestraat, and from
there to the fork with Onderlangs it is called Utrechtseweg
[15] Alex Junier, Bart Smulders and Jaap Korsloot, By Land, Sea and Air. The history of the 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment, 1940-1945 (Renkum 2003), 108.
[16] Telephone conversation between Frank van Lunteren and Mrs. Albert E. Boustead, Friday 27 April
2007.
[17] Telephone conversation between Frank van Lunteren and David Russell, Tuesday 8 May 2007.
[18] ‘2 South Staffords 19 September. Possible sequence of events’, appendix to a letter from Lieutenant Colonel G.W. Harris to Theodoor Boeree, 2 January 1953.Gelders Archive, Boeree Collection ,
inventory number 48.
[19] Ditto.
[20] 2nd South Staffords at Arnhem, 17-25 September 1944. http://www.pegasusarchive.org/
arnhem/war_2ndStaffs.htm
[21] ‘2 South Staffords 19 September. Possible sequence of events’.
[22] Telephone conversation between Frank van Lunteren and Mrs. Albert E. Boustead, Friday 27 April
2007.
[23] Telephone conversation between Frank van Lunteren and David Russell, Tuesday 8 May 2007.
[24] Letter from J.A. Panhuijzen to Theodoor Boeree, 8 September 1952. Gelders Archive, Boeree
Collection, inventory number 18c. The Arnhemsche Courant and Groot=Arnhem newspapers, 19 September 1947. It is not known who these officers were, which unit they represented, or if they had taken part in the Battle of Arnhem.
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