The 1st Airborne Recce's task was to seize the Arnhem Bridge by a lightening-fast "Coup de Main" jeep attack, via the northern most of three roads, the "Duitsekampweg" road, that led into the city of Arnhem. But the delay in removing the jeeps from their gliders allowed the germans to set up a blocking force - Kampf-Gruppe Kraft - in elevated woods, just behind a small clearing where the paved road turned into a dirt path. On their right flank was a high railway embankment that confined the leading elements to the north, and blinded them to the bloody ambush ahead. Two jeeps of C Troop were wiped out , scuttling the squadron's mission in just a few minutes. Gough was not there, but instead received orders at the landing zone to join General Roy Urquhart immediately. Unable to find his commanding officer, Freddy and his batman and eight others drove all over Oosterbeek trying to find him, leaving the squadron leaderless for the rest of the battle. Eventually, Gough ran into Major John Frost of 2 Para, on the southernmost route, and decided to tag along with them to the bridge. Ironically, only two of the 35 jeeps made it to the bridge. Gough was the second ranking officer at the bridge. The remaining jeeps fought as infantry for the rest of the battle and were scattered nearly everywhere in the Oosterbeek perimeter.
Gough was at the bridge when Hauptsturmfuher Grabner's 9th SS Recon Battalion tried to cross from the southern side and was wiped out, as made famous in the film "A bridge Too Far". Gough reportedly removed the Vickers K-Gun from his jeep, and used it manually to help massacre the German column from the tall buildings overlooking the northern bridge ramp, over the course of hours.
I have used the Cyber Hobby head sculpt of Harvey Basil to portray Major Gough.
Here's Freddy at the drop zone, in Wolfheze, on the Duitsekampweg Road, the northernmost planned trail to the Arnhem Bridge.
0-9 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-8 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-2 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-1 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-17 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-15 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-14 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-10 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-22 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
0-20 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
Gough was at the bridge when Hauptsturmfuher Grabner's 9th SS Recon Battalion tried to cross from the southern side and was wiped out, as made famous in the film "A bridge Too Far". Gough reportedly removed the Vickers K-Gun from his jeep, and used it manually to help massacre the German column from the tall buildings overlooking the northern bridge ramp, over the course of hours.
I have used the Cyber Hobby head sculpt of Harvey Basil to portray Major Gough.
Here's Freddy at the drop zone, in Wolfheze, on the Duitsekampweg Road, the northernmost planned trail to the Arnhem Bridge.
0-9 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-8 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-2 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-1 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-17 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-15 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-14 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-10 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-22 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr0-20 by Stephen Duffy, on Flickr
