Rivers Of Fire

The Maas, The Rhine, The Wesel, The Aller and The Elbe

The previous page was: "Derrick Cakebread's D-Day Landing"

This is the second part of Derrick Cakebread's actions in War, having survived over three months under constant fire from the Germans; he then survived the crossings under enemy fire, of the Five Rivers Of War. Out of all those who were sent out; there are every few who belong to this unique 'Rare Breed of Commandos' that are still surviving today.

When we arrived back in England, from the Second Front, in September 1944, we went to Petworth, where we were issued with new uniforms and granted 14-days leave, after which, we went to Bexhill, living in civilian billets.

The Commando was brought up to strength again, some of the lads who had been wounded in Normandy rejoined us from hospital, and we received reinforcements from the Holding Commando. 'D' Troop, which had to be disbanded in Normandy because all of their officers had been either killed or wounded, was reformed, and we were once more operational.

The Brigade lost No.4 Army Commando, who went to fight in Belgium, and they were replaced with 46 R.M. Commando.

In early October, we were sent to the Royal Marines Barracks at Eastney, Southsea, where we did basic training in gunnery and on the ships in Portsmouth Harbour. We were there for only a few weeks, after which, we returned to Bexhill, Kent, and went back into our civilian billets.

As Commandos were given extra pay they were expected to provide their own food and living accommodation (civilian billets), they did not have any permanent barracks or camps for the men of the Commando Units. This is why they were lightly armed and had no unit transport of their own, they were all employed strictly as fighting men, every one of them.

Derrick Cakebread's D-Day Landing

Nicknames And Duties

I was pleased to meet up with my old mate Derrick Huggins. He missed Normandy, because he had been wounded shortly before we went into the holding camp at Southampton. As I mentioned previously, if Brigade needed specialist skills, you supposedly volunteered to be whatever they required.

'Biff' as Derrick was nicknamed; we all seemed to have nicknames; I don't know why but mine was 'Cakes' it couldn't be anything else really. He became a 'Sapper' about the same time as I became a 'sniper'.

Biff was down in a slit trench, when he stood on a small explosive device, which unfortunately had been laid in ballast. He got it right in his 'crown jewels' and his mate, who had been leaning over the trench watching was blinded.

So the poor bugger's were in hospital whilst we were in Normandy. However, as I say, I was right pleased to see him again, although I didn't see the other lad again; I never knew if he had been invalided out, or whether he had recovered at least, some of his sight. We hoped he had.

Biff and I went into billets with Mrs Miller, a lovely lady, who looked after us as if we were her own. We kept in touch after the war was over.

Whilst At Bexhill

We did a number of exercises on the Sussex Downs in preparation for the Far Eastern operation; we were issued with tropical kit. Just before Christmas, we went on holiday for 14-days. Shortly after we returned we did an exercise near Worthing.

We thought something might be up as Brigadier Mills-Roberts was there, and he told us that whilst we had been on leave, he had been in Holland and the Commandos were needed out there.

This time, I didn't feel the apprehension, that I had felt before D-Day. Then, I had wondered how I would react under fire, and whether my mates and I would come through or not?

This time those of us who had been through Normandy, knew what to expect and, how we would most likely react under certain conditions. We had become what our Sergeants called 'battle-hardened' knowing when to get down, how to move when you are pinned down, and where to go to ground for the best cover.

I don't think we realised it at the time, but it was remarkable, that many of our reinforcements copped it, whilst casualties among the veterans were noticeably less. I suppose another thing was, we had the experience of learning the different sounds of warfare; the difference between our own, and the enemy's weapondry.

The Cold Dutch Winter

We left Bexhill, on 13th January 1945, for Purfleet, and left England on the 14th, arriving in Ostend, on the 15th, where we spent a couple of days in a transit camp. On the following day we got on a train for Helmond, Holland. It was bitterly cold.

We were all freezing cold, the snow was deep, and of course, there was no heating either on the train, nor any to be found anywhere in Holland it seemed. From Helmond, we went to Asten, where we spent the night in the home of a Dutch family.

About twenty of us slept there, in the attic; the family gave us straw to put on the floor to help us keep warm. The family had a small holding, and kept their animals in the house with them on the ground floor. We left the next morning for Baarlo, which is on the banks of the River Maas, where we relieved a Highland Regiment.

Patrols Along The Maas

Things here, were fairly quite. Sometimes, we sent patrols out across the river, and sometimes the Germans did, but they were mainly small scouting parties who sometimes got into skirmishes but there was no real fighting.

After a few days, we heard that our next objectives were to take three villages; Maasbracht, Brachterbeek and Linne. We were to join with the 7th Armoured Division, who would then go on and take the town of Montfort. Four-Five R.M. Commando was to take Brachterbeek, I think No.6 was to take Maasbracht, and then we would both go on to Linne.

There wasn't too much opposition, so we got there fairly easily, then 'A' Troop were ordered to take the railway station. The railways were obviously very important to the Germans, for bringing up supplies and reinforcements.

Moving Against The Enemy

We had 'B' and 'C' Troops at our flanks. One Troop always leads in an attack, with two otheres covering the flanks, who then move up in a pincer movement, to support the leading Troop when they come under fire. The rest of the Commando are either in reserve, or are going after another objective.

I was with the leading section, again with Lieutenant Thomas, and I told him that I had seen some movement up ahead. The Germans were all wearing white snow suits, making it very difficult to see them. The signal was given and We all went to ground and almost immediately the enemy opened up with heavy artillery, mortars and small arms fire.

We were pinned down in open ground, with absolutely no cover whatsoever. We took a lot of casualties straight away; we were sitting targets for Gerry in out khaki battle tunics, which showed clearly against the snow.

I should perhaps explain here, that when a Troop goes into a certain action, the troop is divided into three sub-sections. There is the leading section, a number two section and a support section, also divided into sub-sections. The troop is spread out as much as possible, yet still keeping together, if you can see what I mean.

Basic Commando Battle Drill

One of the reasons for this 'battle-drill' is to keep casualties to the minimum as possible, especially by not being bunched too close together. Even when separated by only a dozen yards, it can cut down the number of lads you would lose, if you receive a direct hit by mortar or shell-fire.

A sniper always goes in with the leading section, and when caught in a situation of this kind, has to return to Support Section if he possibly can, to carry out his sniping duties. It isn't very far away, sometimes only twenty or thirty yards, it depends on the type of terrain you are in.

Obviously, you arn't doing any damage to the enemy when you are pinned-down in open ground, so the drill is you get back to your own section if you can, or as soon as possible. You do this in what is known as 'pepper-box' fashion.

That is you run and drop on the ground, move to one side or the other, jump up and run and drop down, repeating the process while zigzagging all of the time, so that hopefully, you don't get hit.

If a sniper can get into a good position, and he take out, say a machine-gun post, it allows a greater chance for the Force to keep advancing, while taking less casualties.

Germans kept-Up A Ferocious Fire

Anyway, I got back, through the fire, it was murderous. When the enemy is static, they will have had time to put their men in well-prepared positions, as we would in the same situation.

This means they had machine-gun emplacements and mortars where they would be most effective, and be able to do the most damage or cause the greatest number of casualties.

I saw my mate Fred Harris, who was a Bren-gunner, trying to flatten himself into the doorway of a cottage. His Bren was lying in the middle of the road, where he had dropped it when he had been caught by machine-gun fire.

I had got down in a hedgerow, opposite, and I yelled at him something daft, like, "open the bloody door." I could see the face of his combat jacket jumping as bullets were hitting the front where it was bunched up. He yelled back, something equally as daft, like, "I can't, it's bloody locked."

We've laughed about it ever since, but the strange thing is that even though you know you are just as likely to get hit by a shell if you do get in a property, all you want to do at the time is to get some cover away from the machine-gun fire.

It Was Lethal

I jumped up rushed across and dived through a window; I was covered in broken glass and had slashed my hand, but you don't notice these things then. It is only much later that you wonder where the blood is coming from. I don't know how Fred got in, but he did!!

I went upstairs to select a target, and got a shot in, but was told not to fire anymore, as we were going to use the cottage as a casualty station and we didn't want to bring down heavy fire on the cottage.

It was here that Eric Harden, 'A' Troop's Medical Orderly won his Victoria Cross. As I said, we had taken heavy casualties and a number of wounded were lying out in the snow. We were all aware if you were wounded, in those temperatures, you wouldn't last much more than about half-an-hour, if you didn't get treatment.

Eric went out and brought one chap in. He asked for volunteer stretcher bearers to go back out with him; a couple of blokes Johnny Haville and Dickie Mason, who were closest, immediately offered.

They went out and brought back another couple of lads. It was apparently noticed then that Eric had been slightly wounded in his side, but he insisted on going out again. The two others went with him; this time while they were bringing in another of the wounded on a stretcher, Eric took a shot to the head, killing him instantly.

Eric was a good bloke, although being a bit older than most of us, I can't say we knew him very well. He had a young son back in England, about two years old. Eric was in the Medical Corps, but had also been to Achnachary to earn his Green Beret.

He was a fairly quiet bloke, and obviously caring, as well as being very brave. He was awarded the V.C. posthumously, Johnny was mentioned in despatches while the other chap, Marine Mason, got no recognition at all. I never quite understood this.

All the time the battle was raging, the Brass were trying to get the tanks up to us, but they couldn't get through. It was not good terrain for tanks; plus the weather was awful, so they were getting bogged down.

Twice the rest of the Commando put down a smoke-screen to try and let us withdraw, but it was impossible for us to move, as the artillery fire was so heavy. We were there all day, and finally managed to get back to Commando Head Quarters, under cover of darkness.

That was a bad day, and it was so freezing cold. I don't remember ever having been so cold before. We finally got something to eat. Makes me chuckle now, it was cold meat pudding and we ate it straight from the tins!!! But it tasted great!!!

Brachterbeek Was Taken

The next day we went out again, we soon discovered from the flashes on the uniforms of the dead Germans, just whom we had been up against; a platoon of the 'Waffen SS' who were 'crack troops' in the German Army. They were no longer in the area; they had left taking their big guns, but had left their dead where they lay.

We next went to Linne which the Germans had practically left, so we more or less just walked in. We got a stove going in one of the less damaged houses, and finally thawed our cold feet out. We then went to kip in the loft.

Linne had been shelled to bits, there wasn't many buildings left standing. We dug in by the church, and were on watch duties of; two hours on and two hours off. We were there for a while sending out reconnaissance patrols most of the time.

Not To Well

When I was a youngster, I sometimes suffered from sick headaches, and I got a real stinker one day. One of the Medics saw me and asked what the hell was wrong. I told him, and he sent me to the first aid post; I was given twenty-four hours rest. What Bliss!!

Afterwards I was back in my slit trench, when we suddenly heard some Glen Miller music. Up there, almost in the front line!!! Up drove a canteen van, with two young American girls in it, serving out coffee and doughnuts!! Unbelieveable!!!

Were we glad to see them!! They stayed for a while, and then drove off to another lot of blokes. Absolutely great!! Now I never listen to 'American Patrol' played by Glen Miller, without remembering those rare moments!

We had a fairly quiet period for a few days after this. We were a couple of miles from enemy positions, and sent out patrols into 'No-Mans' land every night. Sometimes we had a brush with enemy patrols, where there was a bit of a fight, but no real battles.

Enemy At Bell Isle

We were next sent to clear the enemy from Bell Isle. This is not really an island, just a deep loop of land in the river, which formed a piece of ground rather like a big tear-drop.

At Brachterbeek 'A' 'B' and 'C' Troops had a bit of a rough time, so 'D' and 'E' Troops were sent in to be the leading troops in the assault, whilst we were supporting them. The 'Troops' were always rotated in this way.

Bell Isle was very well defended, with strong fixed lines of defence; when our blokes went over in their collapsible boats, hardly any of them made it. There was fierce fighting all day on both sides; the Commando lost so many there; that one of our chaps went over with a white flag, and there was a twelve hour truce, for both sides to bring back their dead and to tend the wounded.

In my opinion, this particular action was a waste of life, since Bell Isle could have been by-passed, and dealt with differently; it having no strategic advantage, whatsoever as far as I could see.

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Over The Maas

Around the middle of February, we were relieved by a Company of Yanks and then we moved on to Venrai. We had a couple of days rest here, in a Monastery, and then went out and patrolled along the River Maas.

Just after we left the Monastery, I was called, and told to collect some back pay from the Pay Master, as I was going on 48-hours leave in Brussels, Belgium. One or two from each Troop were going each time, and it was my turn.

We went by lorry and when we arrived, found we were all billeted in different places. I was at the Allied Expeditionary Force's Club, in the Hotel Metropole. It was great to get and feel clean and warm again, and we were given meal tickets, which entitled us to: Three Meals A Day!!!

All good things come to an end. We were picked up by lorry and returned back to out Units. Things were still rather confused and chaotic in the battle areas, and we couldn't find the Commando, they had moved on!

By the time we had caught up with them they were on the other side of the Maas, having crossed over by Bailey Bridge. They had dug in at a place called Wells, which is only about six or seven miles from Germany.

During the advance across Holland, we had taken nothing from the land, because the Dutch people were practically starving. In fact, we shared what we had with them.

But it was a different matter now we had reached the enemy's territory. In Germany the Officers told us we could take whatever we wanted; after all; that's what they had done!!!

The next Link below will be: "Derrick Cakebread's Five Rivers"

Rivers Of Fire Derrick Cakebread's Five Rivers

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