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(6p) Oosterbeek

"It is the 25th of September, 1944: The battle of Arnhem is still raging, but the position of the surrounded British and Polish troops on the northern Rhine bank in Oosterbeek has become untenable. Then the order for their evacuation across the river is given....

That night, the Allies on the south side of the river attempted another crossing. The plan called for 4th Battalion The Dorset Regiment and the 1st Polish Parachute Battalion to cross at 22:00 using boats and DUKWs.The boats took until 1:00 a.m. to arrive, several having been destroyed or lost en route; in a last minute change of plan, only the Dorsets would cross. The small boats, without skilled crews, the strong current and poor choice of landing site on the north bank meant that of the 315 men who embarked, only a handful reached the British lines on the other side. "