René de Péyrecave. CO B-Troop (Flash Spotters).

(Letter to my father Dennis Osborne, who had asked for recollections of   Arnhem/Nijmegan)

Many thanks for the slide of 64 Medium Regiment, you asked me for my memories of that period.
My first memory was that of being up some tower when the parachutists used our tower as a turning point to turn left towards Nijmegan. We had a grand view of the whole operation including the parachute landings.

Needless to say our girl friends became the proud owners of lengths of parachute silk. The mind boggles when thinking of the garments that they were turned into !!

From there we advanced towards Nijmegan and one of my posts occupied the power station tower. However this was not as successful as we wished. It had a balcony at the top around the tower. Excellent as a view point but a disaster from the point of view of camouflage.

The other tower we occupied was a factory chimney. At first we could not get into it. Then someone discovered that we had to go below ground level.

Once there we discovered a mound of Sulphur on the floor and a cat ladder up one side of the chimney. The Battery Commander took the first few steps up the ladder dislodging an inch of Sulphur from each rung of the ladder. Most of this landed on his face. Then came down as I followed going up a few further rungs with similar showers of Sulphur. When I came down another officer went up with the same effect. After this a Sergeant and so down the line.

We eventually reached half way up the chimney when we had a discussion when it was voiced that perhaps the brickwork was so hard that we would not be able to knock an observation hole there in. Answer a trial hole.

So once again in descending order of seniority we went up half way and with a cold chisel and 4lb hammer we chiselled away at the brickwork swaying too and fro on the safety harness. Progress was slow.

Eventually we sent up Gunner Cramm. A great character from Newfoundland. When he came down we said next one up. "Oh no Sair" says Cramm "its finished". Then he told us that he had been a steeple jack in Civvy street.

He had thoroughly enjoyed the pantomime of officers never ordering anyone to do anything they wouldn't do themselves. In fact we never reached the top before the battle moved forward. I am sorry that I cannot remember the names of any of the others involved.