Incredible patrol

With the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the liberation of Europe began. After fierce fighting in the summer, most of France and Belgium were liberated at lightning speed in early September. On Sunday, September 17, 1944, the Allies attempted to bring a quick end to the war from Belgium with an advance through the Netherlands, Operation Market Garden. As part of this grand plan, the bridges over the Rhine near Arnhem were to be captured by British airborne units. This part of the operation became known as the "Battle of Arnhem.

This plan failed. The Allies got no further than the Betuwe. Between Arnhem and Rhenen, the Rhine became the front line. To the south were the Allies, on the north bank the German troops. Increasingly larger areas along the Rhine therefore had to be evacuated by the civilian population on the orders of the Germans. As a result, in October 1944 Ede lay just behind the German front line.

In the Betuwe was then the American 101st Airborne Division. On 20 October the deputy divisional commander, General Higgins, ordered his intelligence officer 1st Lieutenant Hugo Sims to 'deliver a prisoner of war'.

After sending out several patrols to no avail, Sims finally carried out the assignment himself. The objective was to gather as much information as possible about the Germans and to take a prisoner of war with him for interrogation.

On October 30, Sims and six volunteers crossed the Rhine at night near Renkum. There, the Americans moved carefully between German positions and snuck past sleeping Germans. They came out at Planken Wambuis, and walking towards Ede they stopped at the house of forester Ruiter at the (Verlengde) Arnhemseweg 75. This house along Rijksweg 24 (now N224) had a sign with a red cross at the front door: in the house there were bandages from the Red Cross and the resident had first aid training. But residents were no longer there, as the area was 'Spergebied'. All residents were forced to evacuate by the Germans. Sergeant-Major Frank and Private Nicolai went inside. They found two sleeping German officers in the front room who were immediately made prisoners of war. Sims then set up the house as an observation post. The radio he brought with him was set up in the attic. With it, Sims informed his headquarters that the operation was successful and that they now had two POWs.

At 07.00 a Dutch boy unexpectedly appeared at the door. In the course of the morning more Dutchmen came by, eventually a total of eight people. What they were doing in the Sper area is a mystery. Some of them claim to be members of the resistance; they gave the Americans information about German units and positions. The Dutch have to stay until the patrol has left.

A passing German letter carrier asks for water and thus becomes the third German POW. A German who lets his horses drink at the house is the fourth. Sergeant Major Frank questioned them and sent the information to U.S. headquarters. That afternoon, two more Germans were captured, bringing the total to six POWs. Sims wanted to use a truck for the retreat. So Frank goes out with the German letter carrier to stop a truck on State Highway 24 (N224). First to stop, however, was a German motorcyclist, the seventh POW. Around 8 p.m. the Americans forced a German truck to stop. Thirteen SS soldiers and the driver surrendered and the Americans set off with 21 POWs in the truck.

On the way, they were overtaken by an SS officer in an amphibious Volkswagen. He, too, entered the cargo bay. The truck got stuck on a dirt road seven kilometers before the Rhine. On foot they continued through the German lines towards Renkum. Past the Rijndijk they overran four Germans from a guard post. Six more Germans from two other river posts were captured. Sims signals the agreed-upon light signal to the other side. From the south bank, boats arrive to ferry the patrol to liberated territory. To get everyone across, they must sail back and forth eleven times. Returning, Sims calls General Higgins: "Lieutenant Sims reports back with 32 prisoners of war, General." Higgins: "How many?" "Thirty-two general." "Unbelievable (Incredible)!"