Hackett’s Charge

Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944.

In the thick of the fighting was Brigadier Hackett, rifle and bayonet in hand, organised a charge to clear the enemy from a hollow in the Wolfheze woods; there he gathered 150 men, all that were with him at that time. The Germans closed in again and kept them under constant rifle and machine gun fire which took a steady toll. The Brigadier himself led several rushes to keep the enemy at bay.

With the remnants of his 4th and the 1st Parachute Brigade, and survivors of other units of the Division, he took command of the eastern flank of what became known as the Oosterbeek Perimeter. His HQ was in slit trenches only 200 yards from the forward positions near the Former Medical Dressing Station crossroads. For the next four days the thin ‘line’ held firm under constant mortar, artillery, tank, MG and sniper fire.