T H E C O V E N A N T E R
156) being flown in Dakota transport chimera. In 1944, the Lowland Division was
aeroplanes, complete with light equipment, probzbly the best-trained and most versatile
to land at Deelen airfield four miles north of unit in the British Army. It was the last
Arnhem soon after its capture by 1st British unused fully trained infantry division in the
Airborne. The remaining Brigade, 157, was British Army that was still held in reserve.
scheduled to join the Division as part of the This had caused a considerable amount
relieving force that was to fight its way up of disquiet among its soldiers, who had
‘the Corridor’ between the U. S. Airbourne watched with more than a little envy the
divisions and Amhem. In anticipation, it had exploits of, and the publicity accorded to,
already been dispatched by sea to join other its compatriot 51st (Highland) Division.
troops of 21st Army Group poised South of Since 1942, 52nd had been converted from
Eindhoven to strike towards Arnhem. a normal infantry division to a Mountain
The failure to capture Deelen airfield meant role. It underwent rigorous training in the
that the air portable part of the attack never Scottish mountains that weeded out the less
took place. It has resulted in a tendency for fit. It took part in the Combined Operations
it to be overlooked or merely mentioned Battle School at Inverary, and was the only
en passant in most histories of ‘Operation fully equipped Mountain Division in the
Market Garden’. What might have occurred British Army. Its natural role would have
had that airfield been captured, therefore, been in the mountainous Italian Campaign,
can only remain in the realms of speculation? but the fact of its presence in Scotland, and its
Nevertheless, it is arguable that had the specialist role, posed a potential threat to the
two additional Brigades landed to swelI the German ocupation of Norway. Strategically,
numbers of combat troops in the bridgehead, this made sense, as its continued presence
their presence could have been crucial. It in Scotland caused Germany to retain some
could well have bought the additional time 15,000 troops in Norway against the chance
required to allow 2lst Army Group to relieve of a British attempt to liberate the country.
the beleaguered 1st Airborne Division, By 1944, 52nd had become one of the
tipped the balance in favour of the Allies; hardest physically and finely trained units
and thus allowed General Montgomery to of the Allied Forces - but, it had not yet seen
execute his plan of a thrust to the heartland action, save fleetingly in France in 1941
of Germany. before its conversion to a mountain role.
The airborne plan for ‘Operation Market The first months of I944 saw the conversion
Garden’ (‘Market’ being the airborne part of the Division to its air-portable role, with
and ‘Garden’ the ground attack to link up much of its mountain equipment discarded,
with it) bore distinct similarities to the this being replaced by items more suited to
German airborne invasion of Crete. There, its new status. Two of the items retained
German airborne troops seized a bridgehead were the specialiy designed mountain
that included a tenuous hold on the airfield windproof smock together with the string
at Maleme. The German Paratroop Army vest to be worn beneath it. These soon
soon found itself in dire trouble, losing became almost an additional Divisional
many of its members while still in their icon that distinguished it from the normal
parachutes, and many more, immediately infantryman. They proved to be a boon
upon reaching the ground. Their losses were when later, the Division was to fight in
such that Germany never attempted another the bitter cold of the Netherlands and the
major airborne assault throughout the War. Rhineland winter of 1944/45. The smock’s
It is generally recognised that had not an similarity to the airborne jump jacket and
additional back-up division of mountain the Commando battle jacket, gave a special
troops been flown over in transport planes, feeling of superiority to the Jocks, and was
under enemy fire, to Maleme airfield, the much sought after by later reinforcements
Cretan operation could well have been in the North-West European campaign
a disaster for the attackers. Their arrival Air-portable training had been in force
turned the threat of defeat into victory. One for sometime prior to Arnhem as several
wonders whether or not this factor was a planned airborne attacks in France and the
consideration in the planning for Market Low Countries had come to nothing, due
Garden, and if the two Brigades of 52nd to the rapid advance of the Allies after the
Division had been included in the plan after breakout from the Normandy bridgehead.
a study of the German experience? Edward Scott was one of many Englishmen
However that may be, the preparations for posted to Scottish Regiments as the war
the involvement of 52nd Division were no progressed. Scott’s first posting came as

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