The Hidden VC

The Hidden VC

By Lee Kendrick

Captain William Sterling of the British 1st Airborne Division, had just parachuted from one of the 358 gliders for Operation Market Garden; into a blustery wind with heavy rain. He and his brigade's objective was to secure a strategic bridge in Arnhem, Holland…but the wind had other ideas,blowing his glider off course by some 8 miles!

Now at just two hundred feet up he tried frantically to steer his parachute away from the cluster of trees he was rapidly approaching. Suddenly, a cross-wind blew him violently into the trees; entangling him and his parachute, around a thick oak branch…leaving him precariously hanging upside down; some thirty-feet above the ground. In the distance he could hear machine gun fire. Panicking he grabbed his knife and hurriedly hacked away at his chute's cord.

“Damn it, the bloody thing won't cut!” He shouted to himself. He heard dogs barking and German soldiers getting ominously close:

"Schau mal da ist der Englander!"

(Look there is the Englishman!)

Seconds later, Sterling heard machine gun fire, then shortly after, there was a loud, agonising scream. One of his men had been shot.

Finally, Sterling managed to cut the cord and with a thud he fell awkwardly to the muddy ground…. twisting his left ankle. He felt a sudden sharp, excruciating pain run through his foot. Untying his boot lace he realised the foot was swollen. He had no choice but to just carry on because the Germans were fast closing in on him.

Struggling to get up he managed to hop and hide behind a large tree branch that the strong wind had ripped off a nearby oak tree. Lying on the ground moaning he hurriedly began camouflaging himself by covering his body with the autumnal leaves, complementing his kharki uniform.

By now seven Germans had arrived with two barking dobermans sniffing around the large oak tree; Sterling's heart raced as a cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He realised it would be only a short moment when the dobermans would soon sniff him out.

As the German soldiers searched around the tree one of them pointed up to Sterling's parachute on the tree branch:

“Der Fallschirm des Englanders!"

(The Englishman's parachute).

The Captain held his breath as he lay close behind the tree trunk. Just then he heard the drone sound of some gliders above him dropping more parachutists:

“Kurzer Blick auf weitere Segelflieger und Fallschirmspringer!” A German shouted:

(“Quick look, more gliders and parachutists!”).

With that the soldiers and their dogs rushed towards the woods. Some of the British fell into some trees being trapped like Sterling was.Hearing the Germans had gone the Captain sighed with relief as he brushed the leaves off his uniform. With only about an hour left before dusk he checked his compass and walked towards his objective…. a bridge some 8 miles away.

After carrying his heavy pack, a sten gun and a PIAT(type of bazooka/ portable anti tank weapon) for 2 miles, he sat against a wall, resting a while by the River Rine, wondering about his fellow parachutists; he had calculated that by now there must be about 2000 parachutists dropped into Arnhem, but perhaps half of them were captured or killed. A sobering thought when these men had to hold the bridges of Arnhem, against a well-equipped German army....until the full allied force arrived. Even then they would be outnumbered by about 2 to 1, without any tanks nor armoured vehicles.to help them!

The British Army combined with a small Polish force main assignment was to hold back the Germans by preventing them from crossing the bridges until the main allied armies arrived to destroy or push the Germans back.

Having rested and eaten some of his rations he followed the river in the dark using his torch…. Knowing it would lead him to his objective….the bridge. He continued walking slowly in the heavy rain, being careful to avoid putting too much weight on his left foot.

Checking his watch it was now 2a.m. walking further on and exhausted he spotted a windmill a short distance up ahead.

Quietly, Sterling approached its entrance door and prized it open with his knife. Then gradually he walked up the spiral staircase and found a small store room with bags of flour; There he fell asleep for the next 3 hours.

By 5 o'clock Captain Sterling continued walking along the river just a mile away now from the bridge. Feeling relieved he saw some of his men by the bridge with a makeshift barricade made of sand bags and wooden beams. They had bren gun emplacements positioned ready for the German attack.

Dawn had just broken as daylight exposed the British and Polish soldiers. Moments later as Sterling was about half a mile away he caught sight of a couple of Tiger tanks sneaking up the left flank of the bridge ....Seeing that the parachutists were totally unaware of them….

Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Captain Sterling decided to cut through the woodland to get behind the Tiger tanks. Now just a 100 metres away he positioned himself behind a rock, took off his pack and grabbed his PIAT weapon.Priming the spring down he pushed a shell into the tube lifting it on his shoulder he aimed for one of the Tiger tanks tracks rather than its thick armoured body….hoping to disable it!

Firing the weapon he waited with bated breath to see the result…. Boom!! He was just a yard or two short. From then on all hell broke loose….

The tank's turret turned 180° and fired back at Sterling....Slicing off some of the rock he hid behind. Realising the tank had found its range he limped, dragging his injured foot as fast as he could behind a thick tree to his left. Suddenly the tank opened up with its machine gun…. smashing rounds into the rock. By now the Airborne troops by the bridge were alerted and opened up with their Bren guns and mortars.

Positioning himself in a kneeling position Sterling fired another shell at the tank this time with a direct hit on its right tracks….damaging them and disabling the tank…. It was now a sitting target! Shortly after, its hatch opened and three Germans climbed out of the tank.

Meanwhile the other tank revved up its engine and reversed back off the bridge, it then started firing shells in the Captain's direction. One blasted close to him as he dived for cover behind a tree, but some shrapnel hit him in his right leg. Wincing in pain he grabbed his PIAT but struggled to prime it because he lacked the strength to force down its primer spring. Summing up just enough strength he finally was able to put his last shell into the tube. Lowering himself on his good knee he looked through the cross hairs and just before the Tiger fired again he fired off his shell. Seconds later, there was an almighty bang and the Tiger's track came clear off the wheels…. It was a dead duck!

Dropping his PIAT he picked up his sten gun and dragged himself towards the two Tigers. Blood poured from his wounded leg. He could hear a commotion as three more Germans jumped out of their tank hatch. On the other side of the bridge the Parachutists began firing their brens at them. One of the Germans’ fell dead on the ground; the now five panzer crew members remaining turned to Captain Sterling just 50 yards away and immediately raised their hands in surrender.

After just nine days the parachutists in Arnhem surrendered being overwhelmed by the stronger German army with its larger force of powerful tanks and artillery.

While in a German Stalag prison for the remainder of the war Captain Sterling was told to see the Komadent. Thinking he was in trouble for something serious the prison Komadent told him that both of the Tiger tank crews who surrendered to him had told their superiors that what he did on that day was such an heroic act that he should receive the British Army Victoria Cross for bravery.

Whilst Captain Sterling was being treated for his leg wound In a German hospital he fell in love with a Nurse named,Helga and eventually they got married. Sterling lived with his German wife and son in Dusseldorf until his recent death from cancer in 1977.

One day shortly after Captain Sterling's funeral, Helga was going through his things she spotted a large, grey diary in a drawer which she had never seen before. Picking it up she heard what sounded like a metal object drop from the diary on to the floor. Picking it up she held a metal cross made of bronze... it was the Captain's Victoria Cross.

After reading about his army service at Arnhem she read his last words:

I'm so sorry for keeping my VC a secret darling, but I just couldn't stand all that fuss. When I've passed, let Stefen read this, and show him the medal.

I love you both so very much!

Ends