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Auction: 14003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 10

The Outstanding and Scarce 'Final Stand at Arnhem Bridge' M.C. Group of Ten to Colonel B.W. Briggs, 1st Parachute Brigade and Leicestershire Regiment, Who Served With the Paras in North Africa, Sicily and Italy Before Commanding a Composite Force During Operation Market Garden. One of the First To Reach the Bridge and One of the Last to Leave it, His Wireless Conversation With Johnny Frost Exemplifies the Spirit of the Defence -

Captain Briggs: The position is untenable. Can I have your permission to withdraw?

Frost: If it is untenable you may withdraw to your original position.

Captain Briggs: Everything is comfortable. I am now going in with bayonets and grenades.

a) Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse dated '1945', unnamed as issued
b) 1939-1945 Star
c) Italy Star
d) France and Germany Star
e) Defence and War Medals
f) Korea 1950-53, 1st 'Britt: Omn:' type, M.I.D. Oak Leaf (Major B.W. Briggs. M.C. Leicesters.)
g) United Nations Medal for Korea
h) Africa General Service 1902-56, E.II.R., one clasp, Kenya (Major B.W. Briggs. M.C. R. Leicesters.)
i) General Service 1918-62, E.II.R., one clasp, Arabian Peninsula (Lt. Col. B.W. Briggs. M.C. R. Leicesters.), generally very fine, mounted as originally worn, with the following related items:
- Original Para Red Beret, complete with Badge, recipient's name stitched into lining, as worn on Arnhem Bridge, slightly moth-eaten
- M.I.D. Certificate, dated 10.10.1952
- A quartered card diary (in pencil) used by recipient from his "arrival" in Arnhem to his repatriation to the UK
- Aden Protectorate Levies Car Pennant
- Several photographs from various stages of his service career (lot)

M.C. London Gazette 20.9.1945 Captain (temporary) Bernard Walter Briggs (129061), The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
'In recognition of gallant and distinguished services at Arnhem.'

The Recommendation states: 'Early on the night of D Day (Sep 17) Capt Briggs was given command of a mixed force of Bde HQ, Signals, RE and Ordnance personnel, and ordered to hold an important sector East of Arnhem Bridge. The position was difficult to hold as fruit trees and shrubs gave the enemy a covered line of approach.
During the following two days the enemy repeatedly attacked this position with tanks and infantry in greatly superior numbers. They were driven back each time with heavy losses. The position was under continuous mortar fire. During the afternoon of D + 2 and morning of D + 3 the situation was made more difficult by the enemy setting fire to the houses Capt Briggs' party was occupying. In spite of this and resulting enemy infiltration he continued to hold the position until every house was burnt down.
He then skilfully withdrew the remnants of his force to "A" Coy's position and continued to fight with them.
Capt Briggs skilful and inspiring leadership was an example to all and it was undoubtedly largely due to his efforts that the most important and difficult position was held for so long.'

M.I.D. London Gazette 10.10.1952 Maj. B.W. Briggs, M.C. (129061), R. Leicesters (129061)

Colonel Bernard Walter Briggs, M.C. (1914-1989), mobilised from the Territorial Army he served in the ranks for 238 days. He was commissioned from 162 OCTU into The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 27.4.1940. He served as Acting Captain, 12.12.1941-11.3.1942 and Temporary Captain 12.3.1942-9.7.1945. Briggs served with the 1st Parachute Brigade in North Africa, Sicily and Italy before serving with HQ 1st Parachute Brigade for Operation Market Garden.

Arnhem
The 1st Parachute Brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Parachute Battalions, together with Headquarters (of which Briggs was a part) and its defence platoon. The 1st Parachute Brigade and the 1st Air Landing Brigade were the first to jump out of a collective force of just shy of 9,000 men allotted for the operation. The remainder were to jump the the next day. Briggs, as his diary relates, 'dropped Arnhem 1407hrs 17 Sep 44', at Landing Zone 'X'. Briggs pressed on to the bridge at Arnhem, with the soon to be isolated force under Frost, 'we must return to the bridge and the men who had captured it by nightfall of the first day, and who still held on with grim tenacity long after all hopes relief or reinforcement had vanished. The destruction of the German armoured cars and half-track vehicles which sought to cross the bridge and enter Arnhem on the morning of the 18th showed the enemy that the Parachutists were strongly established and in force. He therefore began to mortar the houses and positions near the bridge; these were held by the 2nd Battalion and remnants of the 3rd, supported by elements of the Headquarters of the 1st Parachute Brigade, of the Royal Engineers, the R.A.M.C. and R.A.S.C., of the Light Regiment of Artillery and one troop of anti-tank guns. The mortar fire continued as long as there were any airborne troops on the area.' (By Air To Battle, The Official Account of the British Airborne Divisions, refers)

On the night of the 17th, after the drop, Briggs had been given command of the mixed force of Brigade HQ, Signals, Royal Engineers and Ordnance personnel and led his men in an infantrymen role in support of Frost's 2nd Battalion. They took up a position east of the bridge with 'A' Company, 'in the afternoon of the 18th an enemy attack succeeded in driving some of the Brigade defence platoon out of their houses, but the two German tanks leading it were eventually knocked out, one by a six-pounder, the other by a Piat; and just before dark, four houses were set on fire and their garrisons had therefore to leave them. All through that day there had been many rumours that the 1st and 3rd Battalions would arrive with much needed reinforcements, but by late afternoon no one had appeared and hope died, to be revived, however, by the news that the South Staffordshires and the 11th Parachute Battalion were fighting their way towards the bridge. In an endeavour to deal with Frost and his men before their arrival, the Germans, about sunset, formed up for an infantry attack but were forestalled by the parachutists. Shouting their battle-cry, "Whoa, Mohammed!" they charged the enemy with the bayonet.

After an uneasy night with many alarums and excursions the captors of the bridge preared at dawn on the 19th to deal with further counter attacks. These did not develop immediately, for at first the enemy contented himself with heavy mortaring and shelling, the shells being fired by tanks which had crept up to a position close to the river bank. This fire lasted throughout the morning until Captain A. Frank [A Company] dealt with the tanks by means of Piats... the defenders of the bridge held on and did not falter, not even when a Tiger tank moved down the road just before dark and pumped shells into each house in turn.' (ibid)

Briggs' key position had been under continuous fire from the 19th-20th, with the houses in which his men were positioned in flames. Despite this, 'the spirit of the defence is best exemplified by the following wireless dialogue which was overheard.

Captain Briggs: The position is untenable. Can I have your permission to withdraw?

Frost: If it is untenable you may withdraw to your original position.

Captain Briggs: Everything is comfortable. I am now going in with bayonets and grenades.' (ibid)

Despite his continued best efforts Briggs was burnt out of his position by midday of the 20th. His men took up positions with 'A' and 'B' Companies to the north of the Bridge.

The Final Stand
Having repositioned, and with the number of wounded mounting, a two hour truce was arranged with the Germans. During the truce the wounded, including Frost, were evacuated. The Shrinking Perimeter, by M. Bowman, illustrates the position that the beleaguered Paratroopers were in, 'When the last wounded soldier was taken away the battle began again - there were only about 150 men capable of fighting - and it was decided to split into two parties which at dawn on Thursday would occupy a group of ruined buildings on the river bank. But by midnight the defence was 'greatly weakened'. The 2nd Bn, commanded by Major Tatham-Warter, whose conduct was exemplary even amid so much gallantry, had suffered heavy casualties, so had its supporting troops, among whom must be numbered the signallers fighting as infantrymen under Captain Bernard Briggs. Ammunition was running short and the key houses commanding the north end of the bridge had been burnt down. The Germans posted in houses further back nearer the town, though making no attempt to infiltrate, kept the whole area of the defence under more or less continuous small arms and automatic fire. By now those of the defenders who were not beneath the bridge were holding slit trenches hastily dug in the garden of the houses from which they had been driven by fire.'

Now under attack from enemy aircraft, tanks and artillery the situation became critical, 'the final stand was made, first in a warehouse, and then underneath the bridge, the total number still capable of fighting being about 110 men and five or six officers. The position was shelled by a German tank and armoured car, but they were unable to hit that part of the underside of the bridge where the defence was holding out. It was at this juncture that Lieutenant Grayburn, whose valour earned him a Victoria Cross which he did not live to receive, led a series of counter-attacks, in one of which the Germans laying charges to blow the bridge were killed and the charges torn out. Every time a patrol went out it suffered casualties, and with each hour the situation became more and more hopeless. There was no more ammunition, there had been no food for a long time, and hardly a man but was wounded. The very ground on which the defenders stood or crouched was constantly seared by flames from the burning houses about it, and no man could remain there and live.

So in the end the gallant remnant were dispersed or captured.'

The Paras, in isolation, had held the Bridge for 80 hours. Briggs was one of the final men to leave it, as his diary laconically records, 'Captured Arnhem am 21 Sep (Thurs). Spent day in ruined Church, & evening in Mission Hall. moved early am.'

Prisoner of War
Briggs' diary show his movements once captured:

'Arrived house outskirts Arnhem am 22 Sep. Left for Zutphen aft. 24 Sep. Massacre on way.

Arrived warehouse Zutphen pm 24 Sep. Left for Enschede am 25 Sep.

Arrived warehouse Enschede pm 25 Sep. Left for Oberusel aft. 26 Sep. Journey down Rhine.

Interogation Dulag Luft Oberusel pm 27 Sep. Left for Wetzlar aft. 6 Oct. 9 1/2 days Solitary

Arrived Transit Camp Wetzlar pm 6 Oct. Left for Limburg am 10 Oct.

Arrived Transit Camp Limburg pm 10 Oct. Left for Diez pm. 16 Oct.

Arrived Interogation Centre (Army) Diez pm 16 Oct. Left for Limburg aft. 19 Oct. Solitary for 3 days. Lost Douglas. He rejoined at Hadamar 23 Oct.

Arrived Transit Camp Limburg aft. 19 Oct. Left for Hadamar aft. 20 Oct.

Arrived Transit Camp Hadamar aft. 20 Oct. Left for Eichstatt aft. 21 Jan (3 months)

Arrived Permanent Camp Eichstatt aft. 23 Jan. Left for Modsburg pm (2 3/4 months) March Route

Arrived Permanent Camp Modsburg am 22 Apr. Liberated Apr. 29th 45. (32 weeks since drop).'

Korea, Kenya and the Arabian Peninsula
Briggs arrived back in England, 10.5.1945. He advanced Captain 6.12.1945, before transferring to the Leicestershire Regiment, 22.2.1947. He was promoted Major, attached Parachute Regiment, Depot Airborne Forces, 6.12.1950. He served at the Midland Brigade Training Centre prior to returning to the Leicestershire Regiment for service in Korea.

In October 1951 the 1st Battalion embarked at Hong Kong for Korea. Briggs commanded 'D' Company 1st Battalion in Korea. On 5th November the Battalion (mainly made up of young inexperienced national servicemen) took part in what was afterwards known as the Gunpowder Plot Battle (the battle of Maryang San).There the Battalion won the last two Battle Honours of The Royal Leicestershire Regiment. Briggs was MID for this campaign.

Having returned to the UK Briggs was appointed to the command of 'C' Company in 1953, before commanding the 1st Battalion's Coronation Detachment, 2.6.1953. He served at the Army Air Transport Training & Development Centre, 1953-55; before rounding off a remarkable career serving in another two campaigns, firstly with the 1st KAR, in Kenya, 1955-57; and lastly as Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding 1st Mobile Battalion Aden Protectorate Levies, on the Arabian Peninsula 1958-61; he retired 27.9.1961. In later life he changed his name to Myddleton-Briggs.

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Sold for
£41,000