Letter from Lieut.-General B. G. HORROCKS, C.B., D.S.O., M.C.

26th September, 1944

To:-
Major-General R. E. Urquhart, D.S.O.,
Commander, 1st Airborne Division.

I want to congratulate you and all ranks of your Division on their tremendous achievements during the last eight days of fighting. We realise that, had it not been for you, we should have had no chance whatever of securing the NIJMEGEN bridges intact.

I am afraid that your losses have been very heavy, but in your fighting north of the NEDERRIJN you contained a large number of German reserves, and while your Parachute Brigade was holding the North end of the bridge at ARNHEM, you prevented any reinforcements from moving down towards NIJMEGEN. This just gave us time to secure these vital bridges.

There is no doubt that this may quite likely have a decisive influence on the war and will, at any rate, I am certain, shorten the period of the war by several weeks.

Well done First Airborne Division.

On behalf of 2nd Army — many thanks.

(Signed) B. G. Horrocks,
Lieut.-General,
Commander, 30 Corps.