Historic Melton: Operation Market Garden at 80
In my Historic Melton article published back in February 2024, I looked at the ‘friendly invasion’ of British Airborne Soldiers from the 4th Parachute Brigade that arrived in Melton Mowbray between January and May 1944.
The 11th Battalion was the last of the units to arrive in Melton Mowbray, taking up residence at the Militia Camp in May ‘44.
The Militia Camp was built up Welby Lane, opposite the Remount Depot at the end of 1939. It was built by contractors, but due to being delayed due to the recent heavy rain, they brought in extra manpower from Hull as well as all the unemployed from Melton Mowbray, including the villages across the Borough.
On the 17th September ‘44, the US 314th Troop Carrier Group, based at RAF Saltby, flew the 1st Bn Parachute Regiment, who were billeted at Grimsthorpe Castle, to Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden.
This was Market Mission #1 for the Saltby based 314th TCG.
Meltonian Jean French, who after the war married Cpl John Smith of the REME attached to 156 Bn recalled “On the morning of the Battle of Arnhem, we didn’t know what was going on, all the paratroopers were confined to barracks.
"That morning, the sky was suddenly full of aircraft, the noise is something I will never forget.”
The 4th Bde departed Melton on the 18th September with the 11th Bn and 156 Bn both residing in Melton, being flown in 72 aircraft from Saltby and the 10th Bn as well as the 4th Bde HQ being flown in 72 aircraft from Spanhoe.
The 314th TCG from Saltby went on to fly two more Market missions. In total from the four missions, they dispatched 233 aircraft carrying 3,407 troops and 274,256lbs of equipment including bombs, ammunition, rations and medical supplies.
Thirty aircraft were damaged by enemy action and four were either missing or destroyed.
Each of the Melton based Battalions had an approximate strength of 600-700 men.
Each left a ‘rear party’ back in Melton but the majority (approximately 1800) flew to Arnhem.
During the 10 days fighting, many of the Melton paras were either killed or captured becoming Prisoners of War.
From the 156 Bn, 313 were taken as POWs, 98 died and 68 were evacuated. 404 from the 10th Bn at Somerby were taken as POWs, 92 died and 86 evacuated and 407 from the 11th Bn were taken as POW’s 92 died and 72 evacuated.
The few that made it back to Melton were "treated” by the Town Estate to a “Dinner and Entertainment” in the Corn Exchange on Tuesday 27th October 1944. All those that attended signed a guest book and this is currently on display in the Melton Carnegie Museum.
A memorial was subsequently erected in the Corn Exchange.