Corporal Leith Shirley Davidson
Unit : No.5 Platoon, "A" Company, 10th Parachute Battalion.
Army No. : 5382430
Leith Davidson enlisted into The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on the 4th August 1936 [1]. He volunteered for Airborne Forces whilst serving in the Middle East and attended Parachute Course K20, at Ramat David in Palestine, 28th January 1943, but failed, due to being taken ill whilst on the ground training phase. He then did the next Course, No 21, which ran from the 5th to 15th February 1943, which he completed [2]. He attended the 148 Training Brigade Pre O.C.T.U. on the 12th March 1944.
Corporal Davidson became separated from the main party of the 10th Parachute Battalion, and having been sheltered by the underground was evacuated across the Rhine on the 22nd October 1944 with Operation Pegasus. The following is his MI9 report:
****
STATEMENT BY
2618194. Cpl. JAMES. J. }
5382430. Cpl. DAVIDSON. L. }
6400674. L/Cpl. BOWDEN. G. }
14002909. L/Cpl. MOORE. R. }
14421741. Pte. KERR. A. } 10 Bn, Para Regt.
1779801. Pte. RYAN. W. }
14331112. Pte. GREGORY. R. }
6472742. Pte. LIPSCOMBE. G. }
1458712. Pte. GREEN. J. }
No personal details included in report.
Cut off west of ARNHEM. We were cut off and surrounded West of ARNHEM. The party had a food container which lasted 7 days. This was supplemented by nuts and raw potatoes.
Visited by Dutch Underground. We were visited by members of the underground. Cpl. JAMES, J.W. 10 Bn Para Regt, was in charge of the party and seems to have led them with great foresight and initiative.
On 21 Oct 44 instructions were received to join up with the main party of E & E's at the RV for the escape route.
DATE OF INTERVIEW:- 23 Oct 44.
****
5382430 Cpl. DAVIDSON, Leith, 2 Bn. Parachute Regiment., 1 Airborne Division. [Note: Davidson was posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion after the 10th Battalion was disbanded.]
Left: EINDHOVEN, 24 Oct 44.
Arrived: U.K., 24 Oct 44.
Date of Birth: 16 May 15.
Army Service: Since 4 Aug 36.
Peacetime Profession: Soldier.
Private Address: Pachmarhi, Lovelace Crescent, EXMOUTH.
On 17 Sep 44 at about 1430 hours I was dropped with my battalion about 5 kms East of EDE (N.W. EUROPE, 1:250,000, Sheet 2A and 3A, E 58). After three days of fighting with my Bren group about 5 kms North of OOSTERBEEK (E 77) we were joined by a section under Cpl. JAMES. We had previously been separated from the main party. There were nine of us - Cpl. JAMES, L/Cpl. BOWDEN, L/Cpl. MOORE, Ptes. LIPSCOMBE, GREGORY, RYON, GREEN and KERR, and myself.
We ran out of food and water and made contact with a farm nearby, from which we received enough food and water for about ten days.
The Germans shortly afterwards set up a gun position at this farm, and we were forced to hide in the woods nearby.
On 23 Sep the 1st Para Division was withdrawn. On 24 Sep we intended to make a break and therefore split up into three groups of three. During the night of 24 - 25 Sep Cpl. JAMES and I went out on a recce patrol to try to get more food before breaking camp. We made contact with a farmer who supplied us with food and water and said that he would put us in contact with someone from the underground movement. We therefore returned to our camp in the woods, deciding to remain there for another day.
During the night of 25 - 26 Sep we returned to the farm again and there met a man who spoke English, and who said he was member of the underground movement.
From this point our journey was arranged for us.
****
The following information was obtained from BRITISH personnel who have been repatriated.
If further circulation of this information is made, it is important that its source should not be divulged.
EVADER'S NAME, etc:- 5382430. Cpl. DAVIDSON. L.
2 Bn Para Regt, 1 Airborne Div.
DATE OF INTERVIEW:- 11 Jan 45.
The man (name unknown) whom we met at the farm 'Kleine Kweek' on the night of 25-26 Sep 44 told us that a British General was hiding nearby and that he would take a note to him for us. It turned out to be Brigadier LATHBURY, of the 1st Para Brigade.
We received word from him to remain hidden and that an evacuation plan would be prepared for us. We remained in the woods until 22 Oct.
During that time we received food and blankets from three farms, the first farm where the German gun position was, which, however, was removed later on, from 'Kleine Kweek', and another farm called 'Groote Kweek'.
We also made contact with Mathias DE HARTOG and his brother 'Case', and two other friends of his named 'John' and 'Dick', who were all members of the Underground in ARNHEM.
The original plan was to train members of the Underground movement in small arms, which were to be dropped to us, and then support units of the 2nd Army in setting up a bridgehead across the Lower RHINE. However, this plan was cancelled later on.
During the first week of Oct we also met a Miss LAMBERTS, at whose home Brigadier LATHBURY was staying. She supplied us with food and put us in touch with a local doctor (name unknown).
The Brigadier was evacuated shortly afterwards, and Major TATHAM-WARTER was left in charge.
On 12 Oct we received a note from Sgt. BANWELL, 10th Para Bn, saying that he was hiding somewhere near and that he was in touch with the Underground. As far as I know he has never been evacuated, and has not yet returned to the U.K.
On 19 Oct L/Cpl. MOORE and Pte. GREEN were taken away, and joined Major. HIBBERT's party near OTTERLOO (N.W. EUROPE, 1:250, 000, Sheet 2A and 3A, E 69).
On 22 Oct we received a note, clothing, and bicycles, and were taken to OTTERLOO, where we joined a party of about 25 under Major. HIBBERT. On the morning of 23 Oct we were briefed, and at about 1800 hrs put into two Red Cross trucks and covered with sacks.
We were taken through OTTERLOO, where we turned South to EDE (E 58). We left the trucks just outside BENNEKOM (E 85) at about 1930 hrs, and joined another party in the woods nearby. There were now about 150 of us, including some Dutchmen.
We walked South through the woods and crossed the road and railway just west of RENKUM (E 67). From here we were evacuated with the rest of the party.
I.S.9(W)
27 Jan 45.
****
NOTES:
[1] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer & Enlistment Book 07, page 73.
[2] Parachute Course Reports, Ramat David. February 1943.
My thanks to Bob Hilton for this account.
See also: Henry Thuijs.