Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Company Sergeant Major W. T. Mashford, 12th (Airborne) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, who was killed in action during Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine, 24 March 1945

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. C. R. D. Mashford, Lambside Farm, Newton Ferrers, Nr Plymouth, Devon’, extremely fine (4) £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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William Thomas Mashford served during the Second World War as Company Sergeant Major with the 12th (Airborne) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. On 24 March 1945 the Battalion took part in Operation Varsity, the biggest and most successful airborne operation in history, marking the beginning of the end for Germany as the Allied Airborne troops mounted the final barrier and crossed the Rhine. In total 12 Parachute Battalions (five British, one Canadian, and six American), supported by glider troops from the Air Landing Brigade dropped on 24 March as a complete force, thus avoiding the mistakes made at Arnhem. Together with the United States 17th Airborne Division the aim of the operation was to secure and deepen the bridgehead east of the Rhine and then advance across country to the Baltic Coast, a journey of 350 miles. The initial objectives were the high ground overlooking the crossing point at Diersfordter Wald and the road and rail bridges over the river Issel at Hamminkeln. Flying in very tight formation 540 American Dakota aircraft carried the 12 Parachute Battalions, and these were closely followed by 1,300 gliders packed with troops. The enemy was expecting the invasion and the fighting on the Drop Zones was particularly heavy.

In his book Airborne at War, Sir Napier Crookenden recounts:
‘They were at 3,200 feet. Boucher-Giles spotted the Issel and the autobahn and knew he was too far east. As he made a steep turn to starboard machine gun bullets came through the floor and his flaps seemed to be inoperable. He came down to 500 feet in a series of ‘S turns’ and then made a good landing in a ploughed field, some sixty yards from the woods and half a miles from the landing zone, among a number of American Waco gliders.
They got out to find themselves under fire from a large building 80 yards away. While Company Sergeant Major Mashford opened up on the farm with a Bren gun the rest of them set about unloading the glider. As Boucher-Giles was fixing the explosive cord round the tail to blow it off he was hit in the leg and his second pilot, Sergeant Garland, dragged him into a ditch. They were now under attack from a German tank with some infantry in two half tracks. Major Rogers was wounded in the arm, Mashford was killed instantly, but they were able to knock out the tank and the half tracks with a Piat. The two glider pilots were eventually picked up and taken to a medical dressing station by some Americans and the rest of them were able to rejoin the Devons in Hamminkeln.’

Casualties were heavy, and by the end of the first day 1,078 men of the 6th Airborne Division had either been killed or wounded, and fifty aircraft, along with eleven gliders, were shot down. However, within twenty-four hours all objectives had been achieved as planned and the bridges over the river were secured. The village of Hamminkeln was captured and the Division was joined by ground troops of the 21st Army Group for the advance across Germany.

Mashford was amongst those killed, aged 32. He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany. His medals were sent to his father Mr. C. R. D. Mashford.

Sold with a group photographic image of the “D” Company, 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, showing the recipient.