War History Online has an article about a brave man in a tough place:
Major Robert Cain (photo, left) was awarded the Victoria Cross (photo, center) in the battle for Arnhem, Holland. Out of the five Victoria Crosses awarded during that battle, only Cain survived.
Major Cain was the commander of B-Company, 2nd South Staffordshire regiment, a gliderborne unit in the 1st Airborne Division. He left England on 17 September 1944 from Manston Airfield, destination Landing Zone Z, near Wolfheze. His flight was a short one because, after only five minutes, his tow rope snapped. The glider made a perfect landing in some fields, tearing through a hedge. Whilst the soldiers began unloading the glider one of the iilots found a telephone made a call to Manston. The pilot who examined the tow rope said it was ‘diabolical’, as the same thing happened to him on D-Day. They all got back to the airfield and got into a new glider on 18 September in the second lift. This time they landed on the landing zone without further incident.
His company was heavily engaged in the attempt to reach the bridge at Arnhem. They were to break through to the 2nd Battalion that was holding on to the north end, and Major Cain finally joined his company on early in the morning on 19 September at the Utrechtseweg in Arnhem.
His B Company, together with A Company, was in the middle of its attack that ran into heavy opposition just beyond the Municipal Museum. The Germans were supported by Stug III self-propelled guns and had blunted the assault, inflicting terrible casualties on the lightly armed glider troopers.
Major Cain found himself in a hollow in the slope outside the museum, under constant tank fire, and armed only with PIATs as anti-tank weapons. Lieutenant Dupenois was with him in the hollow and fired a PIAT while Major Cain tried to draw fire and get ammunition. This way they were able to hold of the Germans for two to three hours until their PIAT ammunition ran out.
The PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) was a British man-portable anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT launched a 2.5 pound bomb using a powerful spring and a cartridge in the tail of the projectile. It possessed an effective range of approximately a hundred meters in a direct fire anti-tank role. The PIAT had several advantages over other infantry anti-tank weapons of the period, which included a lack of muzzle smoke to reveal the position of the user. However this was countered by difficulty in cocking the weapon, the bruising the user received when firing it, and problems with its penetrative power.
Being under fire from the roads below and above them their position became untenable and they had to withdraw. Only Major Cain and a few men managed to get away from what they called “a death trap”. A and B Companies of the 2nd South Staffords ceased to exist, with most of their men killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
Major Cain then took over C Company and the remaining men of the 2nd South Staffords. With this force he got on the high ground near Den Brink, but they were soon spotted by the Germans, who started to shell the area with mortars. The ground was too thick with roots to dig, so they suffered heavy casualties. When they were then attacked by tanks, Cain decided to pull back to Oosterbeek. He felt very dejected, as they could not break through to the bridge and were thrown out of the town.
Together with the remains of the Parachute Brigade they marched out of Arnhem towards Oosterbeek. There Major Cain was ordered to take command of the mixed parties that were now assembling around the church on the lower road near the river. This became his area during the defense of the Oosterbeek Perimeter. By nightfall of 19 September he commanded the remaining hundred men of the 2nd South Staffords.
On 21 September the Germans launched a major assault down the Ploegseweg, of infantry supported by self-propelled guns. Their aim was to try and cut the British off from the river, sealing the fate of the 1st Airborne Division. During this attack, Major Cain grabbed a PIAT and started to engage the attacking tanks. He lobbed around fifty PIAT bombs over a house on the advancing tanks. He was getting directions from an artillery officer in a house, while he was in a slit trench. Tank fire hit the house, killing the officer and dropping the chimney almost on top of Major Cain.
Another Stug came down the road, and Cain crawled to the corner of his trench to engage it. He fired his PIAT from thirty yards away and probably hit the tank on the tracks. The tank fired back immediately, but missed, throwing up a huge cloud of smoke and dust. As soon as he could see the tank again, he fired a second PIAT bomb, after which the tank fired a second time.
A 75mm howitzer was quickly manhandled forward to an exposed position where it could finish off the tank with an armor-piercing round. It took a while for the smoke and dust to clear; when it did, Major Cain saw the crew bailing out. They were engaged by Bren guns and killed.
A German self-propelled gun, Stug III:
He then engaged another tank, but his PIAT bombs exploded in front of his face. It blew him over backwards and temporarily blind. He was, as he said himself, “shouting like a hooligan. I shouted for somebody to get onto the PIAT, because there was another tank behind”.
By now the Germans had enough and retreated back the way they came.
Major Cain was dragged to an aid post, but quickly recovered and, within thirty minutes, he returned to the front line. For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
His Victoria Cross citation states that his leadership ensured that the South Staffordshire gave no ground and drove the enemy off in complete disorder. By the end of the battle, Major Cain had been reportedly responsible for the destruction or disabling of six tanks, four of which were Tigers, as well as a number of self-propelled guns.
On the last day in the perimeter, 25 September, Major Cain was still in his slit trench engaging the enemy. By now the PIAT munitions had run out and he equipped himself with a two-inch mortar with which he engaged the enemy.
That night the division escaped across the Rhine River, and Major Cain ensured his men were all across before he himself crossed.
The Victoria Cross citation:War Office, 2 November, 1944.Rico says he always admires the Brits; they get the job done. If you haven't seen the movie they made about this action, A Bridge Too Far, you should...
The King has been graciously pleased to approve awards of the Victoria Cross to
Captain (temporary Major) Robert Henry Cain (129484), The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, attached to The South Staffordshire Regiment, 1 Airborne Division, Salcombe, Devon.
In Holland on 19 September, 1944, Major Cain was commanding a rifle company of the South Staffordshire Regiment during the Battle of Arnhem when his company was cut off from the rest of the battalion and, during the next six days, was closely engaged with enemy tanks, self-propelled guns, and infantry. The Germans made repeated attempts to break into the company position by infiltration and, had they succeeded in doing so, the whole situation of the Airborne Troops would have been jeopardized.
Major Cain, by his outstanding devotion to duty and remarkable powers of leadership, was, to a large extent, personally responsible for saving a vital sector from falling into the hands of the enemy.
On 20 September a Stug tank approached the area held by his company, and Major Cain went out alone to deal with it, armed only with a PIAT. Taking up a position, he held his fire until the tank was only twenty yards away when he opened up. The tank immediately halted and turned its guns on him, shooting away a corner of the house near where this officer was lying. Although wounded by machine gun bullets and falling masonry, Major Cain continued firing until he had scored several direct hits, immobilized the tank, and supervised the bringing up of a 75mm howitzer, which completely destroyed it. Only then would he consent to have his wounds dressed.
The next morning this officer drove off three more tanks by the fearless use of his PIAT, on each occasion leaving cover and taking up position in open ground with complete disregard for his personal safety.
During the following days, Major Cain was everywhere where danger threatened, moving amongst his men, and encouraging them by his fearless example to hold out. He refused rest and medical attention, in spite of the fact that his hearing had been seriously impaired because of a perforated eardrum, and he was suffering from multiple wounds.
On 25 September the enemy made a concerted attack on Major Cain’s position, using self-propelled guns, flame throwers, and infantry. By this time, the last PIAT had been put out of action and Major Cain was armed with only a light two-inch mortar. However, by a skillful use of this weapon, and his daring leadership of the few men still under his command, he completely demoralized the enemy who, after an engagement lasting more than three hours, withdrew in disorder.
Throughout the whole course of the Battle of Arnhem, Major Cain showed superb gallantry. His powers of endurance and leadership were the admiration of all his fellow officers and stories of his valor were being constantly exchanged amongst the troops. His coolness and courage under incessant fire could not be surpassed.
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