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The untold story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to Berchtesgaden #2
Deliver Us From Darkness: The Untold Story of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment during Market Garden
Ian Gardner, co-author of Tonight We Die as Men , is back with the second installment of the exploits of the 3/506 in WWII. Drawing on years of research and more than seventy extended interviews with veterans and civilians caught up in the fighting, Deliver Us from Darkness begins where the earlier book ended, with the troops taking R&R back in England after weeks of grueling fighting in Normandy.
Deliver Us from Darkness explains how, with little notice on Sept 17, 1944, the 101st Airborne Division parachuted into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Their mission was to secure the main highway that passed through the city of Eindhoven and facilitate the advance of Gen. Sir Miles Dempsey's Second British Army towards Arnhem. The soldiers had been lead to believe that after the capture of Eindhoven their mission would be over. In the end, however, it was only the beginning of a bloody 72-day campaign that would see no quarter given by either side.
Thousands of heavily armed enemy troops trapped behind Allied lines were reorganized into temporary fighting groups and sent on the offensive. Supported by Tiger tanks and self propelled artillery, the German army began an audacious series of counter attacks along the road to Nijmegen that became known as ‘Hell’s Highway.’ Over the next two weeks the 506th was constantly called upon to defend the transport hubs north of Eindhoven at Sint Oedenrode, Veghel and Uden suffering horrendous casualties. The mission in Holland would be one that the men would never forget. Many felt that their lives had been misused and wasted—Normandy had been bad enough, but this time the members of 3/506 had been through hell.
Deliver Us from Darkness explains how, with little notice on Sept 17, 1944, the 101st Airborne Division parachuted into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Their mission was to secure the main highway that passed through the city of Eindhoven and facilitate the advance of Gen. Sir Miles Dempsey's Second British Army towards Arnhem. The soldiers had been lead to believe that after the capture of Eindhoven their mission would be over. In the end, however, it was only the beginning of a bloody 72-day campaign that would see no quarter given by either side.
Thousands of heavily armed enemy troops trapped behind Allied lines were reorganized into temporary fighting groups and sent on the offensive. Supported by Tiger tanks and self propelled artillery, the German army began an audacious series of counter attacks along the road to Nijmegen that became known as ‘Hell’s Highway.’ Over the next two weeks the 506th was constantly called upon to defend the transport hubs north of Eindhoven at Sint Oedenrode, Veghel and Uden suffering horrendous casualties. The mission in Holland would be one that the men would never forget. Many felt that their lives had been misused and wasted—Normandy had been bad enough, but this time the members of 3/506 had been through hell.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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300 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 14, 2018
Well researched and very detailed. Dozens of great photos included. Looking forward to getting book 3.
February 11, 2014
I read this book because my wife's parents lived through and experienced Market Garden as children, and my wife grew up in that same area of the Netherlands (years later). I have also read another book by Ian Gardner which was quite good. The book for the most part is an interesting read about the liberation of the Netherlands during WWII. I found the constant switching of viewpoints in the narrative made it rather difficult to follow. Perhaps reading the book in a single sitting would make for a more coherent read, but other than that difficulty the book is carefully researched and an informative read.
December 24, 2014
Excellent book. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the activities of paratroopers during WW2. There are a lot of photographs and maps augmenting the text. Well worth the read.
October 13, 2017
Incredibly detailed account of the actions of 3rd Battalion 506th PIR, a good chunk of HQ Company, a smidge of the famous Easy Company of 2nd Battalion (as Lt. Ed Shames from HQ 3rd Bat had been recently transferred there), and also smatterings of Dutch resistance and British and Canadian Forces during Operation Market Garden and the later defense of The Island in The Netherlands.
It becomes a bit of a slog at times, getting into the minutiae of every units' movements, but I love stuff like this.
The biggest problem is that the Kindle edition lacks the maps than I think may be in the dead tree edition? The first book in this series contained about 3 times the number of photos as well as a series of detailed maps. I think I will have to get the dead tree versions of this series, as I find the maps are essential.
There are also little annoying things (possibly only in the Kindle edition), like the use of "passed" when "past" should be used, and various editing oversights, most towards the end of the book.
It becomes a bit of a slog at times, getting into the minutiae of every units' movements, but I love stuff like this.
The biggest problem is that the Kindle edition lacks the maps than I think may be in the dead tree edition? The first book in this series contained about 3 times the number of photos as well as a series of detailed maps. I think I will have to get the dead tree versions of this series, as I find the maps are essential.
There are also little annoying things (possibly only in the Kindle edition), like the use of "passed" when "past" should be used, and various editing oversights, most towards the end of the book.
October 23, 2019
Gardner's continuing story of the 3rd Battalion 506 Parachute Regiment is even better than Tonight We Die as Men. This is the story of the 506's part in Operation Market Garden, which was much more than just Arnhem, and the incredibly hard fighting the US paratroopers endured in what was supposed to be a walk in the park against an all but defeated enemy. Gardner provides space for the courageous Dutch civilians who risked everything to help their liberators, and reminds us of the fluidity and ambiguity of modern warfare, and of course its capriciousness when it came to who made it out alive. A riveting and essential book. 10/10
February 6, 2019
Military history can be a difficult subject to write. All too often, these books are dry and don't necessarily engage the reader. Gardner's books, however, are presented in such a way that it is easy to read and understand, and the reader is absorbed in the history of these men.
March 13, 2020
At first I had to get used to the way of writing, which is very in depth, I tried to keep up with the many names and platoon/division callings but in the end it doesn't matter.
I learned a great deal from this book, the whole book spans a very short time so the amount of detail is astonishing!
I learned a great deal from this book, the whole book spans a very short time so the amount of detail is astonishing!
April 24, 2020
Fact
I have given five star because I found that once I got into reading I could not put the book down.
I have given five star because I found that once I got into reading I could not put the book down.
September 6, 2021
Much anticipated at the time: read it in three days. The 506th's soul and backbone exposed in this epic book.
February 16, 2015
Deliver us from Darkness is the verbal accounts of Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment veterans and Dutch civilians who witnessed or supported Operation Market Garden. The book serves as a sequel to Tonight we die as Men which detailed the battalion combat role on D-Day and afterwards.
The Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment formed a part of 101st Airborne Division, which became famous as the “Screaming Eagles.” That division participated in D-Day, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. Third battalion’s personnel came from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations in the United States of America. Their diversity reflected the nation that went to war against the Axis powers.
The author own experiences as a peacetime reservists in the British Army 10th parachute battalion would allow him to relate to some of the experiences of the veterans he interviewed. Ian Gardner knows what it’s like to parachute at night with a heavy load strapped to your back, he didn’t have to ask anyone what that felt like. In a way it would be like me trying to describe what a violent earthquake feels like. Unless someone has experienced a large quake words can only describe what happens from my perception
The last word on historical events the book documents falls to Private James Martin whose summary appears in the last page of the book. I believe that Martin is worth quoting in full because he encapsulates the debate that have waged amongst historians concerning the conceptual merits of Operation Market Garden.
“All the airborne troops did a magnificent job throughout Market Garden. The Problem IMO was not Dempsey it was General Montgomery for not moving the troops up the highway quickly enough. They said it was a “A Bridge Too Far” but I refute that. The British paratroopers had a long ride over and were dropped about six miles from there and objective and therefore lost the element of surprise."
The Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment formed a part of 101st Airborne Division, which became famous as the “Screaming Eagles.” That division participated in D-Day, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. Third battalion’s personnel came from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations in the United States of America. Their diversity reflected the nation that went to war against the Axis powers.
The author own experiences as a peacetime reservists in the British Army 10th parachute battalion would allow him to relate to some of the experiences of the veterans he interviewed. Ian Gardner knows what it’s like to parachute at night with a heavy load strapped to your back, he didn’t have to ask anyone what that felt like. In a way it would be like me trying to describe what a violent earthquake feels like. Unless someone has experienced a large quake words can only describe what happens from my perception
The last word on historical events the book documents falls to Private James Martin whose summary appears in the last page of the book. I believe that Martin is worth quoting in full because he encapsulates the debate that have waged amongst historians concerning the conceptual merits of Operation Market Garden.
“All the airborne troops did a magnificent job throughout Market Garden. The Problem IMO was not Dempsey it was General Montgomery for not moving the troops up the highway quickly enough. They said it was a “A Bridge Too Far” but I refute that. The British paratroopers had a long ride over and were dropped about six miles from there and objective and therefore lost the element of surprise."
October 14, 2014
The day-to-day and sometimes minute-by-minute actions of the Third Battalion of the 506th during operation Market-Garden form the core of this book, but it ranges considerably wider. For example a full chapter is devoted to the Dutch under Nazi rule -- a subject that itself would take a full book to do justice to. I can only rate it three stars because the writing is somewhat unfocused and jolts from subject to subject (cobblestone writing). However the events themselves are quite dramatic and carried me through the book. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about one of the more important operations of World War 2.
March 4, 2024
Generally a boring book to read as it feels like a documentary in book form. However, it gave me more information on how difficult Operation Market Garden was to implement. The book showed how life was harsh for the soldiers and civilians in the area of Eindhoven. To understand Operation Market Garden better, the movie, A Bridge Too Far, is an excellent rendition of this battle.
May 22, 2012
Decent history of 3rd Battalion of 506th PIR of the 101st Division. Drier in tone than The Band of Brothers series with multiple viewpoints that made the story less coherent. Good bibliography.
November 24, 2013
It's nice to pick up a WWII history again that's not just well researched but well written too. I think the hidden gem in this book are several of the photos included from the battle I have never seen before. I'm only sorry it took me this long to discover this author.
February 20, 2014
I didn't know anything about the 101st during operation Market Garden. This gave a fairly detailed look. It would have helped if the context in the larger operation had been explained. You'll have to go elsewhere to see if we won.
February 11, 2016
World war two story of combat and courage.
Many details fill this book and it is worth reading.The sacrifices made by all involved in the fighting in Holland is a reminder of the courage and fortitude of " the greatest generation", during world war two.
Many details fill this book and it is worth reading.The sacrifices made by all involved in the fighting in Holland is a reminder of the courage and fortitude of " the greatest generation", during world war two.
August 11, 2015
This is a very good book and I would have given it 5 stars but I am reading September Hope: The American Side Of A Bridge Too Far by John C. McManus and it is even better.
February 26, 2014
Interesting stories, great level of detail, but bounced all over the place and was hard to follow. A few maps or a common thread would've made this much more readable.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews