wednesday september 20th 1944

In the morning they both join the men of the Squadron on a patrol towards the railway bridge at the Stationsweg, this time led by by Lieutenant Graham Wadsworth), Trooper Ken Hope Squadron HQ, mentioned in his account both men, but not their names.

"The vehicles were deployed on both side of Joubertweg. Some reversed into alley-ways, the snouts of Vickers K machine guns for cover. Framing the eastern side of the junction was the dense mass of trees which formed Dennenkamp Woods thickly carpeted with bracken and fern. That side of the street was bordered by iron railings. Joubert was lined with substantial, well builded houses. Orders were dispersed and a large foot patrol was detailed. We were joined by two or three gliderspilots".

Hagen mentioned that they were with 2 officers and 10 men of the Recce Squadron, when they run into German troops, the party get scattered and Hagen and Dodd and two Recce men end up in the Dennenkamp woods and the others crossed the road and went back to Squadron HQ. The two of them withdrew towards some houses near the Utrechtseweg-Stationsweg crossroads, were they hide for the Germans in a rubbish dump.We the Germans are gone they find another glider Pilot and together with two Recce men and six others after two hours they were found by a glider pilot patrol. They try to make their way back to Glider Pilot HQ, but first it seems that they went towards house Dennenkamp (townhall), occuppied by the German which was occuppied by German SS troops. In a sence a strange movement as the Hartenstein Divisional HQ  was west of the Dennenkamp, this movement was towards the German Troops. After a skirmish with the SS troops, they made their way back Divisional HQ and their he find some men of his own flight, they spent the night their.

Air photo Hartenstein Hotel area (Collection Ph. Reinders)