Roy Urquhart

We now go back to 0430 on Monday and to the 3rd Parachute Battalion.

Part 4 left Lieutenant-Colonel John Fitch's battalion halted at the Hotel Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, with Brigadier Lathbury and Major-General Urquhart both inside it.

Fitch consults Lathbury and Urquhart and moves his battalion towards the bridge at about 0430.

He runs his battalion with his brigade and divisional commanders at his shoulder.

He believes the road ahead is heavily defended and wants to avoid a direct confrontation.

Urquhart permits him to abandon the Tiger route and sideslip south onto the Riverside Lion route which the 2nd Parachute Battalion used the previous evening.

Urquhart has been absent from his headquarters and out of touch with it for over 12 hours.

He stays with the battalion as it resumes the advance.