John Frost

John Dutton " Johnny" Frost , born on December 31st 1912 with Pune in India; deceased on May 21st 1993, was a British general and officer of the air force become famous at the time of the Opération Market Garden with the Netherlands in 1944.

Before the Second world war

Frost passed its youth in India until he moves in 1914 with the the United Kingdom with his parents. His/her father took part in the First World War in France where it obtained the Military Cross. Then his/her father was transferred in Mésopotamie, which has made turn over John Frost in India with the remainder of its family. It learned the Arab language there. In 1921, it turned over to the the United Kingdom and attended there the military academy of Sandhurst. In 1938, it was stationed in Iraq until the beginning of the Second world war.

Second world war

The ministry for British defense required of him of the beginning of the war if he wanted to belong to the new unit SAS (Special Air Service). In spite of the fact that it did not know whereas hardly what was SAS, it accepted and fought with this unit in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. It was also distinguished at the time of the Opération Biting, a surprised attack of a German radar close to Bruneval, on the French coast , the first mission important of the British parachutists during which it ordered as a " Major" (commander) the company C of the 2nd battalion of the regiment of parachutists.

During the Operation Market Garden, for the Netherlands, it was used as lieutenant-colonel in the 1 {{British Re}} airborne division. As a commander of the 2nd British battalion of parachutists, it had under its orders 740 slightly armed men who had the role of taking the bridge on the the Rhine with Arnhem and to hold it until the arrival by the south of the tanks of the 30e British body. After the landing successful on September 17th 1944 close to Wolfheeze to approximately 10 km in the North-West of the bridge, Frost and its men went on Arnhem without awaiting reinforcements. As the British expected only one low enemy resistance, they were surprised by the power of combat of the German units. The battalion succeeds in going main on the northern side of the bridge and defending it during a certain time. During this action the comrade and assistant of Frost, Major Wallis, were killed by error under friendly fire. Frost replaced it by Allison D. Tatham-Warter. Frost and its men were overflowed and made captive by the German units after four days of combat. He was imprisoned in Germany as a prisoner of war, initially with Spangenberg close to Kassel, then in a hospital with Obermassfeldt. He was released in March 1945 when the area was taken by the American troops.

Post-war period

Frost became acquainted with Jean MacGregor Lyle, a woman who supplied the 1st Airborne Division with the, in the Middle East. They married the day of the 35e birthday of Frost on December 31st 1947. They had a son and a girl. When Frost left the army in 1968 it had the rank of " Major-general" (major general) and had obtained the following distinctions: Order off the Bath, Distinguished Service Cross-country race and the Military Cross-country race.

In the Seventies it withdrew, with his wife, in a farm with Liphook, Hampshire, to raise cattle there. At the beginning the farm was in bad condition but John and Jean restored it and managed well. Frost launched out in the local policy and became in 1982 governor-assistant of Sussex of the West.

Its role during the Opération Market Garden was reported in the Best-seller of Cornelius Ryan a Bridge Too Far which was carried to the screen. Its role was held in film by Anthony Hopkins. Frost visited the turning of film in 1976 for which it has work as military adviser for the scenes which related to Arnhem. Frost also regularly visited the Mémorial of the combat of Arnhem to Oosterbeek. It is here that one can see today his Hunting horn which was used to him to gather its men. In its honor, the bridge of Arnhem was renamed " Bridge John Frost" 16 September 1978. Frost itself wrote its lived with Arnhem in the book has Drop Too Many which was published in 1978. He is also the author in 1983 of 2 Falklands PARA: The Battalion At War , a critical book on the Battle of Wireless Ridge during the War of the Falklands and which caused much anger in the upper floors of the British army. Its autobiography with the name of Nearly There was published in 1991.

John Dutton Frost is deceased on May 21st 1993.

Works

John Frost: has Drop Too Many , Leo Cooper, 1978, ISBN 0850523915
John Frost: 2 Falklands PARA: The Battalion At War , 1983
John Frost: Nearly There , Leo Cooper, 1991, ISBN 0850522323

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