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John Frost
| Major General John Frost, CB, DSO, MC (deceased) John Frost was born in Poona, India, on the 31st of December 1912, the son of General F. D. Frost of the Indian Army. John Frosts family returned to England before the start of the First World War in 1914, in which his father participated, earning the Military Cross and being Mentioned in Despatches on five occasions. John attended school at Wellington before going to Monkton Combe, and on to Sandhurst. In 1932, John Frost was commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), with whom he served in England and Palestine. John Frost held the rank of Captain, and in 1938 transferred to the Iraq Levies, and he was still with them when the Second World War was declared. Frost was awarded the Military Cross for his role in Operation Biting, a raid to dismantle and steal the radar dish or components of the German Wurzburg radar at Bruneval. Frost also participated in Operation Torch during the Allied Landings in North Africa in Tunisia. Lt Col Frost, who was now in command of the 2nd Bn, was tasked to attack enemy airfields near at Depienne 30 miles south of Tunis. On arrival Frost found the airfield abandoned. Frost now found his unit 50 miles behind enemy lines with no sign of the Allied armour which was meant to meet up with them. Heavily outnumbered and continuously attacked on their route out, they managed to fight their way back to the Allied lines but lost 16 officers and 250 men. The battalion carried on fighting with the First Army through to Tunis. In 1943 during Operation Husky, Frost's battalion with the rest of the 1st Para Brigade was landed in Sicily with orders to capture a road bridge called Ponte di Primosole. Frost's last action befopre Arnhem, was in Italy when the entire 1st Airborne Division landed at sea port of Taranto. Frost was one of the first to join the newly formed Parachute regiment and served with distinction in many wartime airborne operations until he was injured and captured at Arnhem. John Frost is best known for being the leader of the small group of airborne forces that actually got to Arnhem bridge. On the 17th of September 1944, as commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, Lt Col Frost led a mixed group of about 745 lightly armed men who landed near the town of Oosterbeek and continued into Arnhem. The battalion reached Arnhem bridge capturing the northern end, but Frost then found that his force was surrounded by the II SS-Panzerkorps who had cut them off from the rest of 1st Airborne. Frost led the incredible four day battle in which the Germans rained artillery fire on to the Para's positions, and sent tanks and infantry into some of the most fierce fighting seen by either side. The Germans were astounded by the Paras refusal to surrender and the Paras continued to counter attack. On the third day a short truce was agreed so that about 250 wounded could be removed before the battle continued. The battle only stopped when the paras had run out of ammunition. At the end of the battle only around one hundred Paras remained. As a result of the action at Arnhem, during which he had been wounded by shrapnel in his feet, Frost became a legendary figure in the Paras and the British Army. After the second World War his army career continued until his retirement in 1968. By the time of his retirement from the army, Frost had attained the rank of major general and in addition to his wartime decorations, had been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath and was made a Grand Offcier of the Sovereign Military order of Malta. In 1978 the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem was renamed the John Frost Bridge in his honour. Major General John Dutton 'Johnny' Frost died on 21 May 1993 aged 80 and is buried at Milland Cemetery, West Sussex. |
Items Signed by Major General John Frost, CB, DSO, MC (deceased) |
  | The Bridge at Arnhem by Alan Fearnley. Price : £115.00 | 2 Para commanded by Colonel Frost repel the German armoured reconnaissance troops led by SS Captain Viktor Graebner of the 9th SS Panzer Division as they attempt to retake the bridge at Arnhem....... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Major General John Frost, CB, DSO, MC (deceased) |
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