On the night of 30 October, Sims and four volunteers crossed the Rhine at Renkum. The five men slipped through the German positions. They emerged at Planken Wambuis and, walking in the direction of Ede, arrived at the house of forester Ruiter at no. 75 (Verlengde) Arnhemseweg. A red cross painted on the front door indicated medical supplies and that the resident had first aid skills.
However, the residents had been forced to evacuate the house because this area was a German prohibited zone. Sergeant-Major Frank and Private Nicolai entered the building, where they discovered two sleeping German officers and immediately took them prisoner. Sims set up the house as an observation post. They installed the radio they had brought with them in the attic and Sims reported to headquarters that they now had two prisoners of war.
A passing German postman stopped to ask for water and became the third German prisoner of war. Another German watering his horses by the house became number four. Sergeant-Major Frank questioned them and passed on the obtained information to the American headquarters. In the course of the afternoon another two Germans were captured, bringing the total up to six prisoners of war.
Sims aimed to use a truck for their return journey. Around 8pm, the Americans forced a German truck to stop: thirteen SS soldiers and the driver surrendered, and so the Americans set off with 21 prisoners in the truck.
On the road, they were overtaken by an SS officer in an amphibious Volkswagen. He too joined the party in the back of the truck. But seven kilometres from the Rhine, the truck became stuck on a sand road. And so they continued on foot through the German lines towards Renkum. After crossing the Rhine dike, they surprised four Germans at a guard post, then captured another six Germans from two other posts along the river.
Sims flashed the agreed light signal to the other bank, after which boats crossed from the south bank to ferry the patrol back to liberated territory. The boats had to shuttle back and forth eleven times to bring everyone over. On his return Sims called General Higgins on the phone: “Lieutenant Sims reporting back with 32 prisoners of war, General.” Higgins: “How many?” “Thirty-two, Sir.” “Incredible!”
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