Exhausted and with ammunition depleted, Frost ordered the surrender
of the remaining forces. The defence had delayed German operations
for several days, buying crucial time for other Allied units.
Of the 740 men who began the action, barely 100 survived to become
prisoners of war. By the end, the overall casualties totalled nearly 2,000,
of which 456 were never identied. Frost said later:
‘No body of men could have fought more courageously or
tenaciously than the ofcers and men of the 1st Airborne Division
at Arnhem.’
Capture and Liberation
After his capture, Frost was held in a German military hospital to treat his
leg wounds from shrapnel, and was subsequently sent to a Prisoner of
War camp - Oag IX-A/H at Spangenberg Castle, a German prisoner-
of-war camp for ofcers. The camp was housed in a medieval castle,
which initially seemed picturesque but was noted to be difcult to live in,
with limited space and poor lighting. While the conditions were difcult,
they were generally considered to be in line with the provisions of the
Geneva Convention for ofcers.
Prisoners were not required to perform labour, and they found
ways to occupy their time through educational courses, sports
like curling on the frozen moat, and theatrical productions.
Frost kept his spirits up with these sports and theatre while awaiting
liberation, and in March 1945, advancing US troops freed him.
An fellow ofcer later recalled his leadership style:
“He had a very relaxed style of leadership when out of action… But,
in action, he was absolutely on the ball and suddenly became ve
years younger.”
Major-General Roy Urquhart, his divisional commander, wrote of him: