South Staffordshire Regiment, his mission was to hold a key sector
near the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Oosterbeek. Unbeknownst to
the Allied planners, two SS Panzer divisions were present in the
area, turning the expected swift operation into a desperate siege.
On the 19th of September, his company found itself completely cut
off from the rest of the British 1st Airborne Division, surrounded
by superior German forces equipped with tanks, self-propelled
guns, and infantry. The situation was dire, and the Germans were
making repeated, concerted attempts to overrun the British position.
Cain’s actions on September 21st became the centerpiece of his
Victoria Cross citation. After a German StuG III self-propelled gun
approached his company’s position, he went out alone, armed with
only a PIAT. Lying in a trench, he waited until the vehicle was just
20 yards away before ring. The StuG returned re, its machine-gun
rounds and the resulting debris from a nearby building wounding
Cain and temporarily blinding him. Despite this, he continued to
re his PIAT until he had scored several direct hits, immobilizing
the vehicle. He then directed a 75mm howitzer to nish it off.
The next morning, he drove off three more German tanks using his
PIAT, on each occasion leaving the relative safety of cover to engage
the enemy from open ground. Over the following days, he was
constantly on the move, inspiring his men and directing the defense.
He sustained multiple wounds, including a perforated eardrum
that severely impaired his hearing, but he refused rest or medical
attention, famously bandaging his own ears and continuing to ght.
On September 25th, the Germans launched a major attack with self-
propelled guns, amethrowers, and infantry. By this point, all the PIATs
in his company were out of action. Armed with only a light 2-inch
mortar, Cain skillfully used the weapon to engage the enemy. His daring
leadership of the few men still under his command demoralized the
German attack, which, after an engagement lasting more than three
hours, withdrew in disorder.