Tuesday, 18 August 2026

“It Never Snows in September”


At long last! Been after this for an age and I expect it to be really handy when I revisit the campaign again - it will certainly help to correctly identify some of the units used in the Memoir 44 scenario pack for Operation Market Garden.

At long last I have managed to acquire a copy of Robert J. Kershaw’s outstanding book on Operation Market Garden from the German perspective: It Never Snows in September. I have owned a copy of this that was in pretty poor shape and so was keen to replace it with a decent hardback version. Needless to say, copies of this vintage seemed to be getting progressively more expensive so I was fortunate to land this for a little over a tenner.

There is a heap of really useful information in this book, particularly around orders of battle given the somewhat understandably chaotic nature of German organisation at the time. 

Years ago, clutching a copy of Victory Games ‘Hells Highway’ and Frank Chadwick’s Command Decision, the late Mick Vince, Steve Letch and myself fought through the early stages of the campaign and Kershaw’s book was invaluable for the German side. On that particular campaign the Allies were successful! 

It would be good to revisit it as the last time I fought it was in 2013!

6 comments:

  1. It's a great book isn't it David. Giving you the view from the 'other side of the hill'.

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    1. Hello there Nundanket,

      Really pleased to have finally gotten a copy that will not fall apart! A very useful title indeed.

      All the best,

      DC

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  2. It is an excellent book and a great resource, it goes a long way towards addressing some of the oddities in the Hells Highway OOB, although I suspect some (like the mysterious German tank company in Arnhem ) where introduced for play balance.

    The old Command Decision 'Market Garden' scenario book is also excellent if you can track it down.

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    1. Hi Martin,

      I remember my old gaming friend Steve Letch made extensive use of the orbats when re refought the campaign in the early 1980s. I did not know there was a Market Garden scenario book for CD so I shall certainly look out for a copy.

      All the best,

      DC

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  3. Unfortunately the CD scenario books seem increasingly hard to find as many are OOP now. The other one I'd strongly recommend is "Benghazi Handicap" covering the desert war from Operation Compass to Crusader, and I think a new printing of that appeared relatively recently.

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    1. Hi Martin,

      I will keep looking and thanks for the heads up re the Desert War version - I think that one also passed me by!

      All the best,

      DC

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