landing beaches was formed and the wounded were evacuated to England. Later that afternoon the seaborne party arrived, reinforcing the MDS staff. In the evening the MDS, which had been under mortar fire, received a direct hit and one of the surgical teams was moved into the buildings basement. Throughout the day they treated 163 wounded and performed eleven operations. On 9 June the MDS was still under intermittent mortar fire but managed to treat 156 wounded and perform eleven operations. By now a blood bank had been established for the British forces at Le Deliverande but supplies were still short and volunteers were asked to donate blood. One volunteer was a captured German non-commissioned officer medical orderly, who not only gave blood but assisted at the MDS. For his conduct during this time the second in command Major Young wrote out a citation for the Iron Cross, which was passed to the German authorities. From 18 June an exhaustion ward was set up at the MDS; men identified as suffering were sedated for forty-eight hours and then returned to their units. By the end of June the 195th had admitted 1,687 men to the MDS and performed 127 operations. On 19 August the 6th Airborne Division crossed the River Dives and advanced north along the coast of France. In the advance No. 2 Section was attached to the 2nd Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, while No. 3 Section was attached to the 12th Devonshire Regiment and later the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles. The MDS at first remained where it was and casualties were evacuated from the front line back to the MDS by Jeep. The following day it was moved across the River Dives to the Château de Villers, and on 26 August to the Manor de la Pommeraye. The division was withdrawn to England in September 1944; during the advance, the 195th had treated 332 casualties, performing nineteen operations. Germany In England the 195th were refitted and reformed then in December sent back to Europe in response to the surprise German offensive in the Ardennes, arriving at Calais on 24 December. The division remained on the continent carrying out patrols until February when once again they were withdrawn to England. The second airborne crossing of the River Rhine, Operation Varsity took place on 24 March 1945. Involved were the British 6th and the American 17th Airborne Division. With