 The first element of the British 6th Airborne Division to land was the 8th Parachute Battalion , part of the 3rd Parachute Brigade under Brigadier James Hill . The brigade actually dropped nine minutes earlier than scheduled , but successfully landed in drop zone A , while facing significant small @-@ arms and 20 mm anti @-@ aircraft fire . The brigade suffered a number of casualties as it engaged the German forces in the Diersfordter Wald , but by 11 : 00 hours the drop zone was all but completely clear of enemy forces and all battalions of the brigade had formed up . The key place of Schnappenberg was captured by the 9th Parachute Battalion in conjunction with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion , the latter unit having lost its commanding officer , Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Nicklin , to German small @-@ arms fire only moments after he had landed . Despite taking casualties the brigade cleared the area of German forces , and by 13 : 45 Brigadier Hill could report that the brigade had secured all of its objectives . Canadian medical orderly Corporal Frederick George Topham was awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts to recover casualties and take them for treatment , despite his own wounds , and great personal danger . 
