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{{other people|John Frost}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= John Frost
|image= John Frost.jpg
|image_size= 175px
|alt=
|caption= John Frost, after having received his MC in 1942, wearing the uniform of his parent regiment, the [[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)]].
|nickname= "Johnny"
|birth_date= {{birth date|1912|12|31|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Poona]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
|death_date= {{death date and age|1993|5|21|1912|12|31|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[West Sussex]], England
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[British Army]]
|serviceyears= 1932–1968
|rank= [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]]
|servicenumber= 53721
|unit= [[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)]] [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]]
|commands= [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]] [[44th Parachute Brigade (V)|44th Parachute Brigade]] [[2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment]]
|battles= [[Second World War]] [[1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine|Arab revolt in Palestine]] [[Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Emergency]] [[Malayan Emergency]]
|awards= [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Distinguished Service Order]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]] [[Military Cross]]
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''John Dutton "Johnny" Frost''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|DSO1|MC|DL}} (31 December 1912 – 21 May 1993) was an [[Airborne forces|airborne]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] of the [[British Army]] best known for being the leader of the small group of British airborne troops that actually arrived at [[Arnhem]] bridge during the [[Battle of Arnhem]] in [[Operation Market Garden]], in [[World War II]]. He was one of the first to join the newly formed [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] and served with distinction in many wartime airborne operations, such as in [[British airborne operations in North Africa|North Africa]] and [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Sicily]] and [[Allied invasion of Italy|Italy]], until his injury and subsequent capture at Arnhem. He retired from the army in 1968 to become a beef cattle farmer in West Sussex.

==Early life and military career==
John Dutton Frost was born in [[Poona]], [[British Raj|British India]], on 31 December 1912. He was the son of [[Frank Dutton Frost]], a [[British Army]] officer, and his wife, Elsie Dora (née Bright). He was educated, initially, at [[Wellington College, Berkshire]], but was transferred to [[Monkton Combe School]], [[Somerset]] in 1929 due to lack of progress. On leaving Monkton he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the [[British Army]]. On graduation from the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]] on 1 September 1932, he was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33860|date=2 September 1932|pages=5622–5623}}</ref> He was promoted on 1 September 1935 to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34195|date=3 September 1935|page=5596}}</ref> Frost served with his regiment's 2nd Battalion, then commanded by [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]] [[Thomas Riddell-Webster]], in the United Kingdom before the battalion, now commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel [[Douglas Graham (British Army officer)|Douglas Graham]], was sent to [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] during the early stages of the [[1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine|Arab revolt]]. From 1938 to 1941 Frost worked with the [[Iraq Levies]], receiving a promotion to captain on 1 September 1940.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34936|date=30 August 1940|page=5329}}</ref>

==Second World War==
===Return to the United Kingdom===
Returning to the United Kingdom in September 1941, Frost initially served with the 10th Battalion, Cameronians, a [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) unit which formed part of the [[45th Brigade (United Kingdom)|45th Brigade]] of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Philip Christison]]'s [[15th (Scottish) Infantry Division]], before later volunteering to join the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] in the same year. He was posted to the [[2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment|2nd Parachute Battalion]], part of [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Richard Gale (British Army officer)|Richard Gale]]'s [[1st Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Parachute Brigade]], itself forming part of the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]], whose [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding]] (GOC) was Major-General [[Frederick Browning]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Operation Biting===
Frost distinguished himself in [[Operation Biting]], a raid to dismantle and steal the radar dish or components of the German [[Würzburg radar]] at [[Bruneval]]. The raid was the second time the fledgling British parachute regiment was called on. C Company under the then Major Frost was given the task and on 27 February 1942, 120 men landed. They met stiff opposition but succeeded in stealing the component as well as capturing a German radar technician. The operation lost three men killed, six wounded and six made [[prisoners of war]]. [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]] applauded the raid and guaranteed further wartime operations for the paratroopers.<ref name="5air">[http://www.5airbornebrigade.org.uk/HomepageHeader.htm Battle of Arnhem] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929205937/http://www.5airbornebrigade.org.uk/HomepageHeader.htm |date=29 September 2006 }}</ref> Frost was awarded the [[Military Cross]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35558|supp=y|pages=2111–2112|date=15 May 1942}}</ref>

===North Africa===
During the [[Operation Torch|Allied landings in North Africa]] British airborne units [[British airborne operations in North Africa|landed in Tunisia]], which included the 1st Para Brigade, which was detached from the rest of the division and now commanded by Brigadier [[Edwin Flavell]]. At this time Frost, who was now an acting lieutenant-colonel and in command of his battalion, was tasked to attack enemy airfields near [[Depienne]] 30 miles south of [[Tunis]]. The airfields were found to be abandoned and the armour column they were supposed to meet up with at [[Oudna]] never arrived, leaving Frost's battalion 50 miles behind enemy lines. Heavily outnumbered and continuously attacked on their route out, they managed to fight their way back to [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] lines but lost 16 officers and 250 men. The battalion carried on fighting with the [[First Army (United Kingdom)|British First Army]] through to Tunis. For this action he was awarded his first [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO) on 11 February 1943.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Sicily and Italy===
In 1943, Frost's battalion, with the rest of the 1st Parachute Brigade, now under Brigadier [[Gerald Lathbury]], was landed in [[Sicily]] during [[Operation Husky]] with orders to capture a road bridge called [[Operation Fustian|Ponte di Primosole]]. The brigade was hopelessly scattered and the 295 officers and men who reached the bridge found themselves facing the German 4th Parachute Regiment and lost the bridge until the arrival of other [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|Eighth Army]] units.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Frost's last action in this theatre was in Italy when the entire 1st Airborne Division, now commanded by Major-General [[Ernest Down]] (but replaced in January 1944 by Major-General [[Roy Urquhart]]) after Major-General [[George F. Hopkinson]] was killed in September 1943, landed at [[Taranto]] by sea.<ref>{{cite book| last = Dover| first = Major Victor| title = The Sky Generals| publisher = Cassell| year = 1981| isbn = 0-304-30480-8|page=83}}</ref>

===Operation Market Garden===
Frost is best known for his involvement in the [[Battle of Arnhem]] during [[Operation Market Garden]]. During this battle, Frost was to spearhead the 1st Airborne Division's assault on the bridge at Arnhem and hold it while the rest of the division made its way there. If all had gone to plan there would have been almost 9,000 men<ref>[http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/order_1st.htm 1st Airborne Division Constitution]</ref> holding Arnhem bridge for the two days it was supposed to take [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] [[Brian Horrocks]]'s [[XXX Corps (United Kingdom)|XXX Corps]] to reach them.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 17 September 1944, as commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, Frost led a mixed group of about 745 lightly armed men who landed near [[Oosterbeek]] and marched into Arnhem.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Biography of John Frost |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The battalion reached the bridge capturing the northern end, but Frost then found that his force was surrounded by the [[II SS Panzer Corps#Normandy - Arnhem|II.SS-Panzerkorps]] and cut off from the rest of 1st Airborne. Frost was in command during the fierce four-day battle that followed, in which the Germans rained artillery fire onto the paratroopers' positions, and sent tanks and infantry into some of the most intense fighting seen by either side, with very little mercy shown. The Germans were greatly surprised by the airborne forces' refusal to surrender and their continuous counterattacks. After a short truce on the third day, when 250 wounded were removed, the battle continued until the remaining paratroopers had run out of ammunition. There were around one hundred paratroopers left.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As a result of this action, during which he was wounded by shrapnel in his feet, Frost became a legendary figure in the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] and the British Army.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<blockquote>In action, Frost was a tough leader whose clear head in battle won the respect of every Paratrooper in the battalion. "He didn't mix his words and seemed to inject confidence in everyone, even if you didn't like what he said. We would have followed him anywhere" said one Para.<ref name="5air"/></blockquote>

Following capture, Frost was held as a [[prisoner of war]] in [[Oflag IX-A/H]] at [[Spangenberg]] castle. He was later moved to a hospital in Obermassfeldt. Frost was liberated when the area was overrun by American troops in March 1945.

On 20 September 1945, he was awarded a [[medal bar|Bar]] to his DSO for his leadership at Arnhem.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37274|supp=y|page=4683|date=20 September 1945}}</ref>

==Later life==
Frost remained in the army after the war, during which time he commanded the 1st Airborne Division's Battle School and returned from Norway with the division, still under Major-General Urquhart, back to the United Kingdom, where it was disbanded. He later returned to the 2nd Parachute Battalion, which still formed part of the 1st Parachute Brigade but was transferred to the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne Division]]. Frost led his old battalion during the [[Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Emergency]] (see [[6th Airborne Division in Palestine]]). While in Palestine he met his future wife, Jean McGregor Lyle, who was there as a welfare worker; they married on 31 December 1947 and had two children, a son and a daughter. Returning to England in late 1946, he attended the [[Staff College, Camberley]], and, after graduating, became a [[Staff (military)|General Staff Officer Grade 2]] (GSO2) with the [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]], a TA formation, before serving as a GSO1 with the [[17th Gurkha Division]] during the [[Malayan Emergency]]. Returning to the United Kingdom, he was, from 1955 to 1957, in command of the Support Weapons Wing of the School of Infantry. He then commanded the [[44th Parachute Brigade (V)|44th Parachute Brigade]], another TA formation, composed of part-time soldiers, before receiving promotion to temporary major-general on 11 October 1961,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42482|date=6 October 1961|page=7281}}</ref> and returning to the 52nd Division, this time as its GOC, a post he would hold for nearly three years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By the time of his retirement from the army in 1968, Frost had attained the permanent rank of major-general and in addition to his wartime decorations, had been appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[1964 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43200|date=31 December 1963|page=3|supp=y}}</ref>

In 1982, Frost was appointed a [[Deputy Lieutenant]] in the County of [[West Sussex]] where he had taken up beef cattle farming on retirement.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49151|date=26 October 1982|page=13923}}</ref> He was the subject of an episode of the television programme ''[[This Is Your Life (UK TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on 6 April 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LnTedIcZXM|title=This is Your Life (Johnny Frost)|date=6 April 1977|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref>

Frost died on 21 May 1993 at the age of 80. He was buried at [[Milland]] Cemetery, in West Sussex.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629205605/http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/john_frost.htm |archive-date=29 June 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Biographies, memorials and depiction in the media==
[[File:John Frost Brug (Arnhem) 01.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The John Frost Bridge, as seen from the memorial.]]
In 1945, the British [[Army Film and Photographic Unit]] (AFPU) and [[J. Arthur Rank Organisation]] initiated production on a [[documentary]] feature film, under the title ''[[Theirs is the Glory]]'', about Operation Biting/the Battle of Arnhem, directed by [[Brian Desmond Hurst]]. The film included [[docufiction|fictionalised recreations]] of events from the battle. John Frost was among 120 Arnhem veterans who played themselves in many scenes.<ref name="Middlebrook, p446">Middlebrook, p.446</ref>

In 1974, Frost's role at Arnhem featured prominently in [[Cornelius Ryan]]'s best-selling non-fictional book ''[[A Bridge Too Far (book)|A Bridge Too Far]]''. In 1976, Frost acted as a military consultant to [[Richard Attenborough]]'s [[A Bridge Too Far (film)|film adaptation of Ryan's book]]. In the film Frost was portrayed by [[Anthony Hopkins]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075784/|title=A Bridge Too Far|publisher=IMDB|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref>

The bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem was renamed [[John Frost Bridge|''John Frostbrug'']] ("John Frost Bridge") in his honour in 1978, despite Frost's reported reluctance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://structurae.net/en/structures/john-frostbrug|title=John Frostbrug|publisher=Structurae|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref>

==Other works==
*1980: ''A Drop Too Many'' – autobiography (part 1)
*1983: ''2 PARA Falklands: The Battalion At War''
*1991: ''Nearly There'' – autobiography (part 2)

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite ODNB|first=Philip|last=Warner|title=Frost, John Dutton (1912–1993)|date=September 2004|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/52059|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/52059|accessdate=5 November 2008}}

==External links==
*[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/1AirbDiv_officersF.htm#Frost_JD 1st British Airborne Division officers]
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80004390 Imperial War Museum Interview from 1979]
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80009827 Imperial War Museum Interview from 1987]
*[http://www.bigredbook.info/john_frost.html John Frost's appearance on This Is Your Life]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Macdonald (British Army officer, born 1907)|John Macdonald]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|GOC 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]]|years=1961–1964}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Henry Leask]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frost, John}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army generals]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Malayan Emergency]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Palestine Emergency]]
[[Category:British Parachute Regiment officers]]
[[Category:British World War II prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Cameronians officers]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Deputy Lieutenants of West Sussex]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:People educated at Monkton Combe School]]
[[Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire]]
[[Category:People from Pune]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]]

John Frost (British Army officer) - Revision history

>TenthEagle: /* Operation Biting */ made consistant with the main article on Operation Biting