Whilst the rail and road bridges had been captured intact, life became very uncomfortable - the Gerry using all means to destroy them with shelling, frogmen and later by the mini-subs. A third bridge was set up by our own engineers, using barges. In late September the Gerrys managed to get a frogman through, using mines. On one such attack they managed to blow a hole through the road bridge leaving a gap of about 80 feet. They also damaged the rail and barge bridges in December, by floating mines down the river.

It was at this point Sergeant Hibbard and his platoon was to move into a large 'Dutch Bunker', built in 1936, to defend these bridges. This was late December 1944 until 28th January 1945. His patrol was fitted out with snow suits. They marched from Bemmel, along the banks of the flood dykes, in a blizzard. His first duty was to build a dugout some 200 yards in front of the bunker. With the weather so bad, he only allowed his men to be on look-out for 1 hour guards. His duties were to intercept the Gerry patrols who were escorting frogmen - to slip into the water to blow holes through the booms that had been laid across the river.

On the afternoon of 12th January 1945, he was called forward by the dugout to sentries. They had spotted, about 100 yards upstream on the opposite bank, some Gerrys preparing to put two mini-subs into the water. Sgt Hibbard reported this to Captain Jake Forman of the Canadian Glengarry Highlanders who, in turn, contacted his C/O – Lieutenant Colonel Roger Rowley - telling him he had ordered two anti-tank guns. They then opened up with armour-piercing shells, followed by high explosives and the rest is history. There was a brief, but noteworthy conversation between the two officers - the C/O asked Captain Forman if he needed the help of the heavy field artillery. His reply was: "And let them steal my thunder?!" [Captain Forman’s men went on to successfully destroy the Submarines, on their own, without the help of heavy field artillery.]