)
|
|
60 Years Operation Market Garden
Words and photography Michael van der Mee
Operation Market-Garden, which nearly finished the second World War took place in September 1944. The biggest airborn operation in the history formed the first phase: the 101st US Airborne Division landed near Eindhoven on the 17th September 1944, the 82nd near Nijmegen and the British 1st Airborne Division near Arnhem.
On that day the British Guards Armoured Division broke through to Valkenswaard and reached Nijmegen in the afternoon of the 19th, where the Americans took strong positions, although they did not got the chance to break the German defence at the bridges. In this they succeeded in an audacious combined operation on Wednesday 20th September. In the afternoon, with clear weather, American paratroops crossed the river Waal in canvas boats west of the city. In the early evening, the tanks of the Grenadier Guards forced the entrances to the huge bridge. That evening the distance to the brave men of Arnhem was only 6 miles.
The fierce resistance of the Germans, amongst the 10th SS Division "Freundsberg", prevented a fast break through. On the 26th of September the remains of the badly battered British Division were withdrawn over the Lower-Rhine river. Indeed a large part of Holland was liberated; Monty's plan however was not realised. Nijmegen would remain a front line city for seven months...
On September 18th and 19th 2004 the last big commemoration took place. After 60 years most of the veterans are too old or past away, so one last big event was organized to honour them. With contribution from the UK, US, the Netherlands and, for the first time the Czech Republic and Poland, various para-droppings were made over the former combat area. The biggest dropping took place at the Ginkelse Heide near Arnhem where even some veterans made a solo or tandem jump after 60 years!
Especially for the Polish it was a memorable first time that they joined the commemorations as the role of the Polish forces in the operation was allways surrounded with a lot of controversy. But now we all know that putting the blame of the complete failure of the operation on the Polish Brigade by Field Marshall Sir Montgomery was not justified and more based on the personal relationship between him and the Polish General -Major Sozabowski then on facts. Time to put that behind after 60 years and pay tribute the Polish veterans and restore their honour!
|
)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
)