The next phase of our trip focussed on the Market Garden campaign. The main planning tool for this was the very detailed guide by Major &Mrs Holt. Although updated we found it slightly out of date in certain places.
The map however is excellent giving a mass of information, I had of course read and listened to several books on the Operation.
Our intention wasn’t to follow the guide in detail but to make our own way along the route which XXX Corps took. We actually spent three days covering this section, mixing our time between driving along the route, visiting key locations, museums, cafes and some occasional swimming
We started in Leopoldsburg this is the tradition start of the operation marked by the Sherman outside the railway station.
Although the cinema has been knocked down and replaced by a nasty new block of flats a nice plaque marks the location where General Horrocks briefed the officers of XXX Corps.
We then visited the very large German War Cementry near Lommel a very moving place like so many. The crosses actually have two names on each one.
The traditional start line for XXX Corps is now known as Joes Bridge over the Herentals Canal, this had been captured by the British with a small bridgehead before the start of the operation on the 17th September 1944. We then followed the route north through Valkenswaard where the tanks started to get attacked it is an obvious pinch point as a small town on the road. We instead were hit by dreadful diversion which our Satnav struggled with this had us laughing as we were falling behind schedule just like XXX Corps.
We had a nice walk during the evening through Eindhoven which has lots of character. The shot above taken as the British tanks moved north
Despite the road works you can still recognise many of the the buildings especially the one on the left, the view of the cathedral blocked now by the horrid block of flats !
Our first museum on the route was the Wings of Liberation Museum between Best and Son, a great collection focussing on WW2 and still growing, plenty about Market Garden
One of the few savaged parts of an allied glider
Halls full of period stuff much of it with a specific history linked into the Market Garden campaign
As well as German kit they have some more modern Russian vehicles
I had to take these two shots as the entrance building to the museum has been set up as a massive miniatures museum, mainly dioramas but some figures as well, I assume although couldn’t confirm that the collection was linked to the setting up of the museum
I remember having a number of these myself back in the day 🙂
Next stop the location for the Son Bailey bridge, famously a key part in the Bridge Too far Film, the stone marks the location the bridge is a modern replacement
This shows the width of the Wilhelmina Canal at this point.
The route then winds NE through Veghel and Uden to the Bridge at Grave over the river Maas captured early on 17th September 1944 by the 82nd Airbourne. The bummer is a Dutch construction hurriedly built in 1936 I think to start to build a stronger defence line in case of German attack !
The Grave bridge was captured relatively easily and remained intact. It is still an impressive structure.
The National Liberation Museum in Nijmegen was the next stop. It is actuall built on the Groesbeek Heights an area which saw much fighting with German assaults from the East. It is focussed on wider Dutch liberation during WW2 they have displays in the car park from the current conflict in Ukraine !
The museum has some really interesting stuff and some excellent audio visual displays about Market Garden
We were actually staying on one of the 82nd Drop zones just south of Nijmegen, our next main stop at the bridges across the Waal. This memorial marks the place of the boat crossing by the 504th PIR immortalised during the film, interestingly it is hard to visual the situation as the river layout has changed a bit since 1944. In the distance you can see the railway bridge, they had quite a long way to cover to beget to the main bridge from here. XXX Corps tanks were lined up on the far bank to protect the crossing.
and beyond that the Nijmegen bridge itself, still the original as the German chose or failed to blow it up depending on which version of history you believe.
We bumped into some op earlier history in our travels
The crossing has always been an important place
Then of course to Arnhem. The Hartenstein Airborne museum
Really lovely museum, masses of detail and authentic displays. I think if you only did one museum on the route this should be the one. Of course where the recent Lardy Arnhem games were played last year. Some great visual display
Plenty of interesting weapons
But also a lot of stories about the individuals who took part in the battle.
German as well as British and Polish
Perhaps the one highlight piece in the whole museum, hopefully everybody knows what this is
From the museum you can walk a short guided route around the Oosterbeek perimeter which was held by the dwindling British forces. Hard in places to understand the details unless you really have several days to spend. Their are various markers at key locations. This one marks the location where the Polish reserve were brought across the river
Oosterbeek Church the scene of much fighting.
Lots of buildings have been replaced but some remain, the Tafelberg was used as a hospital during the battle. Walking this section you do get a real sense of how close the opposing forces were in places the two sides were not much more than 30 metres
The airbourne memorial put up by the residents of Oosterbeek shortly after the war. The photo is take from the location of the British dug in in front of the Hartenstein, the Germans were just beyond those houses in the distance !
A bridge too far the replaced Arnhem bridge, although it looks quite similar, (we bombed the original shortly after Market Garden)
Arnhem itself was pretty much flattened during and after the battles of Market Garden so it isn’t a particularly interesting town full of only modern buildings. The church is one of the few remaining but it has been almost completely rebuilt. This plaque on the most horrid concrete building marks the location of Frosts command post during the terrible fight for the Bridge.
On our way out of Arnhem we visited a couple of the drop zones out to the west. This is where 4th Para landed on the 18th with Brigadier Hackett.
A splendid memorial at the site, which give a real feel of the location as they haven’t really changed at all. Perfect landing zones for an air drop…..but of course much too far a way from the objective.
Despite this being a long post I have only skimmed the surface of the museums, and there are places I would still like to visits so perhaps one day I will return.
Thanks for getting this far…….you have made it half way through the holiday at least.
Next post perhaps a battle report to break things up
Matt
