Reloader
17-09-06, 21:39
In remembrance of all who took part in Operation 'Market Garden' and the courageous population of The Netherlands who suffered so much in aiding them, both during and after the failure of the operation. sal;
On September 17th, 1944, the airborne landings ('Operation Market') started, to provide a 'carpet' of airborne troops who would sieze strategic bridges over the rivers Waal and Lower Rhine. It was to be the biggest airborne operation in history.
At the same time, XXX Corps ground troops would begin their northward push ('Operation Garden') from the Belgian-Dutch border, along a single axis of advance known as 'Club Route', to link up with the airborne soldiers at each of their objectives.
The operation was to culminate in siezing the town of Arnhem and the country to the north of there as far as the Ijsselmeer, thereby cutting off all German troops in the West of Holland. Thereafter, Allied armies would swing east into the Ruhr industrial region of Germany with a view to disrupting the enemy's war production and shortening the war itself.
The American 101st Airborne Division, "Screaming Eagles" landed between Son and Veghel, while the American 82nd Airborne Division "All American" landed on the Groesbeek Heights near Grave and Nijmegen. The British 1st Airborne Division landed to the west of Arnhem.
For a variety of reasons the operation did not go as planned. The advance of XXX Corps from Neerpelt in Belgium was delayed by strong German resistance and the bridge over the Wilhelmina canal in Son was blown up in front of the advancing Americans, necessitating the building of a Bailey bridge.
By then the operation was already 36 hours behind schedule. Bad radio links prevented adequate communications, especially in the Arnhem area. Because of the bad weather, reinforcement troops and supplies could not be dropped in time. The brave Polish paras of 1st Polish Parachute Brigade were eventually deployed in support of 1st Airborne, but by that time, it was already too late. The presence of two SS armoured divisions in the vicinity of Arnhem was fatal for the British and Polish troops. The bridge at Arnhem, although captured early in the battle, could not be held and so the advance into Germany was not possible at that time.
The remnants of 1st Airborne and the Poles, who had fallen into a defensive perimeter in Oosterbeek, west of Arnhem, were evacuated south of the Rhine. As a reprisal for aiding the allied troops at Arnhem, the population were forcibly driven from their city and warned not to return, on pain of death.
Finally, the objective was not achieved. However, the South of the Netherlands was liberated, but the rest of the country had to wait for liberation until the following year, 1945.
There is a 'Market Garden' memorial which reads:
'To live in the hearts of those who love us and are left behind is not die'
Lest we forget. sal;
On September 17th, 1944, the airborne landings ('Operation Market') started, to provide a 'carpet' of airborne troops who would sieze strategic bridges over the rivers Waal and Lower Rhine. It was to be the biggest airborne operation in history.
At the same time, XXX Corps ground troops would begin their northward push ('Operation Garden') from the Belgian-Dutch border, along a single axis of advance known as 'Club Route', to link up with the airborne soldiers at each of their objectives.
The operation was to culminate in siezing the town of Arnhem and the country to the north of there as far as the Ijsselmeer, thereby cutting off all German troops in the West of Holland. Thereafter, Allied armies would swing east into the Ruhr industrial region of Germany with a view to disrupting the enemy's war production and shortening the war itself.
The American 101st Airborne Division, "Screaming Eagles" landed between Son and Veghel, while the American 82nd Airborne Division "All American" landed on the Groesbeek Heights near Grave and Nijmegen. The British 1st Airborne Division landed to the west of Arnhem.
For a variety of reasons the operation did not go as planned. The advance of XXX Corps from Neerpelt in Belgium was delayed by strong German resistance and the bridge over the Wilhelmina canal in Son was blown up in front of the advancing Americans, necessitating the building of a Bailey bridge.
By then the operation was already 36 hours behind schedule. Bad radio links prevented adequate communications, especially in the Arnhem area. Because of the bad weather, reinforcement troops and supplies could not be dropped in time. The brave Polish paras of 1st Polish Parachute Brigade were eventually deployed in support of 1st Airborne, but by that time, it was already too late. The presence of two SS armoured divisions in the vicinity of Arnhem was fatal for the British and Polish troops. The bridge at Arnhem, although captured early in the battle, could not be held and so the advance into Germany was not possible at that time.
The remnants of 1st Airborne and the Poles, who had fallen into a defensive perimeter in Oosterbeek, west of Arnhem, were evacuated south of the Rhine. As a reprisal for aiding the allied troops at Arnhem, the population were forcibly driven from their city and warned not to return, on pain of death.
Finally, the objective was not achieved. However, the South of the Netherlands was liberated, but the rest of the country had to wait for liberation until the following year, 1945.
There is a 'Market Garden' memorial which reads:
'To live in the hearts of those who love us and are left behind is not die'
Lest we forget. sal;