We lived in Arnhem during the Battle of Arnhem, I remember seeing Hotel Hartenstein just after the battle and the Arnhem Bridge with all the shot up pieces of tanks etc. And they enormous fires downtown Arnhem. The sky was red at night. Very soon after that the entire population of Arnhem was evacuated. we stayed first in Roozendaal and a little later walked to Ede where we stayed with a family till May 1945 when we where liberated by Canadians. We have lived now in Canada since 1957. Still have many books and old movies regarding the Battle of Arnhem also called Operation Market Garden.
====================================== Holland paid a high price for Peace and Freedom, ========================================== as did America, Britain, Canada, and Poland for Market Garden. / As Tyranny rises everywhere today, we are seeing old energies emerging, revealing a dark desire for total control, and the cancelling of dissent - exactly as happened in Europe from 1920 to 1945. Fascism and Communism are two sides of the same coin. / From Britain, I salute Holland, and I give thanks to the Children of Arnhem, who tend the graves of the fallen. To value Freedom, you have to be willing to die for it. /
Re Pegasus 1 - There’s a list of signatures of men who went from a farm hut ‘het Schuilevinkje’ to the meeting point ‘No.1 I’nt Bosch (near Bennekom) . The list is dated Sunday 22nd October 1944. Among them was a family friend Sgt. Eric Hall. The full list is : F S Maser (1st para), W Ryan (10 para bn), F Brown (2 South Staffs), S H Esparaza (505 PIR US 82nd Airborne), R B Moore (10 Para bn), Cpt. W H F Robinson (3 para bn), E Davenport (3 para bn), L S Davidson (10 para bn), G Bowden (10 para bn), J W I James (10 para bn), A Kerr (10 para bn), W J Hume (3 para bn), J Green (10 para bn), G Lipscombe (10 para bn), R J Gregory (10 para bn), A J Deane Drummond, Cpt T M Griffiths ( 1 A/L atk bty RA), J W Glover (10 para bn), Lt J Clarke (10 para bn), Lt D R Hindley (1 para squ RE), Sgt N H MacPherson (RAF), R A (Roy) Brown (1 para bn), Sgt E J Hall (1 para bn), W W J Whitmill (1 AB provost Coy), Cpt T J Wainwright (156 para bn), F Southhall (2 South Staffs), J F Hogg ( 9 Fld Coy RE), R F Sharp (3 para bn). Also present was Lt Bert (Albert Duess - Dutch LKP) who was oic of the Dutch resistance for Operation Pegasus 1. I have a photocopy of the list of all the men’s signatures. This list is also shown in the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek. The photocopy of the list was sent to me by the son of Albert Duess, the Dutch resistance leader.
When I was a lot younger (and fitter!) we camped near Wolfheze and I marched from the drop zone to the bridge in full WW2 British Airborne kit. The small streets and close quarters gives you an idea of how fierce some of the fighting would have been. It is the most moving ceremony in Oosterbeek cematary and I saw the children laying flowers on my Great Uncle's grave. Sadly the second relative killed there is still missing. 939 L/Cpl Wolfe. 3rd Gen Br AB.
All the records, including this video state 48 soldiers died in the crossing but there are 49 names on the monument on the northern bank. Also does anyone know what the initials 'CMH' behind the name of Pvt. John. R. Towle from Ohio indicate ?
My late mother older brother was a glider pilot in the first wave on 17th September 44, he was in border regiment (1st airborne). he was sadly killed on 21st September in a ambush while being driven on a jeep to receive medical care after being wounded, he and 2 others was killed.
Thank you for giving us clear perspective of the battlefield. But I always thought the Neder Rijn was much wider! I'm assuming that it was the current that made it unswimmable - and exhaustion.
The Rhine was a bit wider indeed .. locks and “re-routing” parts of the current changed it a bit. But you’re right, I know from my own experience that the current is very strong when swimming. Thanks for your compliments
Hoi, pas gekocht, vraagje je moet toch settings op horizon steady zetten en orientation lock aan, om de lanyard te gebruiken, ik kreeg alleen omgekeerde opnames, aangezien die andersom bevestigd zit 😂, begrijp het niet helemaal.....help!!
I kid you not I went there early one morning and met a Ghost I was alone and then I was joined by an old man who was standing behind me ?I turned and spoke to him ?He asked if i had ever been there before and he said I will show you around he showed me lots of historic stuff about the cemetery I turned away from him and i asked him a question and he was gone He was not English spoke with an accent but had great knowledge of the area Who was he ?? where did he come from I dont have a clue But the things he told me about I checked and they were all correct and no I had not been drinking
Een lanyard (magnetisch ketting), geen gedoe met zo'n harnas. Vind het ook erg stabiel voor iets wat om je nek hangt. Je kunt de camera uiteraard ook met een mount vast aan je fiets monteren.
I am American living in Germany and am amazed how well kept the history is for the battles that took place, and how the allied dead are honored til this day. The daily march across the bridge in the video, the US cemetery where local people take care of soldiers graves and plaques and memorials all over. In Arnhem they named the bridge after the British Major General that defended it. I visited the location where Easy company fought at "The Crossroads" in Band of Brothers TV series and in real life...near Heteren and there were fresh flowers at the sign indicating where the battle took place. It's really amazing. Other than some crazing drivers ha ha...I have always enjoyed visiting the Netherlands. Many friendly people, wonderful towns and cities, good food/beer, incredible bicycle infrastructure/every day use of bicycles and a real respect for WWII history and those that helped free the country in 1945. Seriously, visit the Netherlands, it's a great place to travel.
The whole concept of "1st Allied Airborne Army" was a dud from the start and doomed to fail. An eccentric and untested command structure rife with inter-service and nationalistic rivalry. No wonder it didn't last.
Hello Bart, great video. I wonder if you know who owns the footage? Is it yourself? I'm asking because I'd like to use a 'still' from it showing the escape route in my forthcoming biography of Major Digby Tatham Warter who led the evaders out.
Ik hoop namens iedereen van de jp heijestichting dat dit nooit meer mag gebeuren wat er in de omgeving van Oosterbeek en duno en de anderen om gevingen ik hoop dat we in vrede kunnen Leven
As someone who is familiar with what happened but has never visited the area, this video really is all over the place as far as content. It doesn't visually make sense.
I was there the week before to visit the grave of my father for probably the last time where I lay my wreath. Gutted to see it cleared away to make way for all this pomp.
