Arnhem & Operation Market Garden
Second World War 1939-45
By September 1944 the Allies had broken out of Normandy and were advancing across Europe. Operation Market Garden was one of the boldest plans of the war, over 30,000 Allied troops were to be flown behind enemy lines, into occupied Holland. Their mission was clear, to capture the bridges that spanned the rivers on the Dutch/German border, providing a corridor that would allow the Allied Army to advance rapidly into Germany.
Follow the route of the ground troops of the XXX Corps and their costly advance along 'Hells Highway' and hear about the valiant attempts of the airborne forces as they fought to seize and hold these vital crossings.
What were the plans that made up Operation Market Garden and what did it mean for the men who fought here? Unfortunately this daring plan did not have the expected outcome; the Allies suffered heavy casualties and after nine days of fighting there was no alternative but to withdraw. Operation Market Garden had ended, but the war and battle to liberate Holland would continue.
2019 will see the 75th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden revisit the sites of this daring attempt to bring the war to an early end, as we take an unforgettable tour following in the footsteps of the troops who fought bravely against all the odds. Throughout the area you will find many monuments, cemeteries and museums, dedicated to all who fought and the many that lost their lives.
