Sunday morning and another busy day awaited us on our tour
of the Arnhem battlefield. Because we had so much to see today, Pat got us up
and out for a 9.30 start, despite our protests. Today we were to take up the
story of Arnhem from a Polish perspective. Although they arrived late in the
battle, they nevertheless played a key part in evacuating British forces in the
aftermath. We drove straight to the John Frost bridge, which we crossed,
admiring the view of the Lower Rhine and beyond it the low-lying Polderland
known as the Betuwe.
The view from John Frost Bridge
We were leaving Arnhem on the road to Nijmegen, but were
soon to turn right towards the village of Driel. We were now on the south side
of the river and driving to the headquarters of the Polish Para brigade during
the battle. The original plan was for 1500 Polish paras to be dropped near
Driel and then move to Arnhem bridge where they would link up with the British.
However poor weather in England caused a 24 hour delay in this operation, and
when they finally took off, they were recalled because of worsening conditions
at British airfields. Unfortunately not all aircraft picked up this message,
with the result that only two thirds of the Polish brigade actually arrived at
Driel.
Polish Monument in Driel
There is a small museum at Driel with some useful
information and exhibits regarding the Battle of Arnhem which we spent some
time in, and we also saw a monument in honour of Major General Sosabowski, who
led the Polish forces at Arnhem.
Sosabowski was unfairly blamed for the defeat at Arnhem, and was dismissed.
However this monument was subsequently raised by British veterans, in thanks to
Sosabowski and his men who fought valiantly alongside them at Arnhem.
Sosabowski Monument in Driel
As we headed back to Arnhem, we passed the site of the ferry
across the river from Driel to Westbouwing on the North bank. This ferry was
intended to be the route by which Polish troops were to link up with the
British at the Bridge. Unfortunately the Germans were by now in control of
Westbouwing and the ferry crossing was no longer available. Alternate means of
crossing the river were attempted, but with limited success. A little further
on, opposite the point where British troops were evacuated from Oosterbeek, is
another fine monument, commemorating the evacuation of 2400 Airborne troops.
Evacuation Monument
Our tour now took us back across the river, this time using
the Nelson Mandela bridge (not there at the time of the Battle!) to Oosterbeek.
Here, once British troops had failed to hold the bridge, a defensive zone was
created, with its perimeter defended, and retreating British forces headed for
this zone, roughly an area of 3 miles around, with its base along the river. As
we came off the bridge we found ourselves on Utrechtesweg, one of the three
routes taken by the Airborne Division as they headed into Arnhem. As we drove
along this road, we came across a house, called Beuken Hove. At this spot a
very fierce battle occurred during which 11th Para Battalion were
virtually wiped out, with only 150 survivors. Ironically they were only a
couple of hundred yards from the relative safety of the Oosterbeek perimeter
defences.
Beuken Hove- marker post is just visible in front garden
The building now shows no scars from the fighting of 75
years ago. It seems to be a pleasant family home in a leafy street like any other, the only difference
being that it has a post in its front garden commemorating the battle.
Commemorative post in garden
Our tour of the Oosterbeeke area continued with a visit to
Hackett’s hollow, just outside the perimeter. From this point, Brigadier
Hackett of the 4th Para, found himself almost surrounded by enemy
fire. The enemy probably expected him to surrender, but instead he led his men
in a mad dash through enemy lines to the perimeter, only about 400 yards away.
Remarkably, the hollow in which they had sheltered is still there today.
Hacketts Hollow
From here we carried on to the site of the Hotel Dreyeroord.
It was occupied by the Kings Own Scottish Borderers during the siege of
Oosterbeek. Being unable to pronounce the Hotel’s name, they called it ‘The
White House’. I understand that the original hotel building was demolished
recently and a new one erected in its place. There is an explanatory plaque
outside.
It was lunch time by now, and we headed for Westerbouwing,
an elevated area commanding fine views of the Rhine and beyond. This was just
outside the Oosterbeek perimeter, and unfortunately was captured by German
troops. Unfortunate because this vantage point gave them a bird’s eye view of
British attempts to evacuate across the river. There is a café up here where we
stopped for some refreshment and admire the views. The café also carries a
number of memorials and plaques to the memory of various members of the First
Airborne Division.
View of the Lower Rhine from Westerbouwing
Whilst we were there, a young Dutchman approached us and
wanted to talk about the Arnhem battle, and how much it meant to the Dutch
people that so many British soldiers gave their lives attempting to free them from Nazi occupation.
This was a sentiment that I had noticed throughout the weekend. I could
understand the British interest in the approaching 75th Anniversary events,
but I was a bit taken aback by enthusiasm of the Dutch. Houses everywhere in
and around Arnhem were flying replica flags of the First Airborne Division, and
we had already experienced their respect for British soldiers in the
cemetery yesterday.
The rebuilt railway bridge near Arnhem - the original was destroyed by the Germans
We spent a pleasant hour or so at Westerbouwing, before
moving on to Oosterbeek 0ld Church. Originally dating from the 10th
century, the Church became a focal point for the British evacuation from the
Oosterbeek perimeter to the other side of the Rhine. Following the battle the
church was left ruined, but was rebuilt after the war and is regularly visited
by British and Polish veterans, although battle scars remain. 2400 men were
successfully evacuated to Driel despite heavy bombardment from German forces on
Westerbouwing.
The Old Church at Oosterbeek
Our final visit of the afternoon was to the Airborne Museum,
formerly the Hartenstein Hotel, situated in the centre of the Oosterbeek
perimeter, and the headquarters of the Airborne Divisional Commander, General
Urquhart. First of all, however, we went across the road to a new exhibition in
place for the forthcoming 75th anniversary. It was about the glider
landings which took place at the outset of the battle, and a full sized glider
was on show. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the glider seemed enormous
to me. The only gliders I had seen before were small single or double seaters,
flying over the Home Counties. This one was designed to carry heavy
armour, vehicles and guns, or 25 men.
Glider - minus its wings
Hundreds of gliders were used at Arnhem, mostly towed by
Dakota aircraft. When I looked at this one close up it was clear that they
really were death traps. Made of thin plywood, they were designed as one-use
only aircraft, as they were often irreparably damaged on landing. Fire was a
great risk on board, causing them to be given the nickname ‘matchboxes’. On the
landing sites around Arnhem, those that were not shot down by enemy fire, ran
the risk of crashing into each other on landing. Unsurprisingly there were
numerous casualties before the troops set off to capture the bridge.
No home comforts inside
We now moved back across the road to the superb Airborne
Museum, which was packed with information and artefacts from the battle. I was
particularly impressed with the basement area, which had been given over to a
simulation of the battle of Arnhem, with gunfire, shouts and a general feeling
of confusion. Nothing of course can compare with the real thing, but in a small
way, this exhibition gave some indication of what it might have felt like.
Reconstruction in Museum
Our tour was now complete, and we all headed back to our
Hotel for a final evening, in which I tried to use Pat’s encyclopaedic
knowledge of Operation Market garden to fill gaps in my own understanding of
what happened. It is always possible to view Military failures with the benefit
of hindsight, but this had been a bold attempt to shorten the war, which
wouldn’t have needed much tweaking to succeed. I shall leave the final word to
a high-ranking German officer, who was heard to say to a Dutchman ‘The worst
thing we did was to win the battle of Arnhem’. By doing so, they prolonged the
war, enabling the Russians to reach Berlin first, initiating the Cold war and
all that followed.
Airborne monument in Oosterbeek
After a convivial evening at the Hotel and a good night's sleep we headed off in the
morning to catch our ferry back to Harwich, and thence home. Pat does offer an
optional Monday tour to Nijmegen, where one can see the Canadian Cemetery and
visit the superb Liberation Museum, but we thought we would save this for
another day. Before we left we gave a huge thank you to Pat and Pam for making
this weekend unforgettable. We had never done anything like it before, and I
was interested when Pat said he was considering a tour of the Normandy beaches
in future. So watch this space.
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