Battle of Arnhem - Operation Market Garden - The failed attempt to end the war.
Latest hand-picked WWII news. See also: WW2 Paratroopers, Rangers, Re-enactment: WWII-era, Battle Tanks, Medals of Honor, Victoria Crosses.
September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far by John C. McManus
"Operation Market Garden" may be one of WW2's most ambitious battles, but it is also one of the least understood, particularly from an American perspective, says U.S. military historian Dr. John C. McManus. In his latest book, McManus tells America's side of the story. "September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far" examines America's contribution to this crucial phase of the war in Europe. To research the book, McManus used the first-hand accounts of soldiers on the battlefield and personal interviews with survivors, among many other official and documentary sources.
(mst.edu)
WWII Sherman tank restored in time for Operation Market Garden anniversary
A tank which saw combat with Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Rangers in one of the biggest WWII battles has been restored. The 30-tonne Sherman tank, named "Robin Hood," was used during 1944's Operation Market Garden. It will go on display at the Dutch National Liberation Museum for the 66th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. 7 Sherwood Rangers veterans plan to travel to Holland to see the tank. Operation Market Garden (17-25 September 1944) saw 86,000 paratroopers, air and ground units took part in a very risky mission to seize control of bridges and river crossings in the Netherlands and Germany.
(bbc.co.uk)
Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Barclay won a Military Medal at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944
Operation Market Garden aimed to outflank the "West Wall" by creating a bridgehead over the lower Rhine. Bill Barclay, of 21 Independent Parachute Company, departed from Fairford airfield in a Stirling bomber. After jumping he checked his pistol and knife - he was carrying 30lb of plastic high explosive and tried not to think of what might happen if he took a bullet there. He landed on the drop zone, but soon the German forces grew stronger, including Panzer IV tanks and and 88mm guns. Casualties grew and supplies failed to arrive: 7 planes flew over, all of them on fire because of the flak.
(telegraph.co.uk)
Arnhem war hero Bryan Perry of the 1st Airborne Brigade passes away
At the age of 17 Bryan Perry joined the Royal Army Service Corps to defeat Third Reich. Instantly after his basic training he was assigned to the 1st Airborne Brigade and was then transported in one of over 300 gliders to Holland and the scene of the battle that was recorded in World War II film A Bridge Too Far. Of 20 men working behind enemy lines, only Bryan and one other survived. He recalled the bravery of the Dutch housewife who guided him and another British soldier down to a makeshift underground shelter that had been set up as a hiding place for their belongings.
(thisiswiltshire.co.uk)
WWII 82nd Airborne Division veteran visits paratroopers in Afghanistan
"If there is anything such as hell on earth, it was that moment," said James Megellas, talking of a thing of legend, something seen in WWII films like "A Bridge Too Far." Megellas, a retired lieutenant colonel from the 82nd Airborne Division, came to Afghanistan to visit the troops and gave a class - focusing on leadership in combat, a skill he learned during World War II. But the class was more than a lecture, it was Megellas' story. The day was Sept. 20, 1944; the unit was the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Abn. Div.; the operation was Market Garden... "Paratroopers, if properly led would follow you to the gates of hell if asked."
(newsblaze)
5 missing air crew members from Operation Market Garden identified
The Pentagon says the remains of 5 missing members of a World War II U-S Army air crew have been found in The Netherlands near the town of Arnhem: 1st Lieutenant Cecil W. Biggs, 1st Lieutenant William L. Pearce, 2nd Lieutenant Thomas R. Yenner, Technical Sergeant Russell W. Abendschoen and Staff Sergeant George G. Herbst. They were the crew of a C-47-A Skytrain delivering Polish paratroopers to a drop zone south of Arnhem in support of "Operation Market Garden." That was an attempt to bridge the Rhine River through The Netherlands in Sept 1944. The German army defeated the Allied effort, subject of Cornelius Ryan's book "A Bridge Too Far", to shorten the war.
(kwtx.com)
Battle of Arnhem Vet honoured - The largest airborne operation
Austin Brearton was lucky to survive the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War. He was attached to the First Parachute Battalion and part of the First Forward Observer Unit which took the brunt of enemy fire during the largest-ever airborne operation in Sept 1944. 25,000 paratroopers were dropped in 3 separate areas in order to occupy the bridges from the Belgian border to Arnhem. Only 2,400 returned safely. Just 7 out of 73 men in his unit survived. Realising how fortunate he was, he has devoted much of his time to the Arnhem Veterans' Club, which honoured him with an MBE for his hard work.
(yorkshiretoday)
Why Operation Market Garden was doomed (Article no longer available from the original source)
It was the last British defeat of the WW2. The daring attempt to race through the Netherlands failed to shorten the war and cost 8,000 Allied lives. High levels of iron in the soil around the town of Arnhem prevented the Allied soldiers from communicating with their headquarters. That meant vital supplies fell into German hands. Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Arnhem, took place in Sep 1944, and involved parachuting troops deep into occupied Holland at strategic bridges. But unexpectedly strong German resistance, including Nazi Panzer divisions, meant the Paras were defeated before the Allied ground forces could reach them.
(scotsman)
See also:
WW2 Paratroopers
Rangers
Re-enactment: WWII-era
Battle Tanks
Medals of Honor
Victoria Crosses.