‘Operation Market Garden'

 

4 – 7 July 2008

4 July

13.00 circa (tba) Depart London St Pancras for Brussels via Eurostar. Arrive circa 16.00.

Hotel IBIS Brussels Centre Gare Midi

5 July

08.30 Depart hotel and drive to Joe's Bridge arriving by mid morning. Here we will spend some time discussing the capture of the bridge by Durham Light Infantry and the Guards a few days previous to the commencement of Market Garden.  We will then deal with the start of Market Garden itself and the advance of Guards Armoured Division.

We shall follow Hells Highway stopping (if traffic conditions permit) at Son Veghel, with a slightly longer stop at the Grave Bridge , and aiming to arrive at Nijmegen for a late lunch.

The afternoon will be devoted to the battle of Nijmegen in some detail including the action in the Valkhof Park , the crossing of the bridge by the Grenadier Guards and the small boat assault by elements of the 82nd Airborne. We then drive on to our hotel in Arnhem , in the course of which our guide will endeavour to point out some of the actions fought by 43rd Infantry Division and Guards Armoured Division on the " Island ".

18.00 (circa) Arrive at our hotel the Mercure Hotel in Postidjon

 

 

 

LZ ‘Z' littered with abandoned gliders 17 September 1944.

The parachute DZ ‘X' is just off the picture to the left

 

6 July

09.00 Depart hotel

Arrive at Ginkel Heath, this was the drop zone for 4th Parachute Brigade on the 2nd day and we will discuss their actions.

We then move on to the dropping and landing zones for 1st Parachute Brigade and 1st Air Landing Brigade together with Divisional Headquarters on the first day

 Our next stop is at the Helsum Memorial . This is one of the most original memorials on the battlefield being constructed entirely from equipment used in the operation. During our stop the  of the 3 battalions of 1st Parachute Brigade, will be described

Then to the Hartenstein Museum . This was Divisional Headquarters for the greater part of the battle.

A visit to the Museum and lunch. Lunch may be taken at the Schoonard Restaurant that was used as a dressing station during the battle.

Westerbouving. This the only commanding high ground on the battlefield and from this vantage point we will learn something of the attempts by 1st Polish Parachute Brigade and  2nd Dorset Regiment to cross the river and reinforce the bridgehead.

Oosterbeck Church . Here we will learn about Lonsdale Force and the stirring speech made by its commander. and drive on the river road pausing briefly to view the site of the action where Sergeant Baskeyfield of the South Staffordshire Regiment won his VC.

Saint Elizabeth Hospital . At this stand we will learn about the unsuccessful attempts by various battalions to fight their way to the bridge through the town and also visit the house where General Urquhart was forced to take refuge.

Finally we will drive through Arnhem town to the John Frost Bridge where the story of the gallant action by 2 nd Battalion Parachute Regiment in its defence.

17.30/18.00 Return to hotel

7 July

09. 15 Depart Hotel and drive to the Oosterbeck CWG Cemetery where most of the British dead from this battle are buried., where we shall lay a wreath. We will then have some time to walk around the town of Arnhem before returning to Brussels

15.00 (tba) Eurostar to St Pancras arrive circa 16.00

Suggested good read:

William F. Buckingham ‘ Arnhem 1944' Tempus Publishing 2002

Hell's Highway Tim Saunders Pen & Sword 2001

Nijmegen Tim Saunders Pen & Sword 2001

It Never Snows in September; The German View, Robert Kershaw

Arnhem Landing Grounds & Oosterbeek Frank Steer Pen & Sword 20006