Page 43 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

of the conflict. On the ground, for VIPs including the British,
banners with the words ‘Lest Polish and US ambassadors
We Forget’ were seen in several and the mayor of Arnhem. A few
villages, while Dutch and Belgian veterans also jumped – as they
television stations broadcast do every year – including Jim
a minute-by-minute ‘situation ‘Pee Wee’ Martin and 98-year-old
report’ as if the liberation were Thomas M Rice, who served with
happening in real time. the US 101st Airborne Division.
In the skies over Brabant, the
aim of recreating the events of the Jumping with
airborne campaign was achieved other nations
successfully, with three waves The memorial jumps were also a
of 442, 357 and 326 jumpers good opportunity for the participating
scheduled. A civilian-operated air arms to practise airborne
C-47 in period markings flew operations as part of a force of
separate runs with tandem jumps international troops.

Historical background

Fought in the Netherlands in September
fiercely to hold the highway corridor and
1944, Market Garden was the biggest
defend the flow of reinforcements from
airborne operation of the war up to that
the south against German counterattacks.
point. It consisted of two sub-operations:
The road to Arnhem was dubbed ‘Hell’s
Market, an airborne assault intended to
Highway’ due to the heavy fighting.
establish a bridgehead over the Rhine,
This was the last successful German
and Garden, a ground attack to create
counteroffensive and the Allies failed
a salient into German-held territory.
to secure a bridgehead over the Rhine.
However, it quickly ran into trouble,
Despite taking control of Brabant
as the strength of German forces in the
and Limburg in September, the Allied
area had been underestimated. Radio
invasion of Europe was stalled, and
communications broke down, while the
the central and northern Netherlands
Germans gained knowledge of the Allied
suffered from famine during 1944-45.
plans after discovering an invasion map in
Nevertheless, the operation provided
a crashed glider. Nevertheless, the 35,000
a solid base to liberate the other
British and American paratroopers fought
parts of the country in spring 1945.

Above: Paratroopers from France, Germany, the Netherlands and the US
await boarding at Eindhoven Air Base. The Netherlands-based Falcon Leap
paratrooper exercise has been bolted on to the traditional Market Garden
commemorations since 2015. Kees Otten and Wim Das Left: A spectacular aerial
view of four Hercules over the city of Arnhem. Nearest the camera is Belgian
Air Component C-130H CH-11 of the 20th Squadron/15th Wing, based at
Melsbroek. All photos Joe Campion unless stated

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