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Cottesmore
Sept. 17th, 1944
Leaving the UK
Cottesmore (UK), approximately 09:30 in the morning. The prince of the paratroopers, brigadegeneral James Gavin in front of the skytrain that will bring him to Groesbeek.
James Gavin would land at only 500 meters from where our special event station now is situated. Together with the Dutch captain Bestebreurtje they walked for one kilometer along the forest to hotel De Wolfsberg, which would be the headquarter, called Champion. -
Cottesmore
Sept. 17th, 1944
Leaving the UK
Paratroopers of the the 82nd are inspecting their gear just before leaving Cottesmore (UK) and heading for the Nijmegen region.
Cottesmore (UK), approximately 09:45 in the morning. Heavily packed paratroopers of the 82nd division staff entering the Dakota C-47 skytrain.
The journey is about to begin. -
Zeeland
Sept. 17th, 1944
On the go
Operation Market Garden knew a complicated navigation scheme from different points north and west of London, finally brought together in two flight traffic flows crossing the North sea.
Skytrains, transporting paratroopers, fly over Zeeland, near Renesse, on their way to their droppingzones near Nijmegen.
The Germans had inundated large parts of the province of Zeeland as the picture shows. -
Groesbeek
Sept. 17th, 1944
Go go go ....
Operation Market Garden starts in Groesbeek as well. Numerous paratroopers of the 505th PIR and WACO gliders would 'fall' from the sky in Groesbeek.
On the pictures above American paratroopers jump from their skytrain.
The dropping- and landingzone Nan at Klein-Amerika would soon be filled. In only a few days nearly 8.000 paratroopers would be dropped in the Groesbeek region.
In the first days after september the 17th the Nijmegen and Groesbeek region would change into the frontline. -
Groesbeek
Sept. 17th, 1944
Landing- and dropping zone Nan
An RAF reconnaissance photo of a small part of landing- and droppingzone Nan, locally beter known as Klein-Amerika. The WACO gliders seem to be randomly put down to the ground.
The field are dotted with white spots: all parachutes in different colours left behind where the troops landed.
Bottom right the well-known T-beacon, the sign for the wind direction. -
Groesbeek
Sept. 17th, 1944
WACO-gliders to the ground
Above: WACO-glider crash at landingzone Nan, sunday afternoon september 17th 1944. One of the gliders with staff and materials overturned during the landing. Wounded passengers are being helped on the spot by a medic.
On the right and below: Activities at the farmland of Groesbeek.
WACO-gliders (or flying moving vans) landing all the time. While unloading the nose of the glider was folded up.
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Groesbeek
Sept. 17th, 1944
Paratroopers to the ground
Above: authentic footage from a camera strapped to the chest of a paratrooper who jumped from a Dakota C-47.
Below: authentic footage that was used in the 1946 movie "Theirs is the glory". The complete movie is here.
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Overasselt
Sept. 17th, 1944
Landingzone-O near Overasselt
Landingzone O west of Overasselt near the Gaasseltsedam. Top picture: an impressive amount of paratroopers are about to land on Dutch soil.
Next picture: a WACO glider landed safely on the ground.
The monument represents 3 parachutes at the very spot where the landing took place. -
Mook
Sept. 17th, 1944
Mook railway bridge blown up
Waves of paratroopers of the 505th paratroopers infantry regiment landed near Mook during Operation Market Garden on september the 17th 1944. The Germans blew up the Mook railway bridge during the approach of the 505th PIR.
The paratroopers captured the town the very same day and Mook seemed to be liberated. During the next few days minor mutual attacks were carried out.
The 20th of september the Germans conducted a concentrated attack and managed to recapture the village. The same night, with help of the British XXX Tank Corps, the 505th counterattacked.
Thursday morning, september the 21th at 06:15 hrs, colonel Ekman gave order for a final launch, and the Germans were forced to retreat to Plasmolen. Mook was finally liberated.
Picture above:
After a night without sleep paratroopers are taking a break and get some rest near the cafe annex farm of H. Theunissen (a.k.a. Hent de Smid) diagonally opposite the Bondshotel. By then the citizens of Mook had already fled the village. -
Nijmegen
Sept. 21st, 1944
Oranjesingel
Tanks of the liberators gathering at the Oranjesingel near the Keizer Karelplein. © J. ten Thye.
Rolling material queued up in a long line at the Oranjesingel waiting for the next move to make. At the end of the road, just out of the picture, the Keizer Karelplein. © J. ten Thye.
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Nijmegen
Sept. 21st, 1944
Kelfkensbos, Valkhof and Hunnerpark
This is an RAF reconnaissance photo of the Waalbridge in Nijmegen. Smoke of a building on fire at the Keizer Lodewijkplein (nowadays Trajanusplein) near the Hunnerpark is clearly visible. This building was burning during a battle that was going on between paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne division and the German defenders of the Waalbridge and the Hunnerpark.
Troops at rest at the Kelfkensbos before the assault of the Waalbridge.
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Nijmegen
Sept. 20th, 1944
Crossing the river Waal
Soldiers of H and I company of the 504th PIR started crossing the Waal at september 20th 1944 at 14:57 local time with 26 small Goatley canvas boats. A dangerous and precarious enterprise, because the soldiers were directly exposed in broad daylight at enemy gunfire from the other side.
The objective was to reach the northern bank of the river and conquering the northern part of the Waal bridge. The costly attack was nicknamed "Little Omaha" in reference to Omaha Beach.
On saturday the 23rd of november 2013 a new bridge was opened, called "De Oversteek" ("The Crossing"), at the very same spot where brave soldiers crossed the river 70 years ago.
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Nijmegen
Sept. 21st, 1944
The Nijmegen Waalbridge captured
The day after the conquest of the Waalbridge the militairy traffic starts rolling towards Elst. Unfortunately they never could reach Arnhem. The roadside and roadway are covered with wreckage.
A German bus with nr. WH160575 is still there.... incorrectly parked.
More tanks of the XXX Corps rolling on and off the Waalbridge. Crossing the bridge was still a dangerous undertaking, so the two Cromwell tanks were keeping a safe distance between each other.
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Nijmegen
Sept. 22nd, 1944
Nijmegen liberated
Nijmegen is finally liberated. The Waalbridge is captured undamaged, but the city centre was taken at cost of serious destructions. Many soldiers and citizens were killed during the battle of the Waalbridge, which in the end, was the final bridge that was captured during Operation Market Garden.
Nijmegen civilians greeting and thanking their liberators and supplying the soldiers with drinking water.
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Mook
Sept. 21st, 1944
Mook liberated
Colonel Ekman, behind the machinegun, inspecting Mook on september 21st by jeep after it had just been (and finally) recaptured on the Germans after heavy fightings and many casualties.
The destroyed town hall of Mook. Under the plateau the acces to the basement where people took shelter. At the left the outside wall that belonged to the bakery. Next to this wall the chariot used by the baker to hand round the bread.
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