Remembering Arnhem | Operation Market Garden

In September 1944, Operation 'Market Garden was launched

It was intended to help Allied forces push through the Netherlands and into northern Germany,

Combat trained cameramen of the British Army Film and Photographic Unit accompanied the troops and filmed the operation.

The short film above, produced by IWM's George Smith, uses a wealth of newly-digitised IWM film to tell the story of 'Market Garden'.

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Sequences from these IWM films are included in the above short film and available for licensing

AMY 130 Edited film ‘OPERATION “MARKET”’
A70 160-1 Unedited AFPU footage 1ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PREPARE FOR OPERATION 'MARKET' ON AN RAF AIRFIELD
A70 160-5 Unedited AFPU footage PARATROOPERS OF THE 1ST AIRBORNE DIVISION PREPARE FOR TAKE- OFF
A70 160-6 Unedited AFPU footage OPERATION 'MARKET
A70 168-2 Unedited AFPU footage THE 1st AIRBORNE DIVISION IN ACTION ON THE NEDER RIJN WEST OF ARNHEM
A70 169-5 Unedited AFPU footage 1st AIRBORNE DIVISION GOES INTO ACTION WEST OF ARNHEM
A70 169-6 Unedited AFPU footage 1st AIRBORNE DIVISION FLIES INTO BATTLE IN SOUTHERN HOLLAND
GEN 11 RAF newsreel THE GEN NO 11

[bonanddave]

My grandad was captured at Arnhem, and taken POW. What he experienced as POW he never spoke about until I was 15, and he helped me with my WW2 project at school.

[joeletaxi]

I had the honour of driving veterans back to Arnhem in my London taxi. It was the 70th anniversary and I knew very little about Market Garden. My passenger was Josef Wojcehovski of the 1st Polish Parachute Regiment. His 62 year old son was with him as his carer. Josef had to stay in a wheelchair most of the time but his mind was as sharp as a razor. He made us laugh a great deal. I learnt from Josef and the other veterans the story of Arnhem so I learnt it all from the horses mouth. They do not brag about events but rather speak the truth and it could be harrowing.

Josef told me that, as a teenager in occupied Poland, he and his family were shipped to Siberia in some deal with Stalin. From there they were moved to Persia where both his parents died. He and his sister were then taken to Egypt. Finally, from there they were taken to Britain. As Josef told me "We landed in bonnie Scotland". From there he was enlisted and trained in Lincolnshire. Over a drink, he told me "Life in Lincolnshire was good and I was happy to see the war out from there but the next thing I knew I was jumping out of a plane over Arnhem." He thought that was funny! His good friend was a tiny man and, during the flight in, became very afraid. "Don't worry" Josef told him "You're so small the Germans will never hit you." Josef was wrong and his friend was dead before they reached the ground. I believe the Polish were dropped, in error, right on top of a German battalion. Josef fell behind a grass mound and managed, somehow, to find his way to safety.

Josef survived the war and he and his sister settled in Bradford. He married and had children and, i believe, lived a long and happy life.

As our convoy prepared to leave Arnhem, Josef banged his head on my taxi. I think the regimental badge in his beret pierced something on his head because his face was streaked with blood. I helped stem the flow whilst his son ran and got a dressing. His son held it to his head and the whole time Josef was laughing uncontrollably. When he could eventually speak, his son asked him "Why are you laughing?". "Well" said Josef "It occurred to me that I have injured myself more this time than I did the first time."

The Dutch people treated these men like movie stars because, to them, they are. Men that go unnoticed in their own countries are revered in Holland. In case you don't know the story, the mission failed. Afterward, the Dutch people were punished by the Germans for helping the allies. They experienced starvation and murder at the hands of the occupiers. For this reason, during my week in Arnhem, several times I heard the same conversation between the heroes and the Dutch. It seemed to be a thing between them and went as follows:

Hero: "We brought you nothing but death and starvation."
Dutch: "But you tried."

After years of German occupation, one can only imagine what they must have felt when they saw and heard the allies coming to free them. Hope is a powerful feeling and, within eight months, the people of Holland were free.

It is my honour to say that I knew Josef Wojcehovski and that, for a short while, we were friends.

[jmalloy]

My uncle who I never met, took part in operation market garden and was in border regiment, attached to B company, 1st airborne battalion glider pilot .. he was severely wounded in westerbouwing area on 20th September and was put on a jeep to be taken to regimental aid post in Dennenoord, but never arrived there, the jeep got ambushed and all 3 on the jeep was killed. he buried at Groesbeek war cemetery, killed 20th September 1944.

[jacquelineturtle]

My grandfather was captured here. He was a true hero as were they all …

[wolves]

I recall one of the many ‘what-ifs’ analysis that have been done on Market Garden being ‘what if Patton had been in command of the army corps tasked to link up at Arnhem’.

I went to Osterbeek in 1980 when I was in the Navy and then to Arnhem. I was having a coffee in Arnhem when there was a bit of a fuss and people left the cafe. Walking down the road toward the bridge were one or two old soldiers wearing their red berets, accompanying by I presumed to be family and Dutch friends. It was still relatively fresh in memories and the locals still wanted to come out and shake their hands. I don’t know who they were and I didn’t feel I could pry. Just sit back and think that those airborne veterans may have been my age (23) when they were in action in that place. Very humbling.

[ArthurShelby]

Incredible the amount of men and machines we had. Gliders, Bomber transport, men, m arms.
Heroes every one.

[Spireites]

I remember meeting many of the GPR veterans in 1994 when I was a serving young soldier, they were at pegusus Bridge, Arnhem etc, they came to see my corp receive its new guidon from CinC HRH Charles.
My regret is most are now long gone heros all of them.

[sonsofthesilentage]

It's the most heart warming thing that the Dutch people recognized the ferocity of the fight that 1st Airborne Division gave to the Germans, especially since the Dutch suffered so greatly after the battle ... In that way it was a triumph, of good over evil, the British Paras and the Dutch people both gave a wonderful account of themselves.

[Brianboru]

My Dad wasn't at Arnhem, he was 6th Airborne Div, he was at D-Day, Breville, Venlo, Ardennes, Rhine crossing. In later life when he could get out much, I bought his Guinness home for him...

[Peter-gvgn]

The Man Holding the radio handset is Jimmy Mcardle a Liverpool man, I had the privilege of spending lots of time with Jim inthe early 2000 s up to his passing in 2009, he also fought in Korea with the Gloucesters, what a life he led, all put their lives on the line, Jimmy Voluntered for Korea he said to me ' he couldn't settle' after the War so went there to Korea as well, shot in the leg but came back thankfully.

[normagraham]

It was the Storm Boat Kings, the 23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, who got many of the airborne soldiers who survived Market Garden to safety across the Rhine.

[henrivinkeles]

I am living in Arnhem next to the bridge

[jmccallion]

i have only seen stills from this but excellent film altogether!

[lyndoncmp]

Market Garden was one of, if not the, fastest Western Allied advance against German opposition in the entire September 1944 to February 1945 period. It also suffered fewer casualties than the other attempts that same autumn, eg Hurtgen Forest, Aachen, Operation Queen, Lorraine etc.

[andrewcharles]

I've often wondered about the footage from that day: Was it got out with the survivors, or was it recovered from the Germans after the war?

[acesuffian]

I came with 10 thousand..i left with less than 2k(said Urquhart).. that's why it was a bridge too far..

[mithridateseupator]

The soldier at 6:11 appears to be same one that shows up in Pathe newsreels (British troops cross German Border) as having escaped from Arnhem. The latter newsreels shows him to be a member of the Border Regiment. I believe the shots of the mortar team in action are usually identified as troops being from the Border Regiment as well.

[ISP]

05:26 poor dude, his parachute dont work

[henkmeerdink]

Anyway, what is that vehicle at 5:52 that is towing what I assume to be a 17pdr gun?

[WvhKerkhof]

The NSB had a lot of members in 1940-1945 only a few citizens were in the resistance.