OPERATION MARKET GARDEN - THE BATTLE FOR ARNHEM

Operation Market Garden saw a total of 35,000 men used during the Operation.
A total of 20,000 were dropped by parachute
A total of 15,000 were airlifted by glider
A total of 1300 United States/Canadian aircraft were used
A total of 480 RAF/RAAF aircraft were used.

A total of 11,920 men took part in the Battle for Arnhem 75 years ago between the 17th September and the 26th September against overwhelming odds.
Many will know I am a Trustee of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum at the Imperial War Museum at RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire, UK.

With the help of other key volunteers we have now compiled the final list of all those men who fought during Operation Market Garden, from their Regimental numbers to their final fate and where they fell and are buried, and where they were taken as prisoners or interned in Stalags in Germany. Some detail is however lost in history!

1,485 men were killed
6,525 were captured or escaped
3,910 were safely evacuated across the river

In short if you have any relatives who you would like me to check on please ask.

Is the list going to be released a a matter of public record at any time?

Roy,

I don't think so as it contains many personal details including death and as an ex serviceman, service numbers have always held a certain taboo on being released, as they have been in the past used by those with scrupulous reasons!!!;)

When the order came to pull out of Arnhem, mother's cousin had to swim the river while the Germans were shooting at him. In order to survive he swam part way underwater. He was treated as a hero when he returned home. He wouldn't go near an aeroplane for a long time after the war until he had to because of his work.

My dad was on board a glider waiting to take off to go in to Arnhem behind the Polish Brigade. He was lucky, they never got to Arnhem as their part in the operation was cancelled and they duly disembarked.

Mother's cousin took much of what went on at Arnhem to the grave. What we can be sure of, it wasn't at all good.

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

Roy,

I don't think so as it contains many personal details including death and as an ex serviceman, service numbers have always held a certain taboo on being released, as they have been in the past used by those with scrupulous reasons!!!;)

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Fair enough, it's your research and yours to covet.

However in another few years all the records will probably be released to Ancestry and digitised along with the WW1 and Pension records already on there. Even now you can obtain a service personnel record for anyone (not just a relative) who you can show died 25 yrs ago or would be over 100, upon payment of £25 under the Freedom of Information Act.

There are numerous medal rolls and casualty lists in the public domain so this would have made a valuable research tool and resource. Death certificates can be purchased through the General Records Office along with Birth certificates and marriage certificates, without having to show any relationship or connection as they are classed as public records.

Anyone with scrupulous reasons can always find the information out, and normally will. Other than trying to attribute an un-named set of medals to an Arnhem vet, I'm not sure what else they are going to do with them?

I seem to recall that there are still 77 UK paratroopers who have no known grave or who's whereabouts remain unknown/no trace. Probably still buried in unknown graves or trenches

Roy W,
The record is not just held by me, it is also helld and shared in our archive and RHQ as is my GRAVEWATCH list of ALL known graves of fallen Paratroopers which I started many years ago around the world.

Peter,
Absolutely right, I have the known locations of where they fought last or seen last, and backed up by testimony, sadly there are a number still missing. One was found in 2012 on Ginkel Heath the DZ of the 17/9/44.

British paratrooper's body found in Holland 68 years after battle of Arnhem - Telegraph

I do hate the term "A Bridge too Far" because without an attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem there would have been little point to the whole operation, Market Garden.

The father of one of my friends from junior school days (early 70's) was a WW2 Para. My friend was a late and surprise addition to the family, his two brothers were 10+ years older, and his Dad had a very strong west country accent, even having spent all his time post WW2 living in West London. I remember my Dad telling me he rescued or carried his wounded officer to a dressing station or safety of some kind. Every few years after the war this officer would take him and his wife for an expensive dinner as a way of continued thanks.
He worked for the council for decades, driving the tractors around the council parks and grounds cutting the grass, and I last saw him sometime in the early 90's. He'll be dead now of course.
I've always assumed he fought at Arnhem (could have been Varsity or indeed Normandy with 6th AB), and would love to know if his name appears on the Arnhem list. I can't now recall if Dad ever mentioned it was Arnhem or elsewhere.
His name was Nelson Bone, which is quite distinctive.

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Originally Posted by GeeRam

and would love to know if his name appears on the Arnhem list. I can't now recall if Dad ever mentioned it was Arnhem or elsewhere.

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Gil did kindly find my relative on the "Arnhem list" a few years ago for me. Although we already knew that my relative fought at Arnhem some other information was also suggested by Gil which may be confirmed when I get round to applying to the MOD for a copy of my relative's service record.

GeeRam,

There was only one BONE S.G. at Arnhem who was with the Glider Pilot Regiment who was a S/SGT. Quite a rare surname.
Your relative probably fought at Normandy or elsewhere.;)

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

GeeRam,

There was only one BONE S.G. at Arnhem who was with the Glider Pilot Regiment who was a S/SGT. Quite a rare surname.
Your relative probably fought at Normandy or elsewhere.;)

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:thup:
Most likely 6th AB then, and dropped at Normandy or Op.Varsity (or both)

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I do hate the term "A Bridge too Far" because without an attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem there would have been little point to the whole operation, Market Garden.

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As I understand it the term was originated by General Fredrick 'Boy' Browning, who led I Airborne from Nijmegen.



Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

As I understand it the term was originated by General Fredrick 'Boy' Browning, who led I Airborne from Nijmegen.



Bob

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The term may have been used in the film but was the term actually used in real life?

If it was, it seems a stupid thing to say because the whole point of the entire operation was to capture all of the bridges including, most importantly, the bridge at Arnhem because that bridge led into the heart of Germany.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

The term may have been used in the film but was the term actually used in real life? If it was, it seems a stupid thing to say because the whole point of the entire operation was to capture all of the bridges including, most importantly, the bridge at Arnhem because that bridge led into the heart of Germany.

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The exchange is really strange. During planning for Market-Garden Browning was told he would have to hold the Arnhem Bridge two days to which he replied they could hold it for four days. After the operation, when relating this to Urquhart, he insisted that he'd followed that estimate with, "But I think we might be going a bridge too far." So, the plan was to seize all the bridges but many, right up to Browning, seemed to have thought it was simply not possible, right from the outset.


It is significant that Montgomery refused to seek the advice of the Dutch Army officers in exile about his plan. As it turned out, an assault from Belgium was a standard problem on the Dutch Army officer's Academy test. When asked about it after the fact, a Dutch officer laughed and said, "Ah, Monty would have failed the Dutch Army Academy graduation exam. We all knew you couldn't fight up the route he choose - it was an elevated highway that exposed you to fire over every foot you moved. Our leaders had developed a route over a system of back-roads that were largely protected."


Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

"But I think we might be going a bridge too far."

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The use of this phrase implies that it would have been perfectly sensible and logical to attempt to seize all of the bridges except the Arnhem bridge. In my opinion unless an attempt was made to seize the Arnhem bridge there was little point in attempting to seize any of the other bridges.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

The use of this phrase implies that it would have been perfectly sensible and logical to attempt to seize all of the bridges except the Arnhem bridge. In my opinion unless an attempt was made to seize the Arnhem bridge there was little point in attempting to seize any of the other bridges.

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It just hits me as a cautionary thing. He's looking at the plans and thinks they might tried too much in one action and/or perhaps thinks the plan has become over-dependent on too many breaks going their way. I see it more of an evaluation of the scope of the plan rather than of the validity of seizing all but the Arnhem bridge. It is un-qestioned that the whole plan was predicated on creating a bridgehead to the Ruhr.


Bob

We know the outcome if we had gone after all of the bridges except the Arnhem bridge, in the hope of capturing it some time later. The Germans would have blown it up as soon as they realised our intentions which is what they did in reality after the battle of Arnhem was over.

Gill

My uncle served with 3 Para in Italy and I believe he was involved in the Arnhem operation and survived. We can't find any information about him. Could you help?

Sorry. I should have checked my facts before posting. It should be 1st Parachute Brigade group Italy.

Old RockApe,
No worries forward me his dets.
Gil

My father was one of the first 500 to jump at Ringway airport for the formation of the parachute regiment, he went to 3 para and eventually Arnhem.
He was one of the many undiagnosed PTSD casualty's and I finally got to meet him when I was 29, he died a few weeks later from the effects of throat cancer.
I will add that he was a pre war soldier with the East Lancs and made it, (according to my old brother) out of Dunkirk in a coal barge.

Arnhem, Dunkirk and he lived through the war...not many did that.

Mick,
Have you entered his service on ParaData.org.uk, the history of the Parachute Regiment. If you have any problems let me know?

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

Mick,
Have you entered his service on ParaData.org.uk, the history of the Parachute Regiment. If you have any problems let me know?

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Gil not yet but it is something I plan to do, we have his service records which I haven't studied in full detail yet.

I purchased a copy of "Arnhem, The Battle For The Bridges", by Antony Beevor in hardback, a couple of days ago from my local charity shop. It looks interesting and has some great photos.

Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944 Antony Beevor

On a motoring forum I frequent, someone mentioned Tarrant Rushton airfield in a thread about the Berlin airlift, and a poster mentioned that his late father flew from there to Arnhem.
Turned out his father was none other than Lt. Graham Wadsworth of 1st Airborne Recce, awarded the Bronze Star by the USA for his actions at Arnhem. He was also one of the small number from Recce that got evacuated across the river.

RAF Tarrant Rushton - Wikipedia

What is really interesting in the wartime photo of the aerodrome on the Wiki page is how disbursed the Nissan huts, etc. are. Ground staff would have been fit just from walking between the huts and the hangers.

I counted only 15 aircraft on the surrounding hardstands. They appeared to be mostly Horsa gliders.

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Originally Posted by Paul S.

What is really interesting in the wartime photo of the aerodrome on the Wiki page is how disbursed the Nissan huts, etc. are. Ground staff would have been fit just from walking between the huts and the hangers.

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Perhaps the RAF did disperse the buildings more on the airfields that it constructed during WW2, having learnt lessons from the Luftwaffe attacks on RAF airfields in 1940.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

Perhaps the RAF did disperse the buildings more on the airfields that it constructed during WW2, having learnt lessons from the Luftwaffe attacks on RAF airfields in 1940.

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Definitely. An Aerodrome is a relatively easy target, and having barrack hut areas adjacent to hangers and Ops buildings would not be a good idea.

The photo shows the huts are well dispersed in the woodland and not clustered in one spot. Somebody had his thinking cap on planning that one.

I know of one disused, similarly wartime built, RAF airfield where, as you say say, the buildings are well dispersed. What was the airfield sickbay/hospital is a significant distance from the airfield proper and is built in woodland.

How ironic we have started talking about RAF Airfields. I bought this rare book recently, as I am studying the operations of 161 Squadron who operated from RAF Tempsford and delivered SOE Agents to France and Germany in WW2. A really good friend has just built by hand a Lysyander at Duxford which is in the paintshop and ready to fly. He built the Blenheim by hand (twice) first one crashed at an airshow and he was in the upper turret and survived, he then built the second one now flying at airshows starting from a cockpit on four wheels in Bristol. He bought it and brought it back to Duxford, luckily it still had many of the controls they had no drawings for inside it....crazy world!

I had to seek out a book that had been printed after WW2 so that I could see the layout of several airfields. Tempsford was a basic building for the issue of parachutes and another "barn" so that the Lysnaders could be undercover.
It was a grass strip for much of the war and lies right alongside the busy A1 road near Sandy in Bedfordshire.
If that runway and buildings could talk!!!
This is without doubt, the best book I have bought in years. It details who built the airfield, how long it was, which squadrons operated from them etc a factual minefield.
I have copied in the cover and what limited facts there are on RAF Tarrant Rushton.

I have always been of the opinion that disused runways and in particular the control towers should be preserved under a Government Preservation order like they do in Germany.
Many people believe they are but in reality they could be flattened tomorrow if landowners had no conciences!!

Gil, having spent many, many hours in control towers, I can tell you they have history. Their walls could tell many, many happy and sad tales if they could talk.

Honestly, Duxford should have an air traffic control museum cataloging its history as aviation and technology changed.

The control tower at the former airfield of Matching Green, Essex, not far from Harlow, is/was still being used to test radar equipment. Or it was still being used for this purpose when I happened to cycle past the site a few years ago.

A short but eventful life, RAF Matching, Essex | Aviation Trails

How crazy is that. Bought this book as I thought it was All singing and Dancing and Matching Airfield isn't listed. Maybe it is because it was in service for less than a year, but I am surprised!!:madsmile:

Apparently the USAF called it Station 166 and the RAF referred to it as either Matching or Matching Green.

Matching - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK

The "Lost Airfields" books are quite good and I do have the one for Essex so I can look later to see if it is in it.

This is the book that I was thinking of in my previous post and it does devote several pages to Matching airfield. There are similar books for most/many counties of the UK.

A few miles from Matching airfield is the former USAF airfield of Chipping Ongar. It was officially known as Chipping Ongar airfield but nobody ever called it that and they still don't. It has always been know as Willingale airfield which is the name of the village a short distance from the airfield. The interesting aspect of this former airfield is that it was a possible/likely contender for the location of the 3rd London airport but in the end it was decided to locate London's new airport at Stansted, another former Essex, USAF airfield.