On Sunday, 20 September, 700 paratroopers from eight different NATO nations jumped out of 12 aircraft over Ginkel Heath, located near the Dutch town of Ede. This display remembered the World War Two Operation Market Garden which was a military strategy designed to accelerate the German invasion. Vice-Adm Matthieu Borsboom, director of the National Liberation Museum 1944-1945, commented on the display saying, “We are standing here today, because 76 years ago young soldiers fell here to liberate our country. We owe them everything and should always be grateful”. The paratroopers that took part included members of the parachute display team, the British Red Devils as well as members from the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and the US.
The operation took place on September 17, 1944, when over 30,000 paratroopers landed in the Netherlands in an attempt to capture strategic bridges that crossed Dutch waterways. The goal of the operation was to open an attack path into Germany for Allied forces. Unfortunately, the operation did not succeed, and the failure resulted in 11,000 casualties among the 1st Airborne Division. The day that these paratroopers fell from the sky, also known as the Battle of Arnhem, is now referred to as “A Bridge Too Far” after the book of the same name and the subsequent film based on the failed mission.
The exhibitions held by the National Liberation Museum trace the course of World War Two in the Netherlands from the German invasion to the liberation of the Hague. The museum houses a massive collection of authentic items along with interactive media. These exhibits show the suffering of the civilian population during the occupation, but also the resistance, the persecution of the Jews, and the liberation of the Netherlands followed by the reconstruction of society. Every year, the museum organizes a range of events in remembrance of the country’s liberation from the Nazis, this year it was the commemoration of Operation Market Garden.
The event is the latest of many plans to commemorate the military offensive. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions affected the plans so instead of canceling, organisers decided to celebrate with a massive display of airborne military precision. Vice-Adm Borsboom set the tone perfectly when he said, “We are overjoyed to see this initiative, even though, due to COVID-19, we could not execute all the planned components with the British and Polish veterans. Thankfully, the commemoration can still take place making this year’s event special and unforgettable.
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