# Arnhem and Oosterbeek, June 2017.



## Airframes (Jun 10, 2017)

*Operation 'Market - Garden' - a visit to the battle sites of 'A bridge too Far'
*
As Karl and I were in Holland for the Oostwold air show, there was no way we could leave without visiting Arnhem and Oosterbeek, places ingrained in every British 'Para'.
So on the day after the air show, we drove south 100 milles, where we'd arranged to meet-up again with Marcel, and also our Dutch para friend Sander (Kingscoy), at the Airborne Museum in the former Hartenstein Hotel, which was General Urquhart's Divisional HQ during the battle, and a scene of heavy fighting.
These first few pics show the road into Oosterbeek, and some of the exhibits in the Hartenstein, and further posts will show some of the notable areas around the Oosterbeek perimeter, before moving on to the Airborne Cemetery, and then the bridge itself. 

*PIC 1*. In the first rain during our visit, we followed the signs from the motorway, leading us close to the DZ's and into Oosterbeek, 6 km from the city of Arnhem.
*PIC 2*. The road from the Renkum DZ, jut outside the outskirts of the town of Oosterbeek.
*PIC 3.* The Memorial Stone at the Hartenstein - just one of many memorials proving that the people have not forgotten the sacrifices made by the allied troops.
*PIC 4*. Col. Frost's Denison smock and Battledress tunic, with his famous hunting horn in the center, one of the exhibits inside the Hartenstein museum.
*PICS 5 to 8*. Some general shots of the exhibits inside the museum.
*PIC 9.* View from the front of the Hartenstein, over the Utrechtsweg, to the Airborne monument. This area to the front of the hotel was wooded during the war, and mainly devastated by shelling and mortar fire.
*PIC 10*. View from the rear entrance, looking over Hartenstein park. The whole area was dotted with trenches, and became a grim battlefield, with German snipers firing at anything that moved.

More to follow soon, with some pics of the excellent full-size dioramas in the basement, and the outside of the Hartenstein.

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## Crimea_River (Jun 10, 2017)

Very interesting Terry. Looking forward to more.


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## Wurger (Jun 11, 2017)




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## Marcel (Jun 11, 2017)

Were you able to download my photos Terry?


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## Wayne Little (Jun 11, 2017)

Excellent Pics Terry.


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## fubar57 (Jun 11, 2017)

Very cool


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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

Thanks chaps - sorting some more pics, and I'll post them soon.

Marcel, yes thanks, I downloaded your pics.


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## Capt. Vick (Jun 11, 2017)

Brilliant!


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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

Thanks Jim.
Continuing with Oosterbeek and the Hartenstein museum, with a 'Then and Now' pic, and the full-size dioramas in the basement.

*PIC 1*. A round from a 'Nebelwerfer'. These weapons were used to pound the center of Arnhem, and also the Oosterbeek perimeter. The bombardment was so heavy, that the Germans named Arnhem 'Der Kessel' - The Cauldron.
*PICS 2 and 3*. "Then and Now". The front room of the Hartenstein, shown in a period photo on display in the museum, and how it looks today, restored to its former elegance.
*PICS 4 to 10.* The basement has been converted to show various stages of the landings and the battle, with full-size 'dioramas', effectively lit, and with full surround sound - very effective.

More of the museum in the next post, before moving on to the Oosterbeek War cemetery.

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## Kingscoy (Jun 11, 2017)

Excellent photo's Terry It was a very enjoyable afternoon. It was a shame that I had a briefing later that afternoon...would have enjoyed coming along to the Oosterbeek church and bridge.
Cheers Sander


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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

More of the basement display in the Hartenstein, and another 'Then and Now' shot.

*PICS 1 to 7.* More of the very effective 'street battle' scenes.
*PICS 8 and 9*. A period photo of the main entrance, at the rear of the Hartenstein, and how it looks today. The modern structure on the left is the Museum entrance, shop and lift shaft - a glass conservatory was in this spot during the battle.
*PIC 10. *The original drive way from the Utrectsweg to the hotel, with a Sherman, and an AT gun, the latter a relic of the battle.

Next post will show the Airborne Cemetery, and moving down the Perimeter towards the river, and the final redoubt around the Oude Kerk.


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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

Thanks Sander. It was great to meet-up with you, and thanks again for your time. We managed to avoid the rain at the Oude Kerk and the bridge, and had a good look around, More pics soon - including the "F1 Mobility Scooter Pits Team " !!

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## Kingscoy (Jun 11, 2017)




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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

After leaving the museum, we met-up with forum member Sander (Kingscoy), and had lunch at the restaurant next door, before moving on to the Airborne Cemetery, a very moving and sad experience.
Every year, on the Sunday closest to September 17th, a memorial ceremony is held here, when local children, already taught the history of the battle in their town, lay flowers on every grave.
We said our goodbyes to Sander, who had to get back to his unit for a briefing, and Karl, Marcel and myself moved on to the location of the final stand just above the river, around the Oude Kerk, passing the Schoonord Cafe and the Hotel Tafelberg on the way, both scenes of desperate fighting as the perimeter shrank around the defending Airborne troops, surrounded on three sides by elements of two SS Panzer Divisions.


*PICS 1 to 5. *The Oosterbeek War Cemetery.
*PIC 6.* The Tafelberg. This was Field Marshall Model's HQ, which he quickly evacuated when the landings took place, leaving his still warm dinner on the table !
It was later used as a dressing station for the wounded, and came under heavy fire. Even today, there are still bloodstains on the walls and floors. Unfortunately, only the facade remains of the original building, and it is not open to the public.
*PIC 7. *The Oude Kerk, just above the Neder Rijn (Lower Rhine), where Lonsdale Force held out to the end, and the final withdrawal across the Lower Rhine commenced. The ancient stone walls, patched and repaired, are still riddled with bullet and shrapnel scars.
*PICS 8 and 9.* The memorial stone at the side of the church.
*PIC 10.* Karl and I outside the church - note the bullet scars behind us on the wall.

Next post will feature more of the area around the Oude Kerk, with the withdrawal route and the house of "The Angel of Arnhem", Kate ter Horst, before following the river road into Arnhem itself, and the 'Bridge too Far'.


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## Airframes (Jun 11, 2017)

Thanks Sander. It was great meeting up with you, and thanks again for all your help.

I'll post more pics tomorrow, when I've sorted them, including the "F1 Mobility Scooter pits team" !!


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## rochie (Jun 11, 2017)

Great stuff Terry.

Those graves of soldiers with no names or even a unit badge really touched me.

It was brilliant to meet you Sander, thank you for taking the time.


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## Old Wizard (Jun 11, 2017)




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## Gnomey (Jun 11, 2017)

Lovely shots Terry!


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## Kingscoy (Jun 12, 2017)

Karl...super nice meeting you all....perhaps next time in the UK....


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## Wayne Little (Jun 12, 2017)

Excellent series of pics, Terry.


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## Airframes (Jun 12, 2017)

At the rear of the old church lie the meadows leading down to the Lower Rhine and, close by, poppies grew in the field close to the church.
Opposite the church, on the other side of the road, lay the edge of the town of Oosterbeek, the narrow streets once the scene of vicious fighting, where lightly-armed Airborne troops, very low on ammunition, and without food for days, held off numerous attacks by infantry and tanks.
Alongside the church is a small house, the home of Kate ter Horst, the "Angel of Arnhem".
We spent some time here, and I, at least, certainly felt a powerful sense of sacrifice and sadness.
After leaving Oosterbeek, we followed the river road towards the city of Arnhem (and actually drove down some hills !), passing the St. Elizabeth Hospital above the main road, the main casualty handling point during the battle, and were the wounded were taken during the famous truce, on Sunday 24th September, to allow the dead and wounded to be removed from the battlefield, as portrayed in the movie 'A Bridge too Far'.
We were soon approaching the bridge, with Marcel driving us through heavy traffic, in possibly the busiest city in the Netherlands.

*PIC 1*. The commemorative bench outside the front of the church, bearing the Regimental crests of the units who made the last stand, as 'Lonsdale Force', under the command of Maj. Richard Lonsdale of 11 Para, himself wounded and heavily bandaged around the head and left arm.
*PIC 2*. A view from the rear of the church, with the river just beyond the tree line in the center of the frame. To the left, in the distance, is the railway bridge over the Neder Rijn, which had been blown during the battle. In the meadows immediately to the front in the picture, the 105 mm pack howitzers of the Airborne artillery fired their last rounds. Further off to the right (out of sight) is the Heaveadorp ferry, which had been 'blown', preventing General Sosabowski's Polish brigade from crossing the Lower Rhine.
It was from these fields that the final withdrawal was organised, with the men following lines of 'mine' tape in heavy rain, at night, to cross the Lower Rhine, whilst their comrades who were too badly wounded to walk, or be carried, formed a final line of defence in order to make the Germans think that the Airborne troops were still in position.
*PIC 3.* Alongside the church is the house of Kate ter Horst (portrayed by Liv Ullmann in the movie), the 'Angel of Arnhem', who opened her house as a field dressing station, helping to tend the wounded, and praying for them as they died. 
*PIC 4*. In this street opposite the church, tanks approached, including four Tigers, with one of the Tigers being knocked out.
*PIC 5*. This tree in front of the church, was blasted by mortar fire, killing a number of Paras, two of whom still lie beneath the soil at the base of the tree.
*PIC 6*. Passing St. Eusebius church in the city, close to the bridge. The tower was used by both sides as an observation point during the battle, and was badly damaged. The entire area around the church and the bridge was totally devastated during the battle, and all of the buildings around here today are new, some much newer than others.
*PIC 7*. Approaching the bridge, with the Airborne flag flying above the recently re-located Airborne Museum on the Rijnkade, on the banks of the Lower Rhine. Due to time limitations, we didn't visit the museum, although it looked like it was quite busy with young visitors.
*PIC 8*. The old and the new. One of the original brick arch gates, almost lost between the modern buildings on the approach to the Rijnkade and the bridge.
*PICS 9 and 10*. The bridge over the Neder Rijn, a 'Bridge too Far', and the river itself, narrow, but fast-flowing with strong currents.This was taken from the spot where very heavy fighting took place, house to house, and room to room, and where a number of German trucks and half tracks were knocked out.
Above, on the road bed of the bridge at the right in the picture, is the scene of the destruction of the German armoured patrol on the first day,again graphically portrayed in the movie and, beyond the bridge, out of shot beyond the road bed, is the site of Colonel Frost's HQ, now rebuilt with new buildings.
The bridge was eventually bombed and destroyed by B-26 Marauders of the 9th USAAF, in October 1944, to prevent the Germans using it to reinforce their front line. A new bridge, in exactly the same style, was eventually erected, on the same spot, in 1948 and, in the 1970's it was named John Frost Bruge - John Frost Bridge. (Note that the bridge used in the movie 'A Bridge too Far' was the one at Deventer, as the area around the Arnhem bridge was too modern.)

After the battle at Arnhem and Oosterbeek, the population of part of the city, and all of Oosterbeek, were evacuated, losing everything, both to destruction and looting, as the Germans reinforced their new front line. 

This was a very special trip for Karl and I, and I would like to thank Sander for taking the time off to show us the Oosterbeek Cemetery, and Marcel, for driving us around, and thanks too to the people of Holland, who keep the memory alive, and are just so [email protected] nice !!

The final selection will show some general shots taken in the Arnhem area, and a few of the area around the north of the country.

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## fubar57 (Jun 12, 2017)

Very nice Terry


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## Wurger (Jun 12, 2017)




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## rochie (Jun 12, 2017)

Good stuff Terry.

As Terry has already said it was a special trip for us both and i cannot thank Marcel enough for spending the day with us driving around Oosterbeek and Arnhem and also to Sander for taking time out of his day to meet up with us.

Once i get my pictures from the day sorted i will add the pics i took up on the John Frost bridge.


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## Lucky13 (Jun 12, 2017)

Most excellent old boy!


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## Marcel (Jun 12, 2017)

It was a pleasure having you here guys. I enjoyed our 2 days together. If you need a driver again for your next visit to the Arnhem region, I gladly offer my service as a chauffeur again.

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## Airframes (Jun 12, 2017)

When we do, we'll try to find some more hills for you to practice going up and down !
Thanks again Marcel.

Final selection of pics coming soon ...............

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## Gnomey (Jun 12, 2017)

Nice shots Terry!


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## Crimea_River (Jun 12, 2017)

Excellent pics and, as always, a well written and informative narrative Terry. Happy that both you and Karl were able to complete this special trip.


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## Wayne Little (Jun 13, 2017)

Well said Andy, excellent stuff Terry.


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## Airframes (Jun 13, 2017)

Thanks very much, Hugh, Andy and Wayne.
I'll post my final few pics later, and no doubt Karl and Marcel will add a few too.


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## rochie (Jun 13, 2017)

Airframes said:


> Thanks very much, Hugh, Andy and Wayne.
> I'll post my final few pics later, and no doubt Karl and Marcel will add a few too.


Will try and sort mine out tomorrow Dogsbody.

Found this on defending Arnhem website, the road in Terry'picture with the knocked out king tiger !





And the church after the battle

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## Airframes (Jun 13, 2017)

Great stuff Karl. I wasn't sure if the King Tiger was the one knocked out in that street, but having seen the tank from various angles in pics (and in the 'Their's is the Glory' movie), it seems to be the one.
I'd figured out those angled 'scars' on the church tower, confirmed by the pic above - the roof was replaced, having been badly damaged, and the 'scars' are where the original trusses were.
I'd also forgotten that the left hand side, also badly damaged, was demolished.


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## Wurger (Jun 13, 2017)




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## Old Wizard (Jun 13, 2017)




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## Marcel (Jun 13, 2017)

Yes Terry that was my conclusion as well when I saw my photo of the tower again. The scars are symmetric, making a perfect roof shape. Seems like a newer roof was made, lower than the old one. 
I'll post a few pictures later this week if you like.


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## Airframes (Jun 13, 2017)

Yes Marcel, please do post some pics when you can.

Here's my final contribution to the pics, with some more of Oosterbeek and Arnhem, and some general shots of our time in the Netherlands.

*PIC 1*. A 'snatched' shot of the Schoonoord Restaurant, on the crossroads just up from the Hartenstein, and another scene of very heavy fighting during the battle.
*PIC 2*. Approaching the bridge over the railway at Oosterbeek station. Wartime pics taken from the bridge show supply parachutes and containers draped over the rails and station roof, dropped by the RAF, but out of reach of the desperate Paras.
*PIC 3.* Leaving Arnhem bridge, towards the central rail station, with some original buildings still present, but obviously repaired or rebuilt.
*PIC 4.* Karl and me at the bridge.
*PIC 5*. Marcel and Sander get some recipes from Karl !!
*PIC 6.* The Oosterbeek Formula 1 Mobility Scooter pit team !
*PIC 7.* What can I say ?!
*PICS 8 and 9*. Holland wouldn't be Holland without windmills.
*PIC 10.* Relaxing outside our hotel, with a soft drink (cough) and bl**dy huge burger.

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## Wurger (Jun 13, 2017)

These pics are great . 

I wish I could be there with you together.

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## fubar57 (Jun 13, 2017)

Great shots of the gang.


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## Airframes (Jun 13, 2017)

Thanks Wojtek and Geo, glad you like them.
It would have been great if you could have been there too Wojtek - and something I missed earlier, two of the Polish graves in the Oosterbeek Cemetery.


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## Wurger (Jun 13, 2017)




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## Gnomey (Jun 13, 2017)

Good shots Terry!


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## rochie (Jun 13, 2017)

Great stuff Dogsbody.
I didnt take too many pictures that day but i will post the couple had taken from on top of the bridge.
It felt amazing running up those steps to the road level of the John Frost bridge i must say.


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## Airframes (Jun 13, 2017)

What's this 'running' thing ?!

Found this pic of one of the Tiger 1s of Schwerre Panzer Kompanie 'Hummel', taken just a few yards from where we were standing at the bridge.
I reckon it was roughly where the arrow is in the second pic.

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## rochie (Jun 13, 2017)

Yeah saw that one but i couldn't make out if it was there or a bit further down the road


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## parsifal (Jun 14, 2017)

man that was excellent!

Some of the history. I hope you will forgive me for this intrusion.....

It has often been said in the post war wash ups, that if the DZs for the assault had been made closer than the ones chosen, things might have turned out differently. It is to be wondered whether or not LZ-L, two miles to the east of Wolfheze, might not have been a more sensible location for their drop than the dropp II located more than 10 miles from the objective.. The Polish gliders that were to land here on the third day would have been no more hindered by the discarded parachutes than were those gliders that landed on the 1st Parachute Brigade's drop zone with the Second Lift. Furthermore, the 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers, who, in order to protect DZ-Y, were the only unit that had to march in the opposite direction from their ultimate destination, then had to proceed to secure this same zone for the arrival of the Poles.

Due to the lie of the land, it was quite impossible for large-scale glider landings to have taken place any closer to Arnhem. however it has been pointed out that Paratroopers could have been dropped in a number of places within easy reach of the bridge. The area of open-ground only a mile to the south of the Bridge, which was to be used by the Polish Brigade on the Third Lift. this DZ caught the eye of the Division's planners, but their request to land a coup-de-main force of parachutists, to seize the Bridge in advance of the rest of the Division, was turned down by the RAF due to fears of heavy flak. This refusal placed the Operation in jeopardy because it took seven hours, from the moment of the first landings, for the 2nd Battalion to reach the Bridge on foot, and it was only sheer luck that the Germans did not have the good sense to destroy it in the meantime. Major-General Richard Gale, the experienced commander of the 6th Airborne Division, recently returned from Normandy, was briefly consulted by Browning during the planning for Market Garden. He was adamant that at least one parachute brigade should have been drooped alongside the Bridge to hold it until the remainder of the Division arrived. He added that, had he been in command at Arnhem, he would have persisted with this demand to the point of resignation.

A further oversight, as regards a coup-de-main force, was made with the Railway Bridge. The Bridge was destroyed before the 2nd Battalion could capture it, yet it could very possibly have been seized intact had a small number of parachutists or glider-borne troops landed in the vicinity. Instead, as with Arnhem Bridge, the insistence of dropping the Division eight miles from Arnhem gave the Germans plenty of time to ready it for demolition. The successful capture of the Railway Bridge would have been a tremendous asset when XXX Corps arrived as it could easily support the weight of a tank, not to mention the Polish Brigade who, in the event, spent several days desperately trying to enact a crossing.

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## Airframes (Jun 14, 2017)

Thanks Michael, and yes, there were a lot of compromises, due to soft ground (for gliders) and the flak threat. 
It's easy now to criticise, but the deliberate ignoring of the Panzer Divisions was, of course, a major element in the outcome. But then, after so much planning, and so many cancelled drops, with the info re the Panzers arriving at 'the last minute', so to speak it's perhaps understandable.
General Urquhart actually considered dropping at least part of the first lift onto the city itself, and risk the force depletion due to landing casualties.
Health permitting, I want to go back and spend more time in the area, as there are many more museums and 'preserved sites' than my last, longer visit, in the 1970s.

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## Marcel (Jun 14, 2017)

One should remember that using DZ's closer to Arnhem would have meant that the a/c would have flown over Deelen, a big nightfighter base in the north of Arnhem. That would probably have ended in disaster. I believe arriving in 3 waves was a major fault in the plan. When distributing the transport a/c, Arnhem should have been given priority instead of Eindhoven, so to give those troops the biggest punch in the early hours of the assault. Another big mistake was that the allies were not flexible enough to take advantage of the panic among the Germans during Crazy Tuesday. But as Terry says, it's easy to judge afterwards.

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## Wurger (Jun 14, 2017)




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## Capt. Vick (Jun 14, 2017)

Excellent write-up!


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## rochie (Jun 14, 2017)

ok i wont post too many pics here as Terry Seems to have it covered.

these and many more like them hurt much more than i expected when i was stood in front of them
rest in peace lads





then and now









the Gronert twins






They both initially enlisted into The Hampshire Regiment before volunteering for airborne forces and attending parachute course 63 at RAF Ringway, which ran from 4 to 17 May 1943. His instructors’ comments, _“Has jumped well”,_ were exactly the same as those made about his brother! Upon completion of the 8 jump course they were sent as reinforcements to the 1st Parachute Brigade, then based in North Africa, and posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion.

The twins saw service in the Italian campaign, September – November 1943. After returning to the United Kingdom in December, they were posted to 6 Platoon, B Company of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, which was commanded by Lieutenant Peter H Cane.

On Sunday 17 September 1944, ‘Tommy’ and his brother Claude parachuted onto DZ (Drop Zone) X near Heelsum in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. B Company was the second company to move off from the RV (Rendezvous Point) once the majority of the battalion had cleared the DZ. Later that day he was killed in action, along with his brother, in the railway yard of the Lower Oosterbeek Station, near the under-pass.

Pte Claude Gronert was initially buried at the junction of the Benedendorpsweg and Klingelbeekseweg railway viaduct. He now lies at rest in the Arnhem-Oosterbeek War Cemetery, in plot 18 A 18. His brother, ‘Tommy’, is buried next to him, in plot 18 A 17.

from the Oosterbeek perimiter, the tree in the courtyard of Oude Kerk Oosterbeek









and finally

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## Marcel (Jun 14, 2017)

I've not covered anything, Karl as I haven't posted any pictures, yet. I feel it's more your and Terry's story than mine. But I will add some later when I'm home.

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## rochie (Jun 14, 2017)

Marcel said:


> I've not covert anything, Karl as I haven't posted any pictures, yet. I feel it's more your and Terry's story than mine. But I will add some later when I'm home.


Oops, sorry mate, i didnt check but thought you'd added some pictures


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## Wurger (Jun 14, 2017)




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## Crimea_River (Jun 14, 2017)

Great stuff guys, Would love to join you on trips like these in future.

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## rochie (Jun 14, 2017)

Crimea_River said:


> Great stuff guys, Would love to join you on trips like these in future.


You know your more than welcome Andy


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## Marcel (Jun 14, 2017)

What do two British ex-paratroopers look like when they are in Oosterbeek?

Terry and Karl inside Hartenstein....




Outside the old church of Oosterbeek....





I know now that ex-paras have only one big eye....

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## Marcel (Jun 14, 2017)

But Karl actually has 2 eyes. This is him, wearing Terry's old red barret, which does look good on him, I think, although he probably won't agree..





Here Terry tries to take cover behind the corner of a house. This actually ws in the basement of Hartenstein where they really made a nice life-like diorama, which gives you a little bit the idea what it had been like (as if anything could).





Karl was not afraid, in the same basement..





At front of the old church tower. You can see the battle-scarred wall behind it. You can still see the holes made by the bullets during the battle.

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## rochie (Jun 14, 2017)

Terry needs Kieren's bazooka ! 

I was distracting the sniper so Terry could shoot him !

And that was the first time in almost 30 years i had worn a red beret !

Crap i am old.....

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## Marcel (Jun 14, 2017)

rochie said:


> Terry needs Kieren's bazooka !
> 
> I was distracting the sniper so Terry could shoot him !
> 
> ...


He missed, I didn't 

Okay, some more serious stuff then.
The facade of Hartenstein, the divisional HQ of General Urquhart.





The diorama in the basement. So there are 2 stories below the surface under Hartenstein. The first one is partly as it was during ww2, the other below has this big diorama. This is that last one:





We spent some time around the old church of Oosterbeek as Terry already told before.For me that is the place for Market Garden as it was the spot where the division finally escaped in a desperate attempt to cross the river. It also served as a place to take care of the wounded. It is now standing peacefully close to the river. Form afar you won't see anything that would remind you of what happened here. The church is very old, built in the 10th century. It survived everything through the centuries even the clash between British paras and German Königstigers.





My photo of Kate ter Horst's house. edit: to be correct, this is the house behind Kate ter Horst's house. I got the location wrong.




The battered church walls, you can still see the impacts of the bullets.

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## Wurger (Jun 14, 2017)




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## Old Wizard (Jun 14, 2017)




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## Gnomey (Jun 14, 2017)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Airframes (Jun 14, 2017)

Karl and Marcel, excellent contributions to the thread, thanks very much chaps.
Karl - you're getting old ?!!
Hell's teeth man, if that bald spot of mine gets any bigger, I'll look like a bleedin' monk !
And don't you _*dare *_call me Friar Fox !

Having stood in the tranquility of the church, and driven through the peaceful streets of the beautiful town of Oosterbeek, it could be hard, for some, to even imagine the raging battles that took place here, devastating the entire area - but Karl and I certainly felt a lump in our throats as we stood and looked around.
Lest we Forget .......................

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## Wayne Little (Jun 15, 2017)




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## Kingscoy (Jun 16, 2017)

Great photo's guys!


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## Marcel (Jun 16, 2017)

One correction Terry. The house we thought was Kate ter Horst's is not the correct one. The house was the one directly next to the church on the main road. The house we photographed was at the back of that one


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## Airframes (Jun 16, 2017)

Ah, I had a feeling it was the wrong one !


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## fubar57 (Jun 22, 2017)

Great shots guys


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## Marcel (Aug 4, 2018)

With the luxury of living in the Netherlands, I was at Oosterbeek again. This time I could visit the old church and see what it looked inside, so I thought I could add these photo's to this thread again for completeness. Hope you like it 

 rochie
and 

 Airframes


Inside the old church. In September 1944, the church was much bigger than it is now. After the war it's been restored to it's old Roman-style form. During the war, it also consisted of gothic style side parts and a big choir. The inside is simple as you can see. 

Towards the choir:






Towards the Tower, with my family in view.





Cushions to kneel on. A gift from British vetrans





The font, with airborne theme. It is shaped like a parachute and was also a gift from veterans





Bullet scar still visible in the old bible.





The old church is really very old. It's one of the oldest churches in the NL. This pot was part of the initiation ritual back in the 9th century. It was found during the rebuild after Market Garden.

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## Wurger (Aug 4, 2018)




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## Marcel (Aug 4, 2018)

Some extra pictures. First the real house that Kate lived in. Last time we wrongly assumed it was the house behind it.





All the victoria crosses that were earned in the battle. Detail: some seem to have 2 VC's. One was a replica to keep the real one in prime condition. When there is no replica, it was given posthumously. 





Some pictures of the Ginkelse Heide near Ede, one of the landing places.

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## Wurger (Aug 4, 2018)




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## rochie (Aug 4, 2018)

Thanks Marcel.

Going to try our best to get there again at some point next year, maybe spend more time in and around Arnhem and Oosterbeek


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## Crimea_River (Aug 4, 2018)

Thanks for sharing Marcel.


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## Airframes (Aug 4, 2018)

Great additions Marcel, and yes, I hope we can get back next year.
Oh, and thanks for the Post card from Oosterbeek.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Gnomey (Aug 4, 2018)

Lovely shots Marcel!


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