EB went to Market Garden 63rd Anniversary

[EmersonBigguns]

Alright....still in the Market Garden area.



The Uruquart House as made famous by the movie A Bridge Too Far. And the Hartenstein Hotel, now a museum dedicated to the British 1st Airborne.







Yet again...almost but not quite....



We did a shotgun tour of everything south of Arnhem in one day and as such really saw very little. Here are some of the highlights. Some shots from Nimegen Bridge...I was told that this is the original bridge from 1944. However, in the near future a new bridge will be built alongside this one to accomodate the increase in traffic. you can't stop progress I guess.









Another 'almost' then and now shot.



An old German bunker on the North side of the Bridge.

[EmersonBigguns]

The Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial is located about three kilometers north of the village of Groesbeek, Netherlands. The cemetery contains 2,338 Canadian soldiers of World War II. Many of the dead interred here were re-interred from temporary burial in Germany. It is believed that all fallen Canadian soldiers of the Rhineland battles, who were buried in German battlefields, were reinterred here (except for one who is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery). General H.D.G. Crerar, who commanded Canadian land forces in Europe, ordered that Canadian dead were not to be buried in German soil.





















The wall which lists the names of those whose bodies were never recovered. At the bottom, on the left side of the wreath, there is a small plant with a card that reads the following:

"Staff Seargent Gordon Albert Rickwood. Killed in Action at Arnhem, 18 Septmebr 1944. To Dad, with thanks for being my guardian angel. Anne, 2007"

[EmersonBigguns]

Heading further south along Hell's Highway...
The General Gavin Monument in the village of Groesbeek.



The old lock bridge over the Maas Waal Canal near Mohlenhoek. This Bridge, demolished in 1991, was captured by the 504th PIR, 82nd Airbirne on 17 September 1944. There was a temporary US Cemetery near this cite as well.



The Bridge over the Maas River was also captured on 17 September by the 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne.





Here is a link to an excellent first person account of the of one F Company trooper at the Mass Bridge and beyond:

The Capture of the Maas River Bridge


Bunker which guards the South End of the Bridge.



The monument to the 501st PIR at the Eerde windmill. The remnants of the windmill are in the background. On 18 September 1944, sgt. Jacob Wingard of the 501st PIR was KIA within the windmill, taking a bullet in the chest as he guided mortar fire using the windmill as an observation post. Here is a picture of Wingate and one of his marker at Margraten Cemetery.

[EmersonBigguns]

Henri Chappelle American Cemetery.












Frederick W. Castle






Rank and organization: Brigadier General. Assistant Commander, 4th Bomber Wing, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Germany, 24 December 1944. Entered service at: Mountain Lake, N.J. Born: 14 October 1908, Manila P.I. G.O. No. 22, 28 February 1947. Citation: He was air commander and leader of more than 2,000 heavy bombers in a strike against German airfields on 24 December 1944. En route to the target, the failure of 1 engine forced him to relinquish his place at the head of the formation. In order not to endanger friendly troops on the ground below, he refused to jettison his bombs to gain speed maneuverability. His lagging, unescorted aircraft became the target of numerous enemy fighters which ripped the left wing with cannon shells. set the oxygen system afire, and wounded 2 members of the crew. Repeated attacks started fires in 2 engines, leaving the Flying Fortress in imminent danger of exploding. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the bail-out order was given. Without regard for his personal safety he gallantly remained alone at the controls to afford all other crewmembers an opportunity to escape. Still another attack exploded gasoline tanks in the right wing, and the bomber plunged earthward. carrying Gen. Castle to his death. His intrepidity and willing sacrifice of his life to save members of the crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

[EmersonBigguns]

[EmersonBigguns]

Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten

[EmersonBigguns]

Walter C. Wetzel
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 13th Infantry, 8th Infantry Division. Place and date: Birken, Germany, 3 April 1945. Entered service at: Roseville, Mich. Birth: Huntington, W. Va. G.O. No.: 21, 26 February 1946. Citation: Pfc. Wetzel, an acting squad leader with the Antitank Company of the 13th Infantry, was guarding his platoon's command post in a house at Birken, Germany, during the early morning hours of 3 April 1945, when he detected strong enemy forces moving in to attack. He ran into the house, alerted the occupants and immediately began defending the post against heavy automatic weapons fire coming from the hostile troops. Under cover of darkness the Germans forced their way close to the building where they hurled grenades, 2 of which landed in the room where Pfc. Wetzel and the others had taken up firing positions. Shouting a warning to his fellow soldiers, Pfc. Wetzel threw himself on the grenades and, as they exploded, absorbed their entire blast, suffering wounds from which he died. The supreme gallantry of Pfc. Wetzel saved his comrades from death or serious injury and made it possible for them to continue the defense of the command post and break the power of a dangerous local counterthrust by the enemy. His unhesitating sacrifice of his life was in keeping with the U.S. Army's highest traditions of bravery and heroism.















Me and my good friend Frank Gubbels, a Dutch National who lives near the cemetery.

[EmersonBigguns]

From here we left the Market Garden area of operations and headed into the Hurtgenwald. From there it was on to Remagen, photos which I posted in another thread, and then onto Luxembourg and Belgium some.

So what do y'all think?

-EB

[Owen]

Excellent thread EB.
I've yet to get to that area.
I'm sure I will as I'm gradually "doing" the battlefields of 43rd Wessex Div.
I would never have tried to swim the river, I expect I'd have drowned half way...no quarter of the way.
That was one helluva trip you did there.
Great one.

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by EmersonBigguns

So what do y'all think?

-EB

Great stuff, like a really rather good magazine article.
Particularly impressed with the swim, now that's dedication to a historical interest!

Cheers,
Adam.