Operation Market Garden on this day 17th September 1944.

The Battle of Arnhem was a pivotal battle of the Second World War with its aim to secure the bridges for the Rhine crossings and the advance in to Germany.

It was mainly fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze and Driel and the surrounding countryside from the 17th to the 26th of September 1944.

The British were forces fought hard in and around the western suburb of Oosterbeek and held out for nine days as depicting in the famous film “A Bridge To Far”. Supplies and the reinforcements that was expected from the advancing army was not able to reached them.

Those gallant men put up an heroic struggle against overwhelming odds and it is estimated that over 300 Irish men from both the North and South of Ireland were involved in the Battle for Arnhem.

Our losses are estimated at 1,485 were killed, 6,500 taken prisoner and 2,400 escaped to fight another day.
It is often said that British intelligence had been flawed and the paratroopers, while seizing the north end of the bridge, were quickly outnumbered”

Local links involve men such as Corporal Robert (Bobbie) Hunter from Logwood Mill, Ballyclare was serving with the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment and had made it to the bridge. He made it out and fought on and is remembered in Ballylinney Presbyterian Church.

An interesting story we came across tying in many of Irish connections is that one of the Army chaplains in the battle of Arnhem was Alan Buchanan who hailed from Fintona in County Tyrone. He was taken prisoner and finished the war in Stalag X1-B in Fallingbostel. After the war he become the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.

We have many direct and indirect links to the Operation as well as artefacts and stories including a uniform to the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade through the War Years Remembered Collection.