# A Bridge Too Far



## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Last weekend a group of us went to Holland for the Saab International Rally in Doesburg. One of the main reasons for going to this particular event is that Doesburg is very close to Arnhem so it was an ideal opportunity to go and see the bridge, memorial, and war cemetery.

For those that don't know, the bridge at Arnhem is the subject of the film A Bridge Too Far, the story of Operation Market Garden, a WWII operation designed to take control of the bridge over the Rhine, one of the key routes into Germany, from the Nazis and then to march into Germany.

Due to poor intelligence and other problems, the operation was not a success.

The bridge that stands here today is not the original bridge as the Germans blew up the bridge in Oct. 1944, leaving the Allied troops on the wrong side of the river preventing/delaying the march into Germany.

The bridge was rebuilt in the same style after the war and is named John Frost Brug (Bridge) after John Dutton Frost the commander of the Allied troops involved in Operation Market Garden.

Apologies for the less than perfect photos but, as you can see, it was a very dull overcast day.

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As all the original buildings were destroyed, the buildings around the bridge are modern therefore it was not possible to recreate a WWII setting so the bridge used in the film is actually the almost identical one in Deventer further up the river.
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The memorial to the events of Sept. 1944 is on a small triangle of land between the two roads.
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These steps are the original ones up to the bridge; the holes in them are bullet holes!!
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The chap in the burgundy blazer is Sam Rubens (seen here with Naranto and his good lady) and has his table of memorabilia set up at the memorial and tells the story of the Battle of Arnhem. Don't know if he's official, but he's been doing it for years.

He was 10 years old when the battle took place and lived about 100m from the bridge. He told us a very detailed account of the events and explained all the exhibits. A very friendly and knowledgeable man. We spent about 3/4 hour talking to him and put €30 in his collection tin.

The tie and badges he is wearing are all British military ones and have been given to him over the years by British military people who've visited the site. The tie is a West Yorks Regiment one IIRC.
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This is a stone from the church that stood near the bridge and was destroyed in the battle. The helmet is a British one.
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A blade from a propellor of a Lancaster bomber.
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Finally, this, moored next to the bridge, is apparently a floating drug rehab centre - I guess the psychedelic paint job appears a nice shade of yellow to the drug-damaged mind 
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## Crazy American (May 9, 2009)

Your Right , Americans are without a doubt the #1 Military Force in the World


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Crazy American said:


> Your Right , Americans are without a doubt the #1 Military Force in the World


No. 2 actually


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## timster (May 10, 2009)

I watched a documentry about this very subject a few years ago presented by jeremy clarkson.I'm sure john dutton frost was his father in law


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## timster (May 10, 2009)

Nope it was this guy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henry_Cain


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## rockape (Feb 18, 2007)

a very sad story,the biggest f**k up was due to to the fact they had no comms with the radios having the wrong crystals in them. and initially being dropped 8mls from there objective. colonel frost was co of 2para, who at the bridge were cut off from the rest of the brigade.


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## Pieface876 (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures, I would love to own some WW2 Memorobilia.

I did a whole report on Operation Market Garden for my History A2 (Waiting on the results still) and it is a really interesting subject. Would love to go to Arnhem and have a look around.


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Very interesting write up and photos, thanks for posting them :thumb:


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Pieface876 said:


> Thanks for the pictures, I would love to own some WW2 Memorobilia.
> 
> I did a whole report on Operation Market Garden for my History A2 (Waiting on the results still) and it is a really interesting subject. Would love to go to Arnhem and have a look around.


It's not that difficult to get to. We sailed Dover-Dunkerque (2 hrs) then it's ~240 miles from Dunkerque on good roads. :thumb:


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## GB_LOW (Aug 29, 2008)

That paint job is similar (if not actually) "dazzle ships" camoflage, exprimented with in WWI, designed to confuse perescope operators of German U boats destroying their sense of perspective, (is it coming toward me or away?)

more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage

yes dazzle ships was also an album by OMD.


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## freon warrior (May 31, 2006)

Great pictures, thanks. I did a battlefield tour with the Royal Engineers (Geo) last year, we spent 3 days studying 3 operations including Market Garden. We hired bikes and cycled in to town from the drop zone. One of the young soldiers had never been on a bike before, very funny.
The other studies were the Rhine crossings and 'Garden' the armoured thrust to relieve the airborne troops in Arnhem.


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

Market Garden was a wider operation than just Arnhem, it involved taking bridges also at Son, Veghel, Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem - and they took (or re-built as a Bailey bridge) all but one end of the Arnhem Bridge.
Arnhem itself wasn't relieved until mid-April 1945, so I can't see how the Yanks can be implicated in trapping any Allied forces north of the river as the 1st Airbourne operation there ended by late September 1944.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

RaceGlazer said:


> Market Garden was a wider operation than just Arnhem, it involved taking bridges also at Son, Veghel, Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem - and they took (or re-built as a Bailey bridge) all but one end of the Arnhem Bridge.
> Arnhem itself wasn't relieved until mid-April 1945, so I can't see how the Yanks can be implicated in trapping any Allied forces north of the river as the 1st Airbourne operation there ended by late September 1944.


You are indeed correct. Further research has shown that it was the retreating Germans who blew up the bridge in Oct. 1944 stranding the Allied forces, including the Americans, on the north side of the river thus hampering their advance into Germany.

Apologies to any Americans reading, I must have misunderstood/mis-remembered, what Sam told us. 

Original post duly edited.


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## Naranto (Apr 5, 2007)

Removed as moved to another post


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