The Battle of Arnhem 80th Anniversary

 In 2003, when I last attended a memorial event in Arnhem, many of the Marker Garden veterans were present - enjoying the enduring comradeship of a local population who, in many instances, had vivid memories of the turbulent events which occurred there in September 1944. The returning ex-paratroopers in their maroon 'Airborne' berets were feted as heroes. Sadly most of the veterans are gone, but it is a testament to their bravery that the legacy of their fight for Arnhem lives on. In the company of three good friends I visited the town again earlier this week and was taken aback by the extent to which the struggle to liberate Arnhem from the yoke of Nazism continues to resonate with the generations that followed those with first hand experience.

Dutch schoolchildren at the Airborne Needle

For this 80th anniversary every other house seemed to be flying the 1st British Airborne 'pegasus' flag and Union Jacks were everywhere. Sight of our British number plate often prompted a wave or a toot of a horn. In cafes and shops, we were treated like long lost friends and acknowledged as being from a country that "liberated us". 

On the 17th September of this year - on the 80th anniversary of the first parachute drop into Arnhem, we attended a service of thanksgiving at the 1st British Airborne Memorial (known to the locals as 'The Needle') near to the Hartenstein in Oosterbeek. It was incredibly moving to see local school children playing a major role in every aspect of the proceedings - handing the wreaths to those who were going to lay them at the foot of the memorial, speaking from the podium and listening attentively to the words being spoken. 

Representatives from the Parachute Regiment

As the day progressed, the largesse of the locals did not diminish. At the Heelsum Landing Grounds Memorial we met the granddaughter of the man who built this important structure in the summer of 1945. Constructed out of material scavenged from the battlefield, a six-pounder field gun is framed by dropped parachute containers, glider struts and guide rails - plus other Airborne accoutrements. Her mother placed flowers on the memorial on the 17th September every year, and this year a third generation will continue the tradition. 

The Heelsum Memorial

Moving towards the main road bridge in Arnhem along the route that was taken by John Frost's Battalion on the first day of the battle, we lingered at the St Elizabeth Hospital which is situated at the point where a hastily formed German battlegroup had prevented the bulk of 1st British Airborne from reaching their objective. The hospital has been converted into apartments and on hearing our British accents a resident invited us in. What a privilege it was to see the internal spaces of the building looking much as they were at the start of the battle before the place was given over to the military doctors, nurses and civilan helpers who laboured over injured combatants from both sides as the fighting raged outside.

The Main Staircase, St Elizabeth's Hospital, Arnhem

I did have another motive for visiting the town though. Walter Barnden, a man from Clevedon (my home town) was killed during the Battle of Arnhem on the 24th September 1944. 

Much has been written about the British, Polish and American airborne troops who fought in the Market Garden operation. Their fight to secure the bridges over various rivers and canals to secure a 60 mile salient from which 21st Army Group would launch a decisive push into the German Ruhr is rightly remembered as a heroic effort. However, the linked advance of XXX Corps along 'Hell's Highway' (or the Cab Route in British military parlance) was also heavily contested and provoked some of the heaviest fighting.

The spot where Gunner Barnden was killed

The road to Elst - where Gnr Barnden was killed

The area between Nijmegen and Arnhem was known as 'The Island' and it was here, in Driel, that the Polish 1st Parachute Brigade was dropped in an attempt to relive the hard pressed men of 1st British Airborne who had been pushed back into a horseshoe shaped defensive position in Oosterbeek, a suburb of Arnhem on the opposite side of the Lower Rhine. They didn't have the means to cross the river and were under attack by the crack 10th SS Panzer Division, newly bolstered by the recently reconstituted 501st Heavy Tank Battalion. 

Walter Barnden served with the 59th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery and his battery had been moved up from Nijmagen to assist in an attack on Elst. Deployed near the town of Valburg as part of the 43rd Wessex Division, the battery was faced with formidable opposition in the shape of Tiger and Panther tanks. Indeed, the 501st had just been equipped with 42 'King' Tigers - at 70 tons these were very formidable machines, capable of withstanding the impact of most types of Allied ordnance. Gunner Barnden was killed whilst serving one of the anti-tank guns on the 24th September 1944.

Upturned Tiger between Valburg and Elst (Bauke Huisman)

Despite my best endeavours, I haven't been able to find a picture of Walter George David Barnden (service Number. 937475), however what is known is that he was married to Cynthia Josephine (nee Colley) of Clevedon. His parents were from Brislington in Bristol. Gunner Barnden is buried in the beautiful Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Oosterbeek, one of 1530 British and Commonwealth soldiers interred there. His wife chose an epitaph that would melt the coldest of hearts - Treasured memories of my darling husband. I loved you too much to forget.

Walter Barnden's grave / Oosterbeek Military Cemetery

Gunner Barnden's sacrifice is certainly not forgotten. Each grave in the Oosterbeek Military Cemetery is 'owned' and tended by a local young person of school age. Every year on the anniversary of the battle, the designated child leaves flowers and lights a candle in front of the headstone. I can think of no other military cemetery where the locals have such a strong connection with those who fought for their freedom. It seems to me that the bond between Arnhem and the people of the UK will endure for many years to come.

For the story of the first Arnhem casualties who are buried in Weston-super-Mare click here. 

For my photographs from the Arnhem 80 (2024) trip click here.

To read about my 2003 visit to Arnhem click here. 

Fairy Tales, Royalty & Bouncing Bombs (1943)

Having taken a family road trip down Germany's 'Romantic Road' to the Austrian border a few years back, my wife and I decided to strike north this year and cover the so-called 'Fairy Tale' route which runs from Hanau (near Frankfurt am Main) to Buxtehude, a short distance from Hamburg. The route covers locations associated with the Brothers Grimm - Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, the Pied Piper of Hameln and lots of other well-known stories. On the Romantic Road, I'd managed to squeeze in a couple of military history orientated side trips to Nuremberg and Berchtesgaten. The Fairy Tale route seemed to offer similar opportunities. One such diversion was to the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, home to one of the dams breeched by the RAF's 617 Squadron on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943.

The Eder Dam

No self-respecting history buff should visit the Eder Dam without first calling on Oliver Koehler who owns and runs the Dambusters Museum in Edersee. The museum is easy to spot as right outside there is a full size replica of an 'Upkeep' device - a huge cylinder known in popular culture as a 'bouncing bomb'. One can't fault Oliver's enthusiasm for the Dambusters story and his passion for all things British. The reception area is festooned with pictures of the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and other members of the Royal Family. Before a guided tour of his extensive Dambusters collection, my wife and I were obliged to watch a tribute film to the late Queen Elizabeth - no problem, it was very good. Apparently Oliver had attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace a few years back and in the line up the Queen had remarked "so you are the Dambusters man". In that one brief introduction she had secured the lifelong loyalty and devotion of this eccentric German. 

My Wife and Oliver + a Bouncing Bomb

The Eder Dam is a five minute drive from the museum, and it is a lovely spot. The main approach has been pedestrianised and there are a number of cafes, an information centre (unsurprisingly not covering Chastise) and a big wheel where paying customers can get a spectacular view of the lake. History records how difficult it was for the Lancasters of 617 Squadron to breech the Eder Dam, and visiting the site it is clear why this was so. The reservoir is surrounded by steep sided escarpments and the run in to the dam for an aircraft flying at less than 100 feet would clearly have been perilous. Indeed, in his book 'Chastise' the author Max Hastings makes the point that the crew of an attacking aircraft would have less than a minute to aim and release their payload. Coming over the hill topped by the Schloss Waldeck the pilot would need to skip over the Hammerberg Bluff, switch direction, drop to the required height, release Upkeep at exactly the right moment before executing a tight upward turn to avoid crashing into a sheer wall of wooded mountain known as the Michelkopf.

On the Dam towards the Michelkopf

On the night the dam was not defended, no doubt it was felt that the natural defences would be enough - though it is surprising that Luftwaffe night fighters were not mobilised given that four Lancasters were over the dam for over 45 minutes (three attacking plus Gibson's aircraft). the first Lancaster made four approaches but didn't release knowing that the bomb had to hit the dam in exactly the right place having bounced twice. The second Lancaster missed the timing, and was damaged when its' Upkeep exploded harmlessly on the lip of the dam. The third Lancaster, N-for Nuts piloted by an Aussie, Les Knight a former accountant from Melbourne, hit the bulls eye -knocking a hole in the dam which quickly developed into a major breech. The consequences were severe (for those persons who were caught below - of course - and for the local war economy) as several million gallons of water poured into the valley below.

Models in the Dambusters Museum, Edersee

The dam was repaired surprisingly quickly, under the direction of good Nazi (sic) Albert Speer. Nowadays one can stroll across to the northern side where there are a handful of lakeside restaurants and a couple of jetties where one can hire a boat or take a trip on the lake. The two towers which were used to orientate the bomb aiming point are still there, indeed the only indication of the breech is the discolouration on the wall of the dam where the repair was completed (see first image above). Aside from Oliver's wonderful establishment in nearby Edersee there is nothing to indicate what happened on the night of the 16th / 17th May 1943, and that is, perhaps, as it should be. 

My Eder Dam photographs on Flickr - click here.