Closer views of the Airborne Monument, Oosterbeek, the Netherlands.

Details on base:-

British poppy wreaths and Dutch wreaths~:-

In a green space off the main road through Osterbeek town lies an impressive monument to the paratroops who landed at Oosterbeek in the Battle of Arnhem. It seems to be known as the Needle:-

This marker gives information about the monument, built in 1947 despite a shortage of materials at the time:-

Neraby is this information stone about the Battle of Arnhem and the Monument:-

Perimeter Route marker:-

View of monument from approach path:-

At the top of the road which lies between Oosterbeek Civil Cemetery and Oosterbeek War Cemetery I found this memorial to those who died trying to resupply the ground forces during the Battle of Arnhem.

Dedication:-

Names (which unfortunately turned out blurry):-

Across the access road from the War Cemetery at Oosterbeek is the civil cemetery. On its gates it had a Commonwealth War Graves sign. These graves were of RAF personnel shot down in earlier years of World War 2 while on bombing missions.

Sergeant F T Lay, Flight Engineer, RAF, 3/2/43, aged 21, Pilot Officer W M Smith, RAF, 29/7/1942 and Sergeant A Aldridge, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, 29/7/1942, aged 20:-

Sergeant J P Harper, Flight Engineer, RAF, 19/7/1943, aged 21, Sergeant C A S Barnett, Navigator, RAF, 15/7/1943, aged 19 and Sergeant H Biggin, RAF Volunteer Reserve, 15/7/1943:-

Sergeant J W Deacon, Air Bomber, RAF, 15/7/1943, aged 20, Sergeant H R Rhodes, Air Gunner, RAF, 15/7/1943, aged 22 and Sergeant G S Cole, Pilot, RAF, 15/7/1943:-

Inside the cemetery by the hedge at the roadside was this structure made of metal hexagons. I couldn’t see a sign indicating what it was:-

There were three more unusually shaped headstones at Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Looking at their dedications and dates of death I assume these are the graves of caretakers employed by the Commision to tend the cemetery. There is a tradition of these caretakers marrying locally and, especially in Northern France, of their children taking over the job on their retirement.

Herbert Alaster Denham, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 31/8/1963, aged 49.

Percy Henry Dawson, 24/5/1987 aged 71 and William Gregory, 20/10/1988, aged 80:-

And here’s another panorama of war graves within the cemetey:-

I was sad to read that while I was away in The Netherlands Scottish poet and novelist John Burnside has died.

I only knew him through his prose, which I first came across through the inclusion on that list of the 100 Best Scottish Books (nearly all of which I have now read) of his novel Living Nowhere. After reading that I bought his other fiction books whenever I happened upon them. I have reviewed those I have read here, here, here and here. Every single one is excellent.

John Burnside: 19/3/1955 – 29/5/2024. So it goes.

I couldn’t visit Arnhem without going to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery near Oosterbeek, the place where many casualties of the attempt to capture the John Frost Bridge during Operation Market Garden are buried.

The cemetery is in a quiet location off a side road up a side road.

The path from the car park takes you past the cemetery identifier:-

Beside that is this domed pillar marking local children’s annual commemoration of the battle:-

This plaque beside the entrance informs us that 1754 soldiers or airmen are buried within:-

War Graves Commission information board. More than 90 Polish members of the Parachute Brigade are buried here. I also noted three Dutch graves while walking round:-

View of cemetery from gates, Stone of Remembrance to fore and Cross of Sacrifice behind:-

Cross of Sacrifice. British poppy wreaths with Netherlands wreath on grass:-

As in most Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries the gates are flanked by two buildings which usually contain lists of the buried and the locations within the cemetery of their graves:-

On the wall of one of these were two plaques describing the Arnhem Battle and its place within the wider campaign to liberate Western Europe:-

I scheduled posts every two days or so to fill the gap while I’ve been away for a couple of weeks. We were in The Netherlands again, visiting the good lady’s brother and sister-in-law.

I’ve still not caught up here with the photos I took there last year.

Public sculpture seems to be a feature of The Netherlands. This sculpture lay to the east of John Frost Bridge:-

Just to the northeast of the bridge this building had a model cow on its roof:-

Closer View:-

This building was very 1950s-60s in style:-

An impressive looking church in Arnhem:-

John Frostbrug in Dutch, this is the famous bridge too far, except it’s a replacement for the original Rhine Bridge fought over in the Second World War during Operation Market Garden. It’s somewhere in The Netherlands I’ve always wanted to visit.

I must say the River Rhine looks not very wide here – not as wide as the Clyde at Dumbarton certainly. Still an obstacle to an army though:-

Eastern guard post. Slight Deco styling.  I assume this is original:-

Western guard post. Note groove up the middle of steps, for wheeling bicycles up and down.:-

Reverse view of bridge:-

Roadway:-

Commemorative plaque with inscription to John Frost by roadway on north side of bridge:-