Story Title: A Brief Stop To Pay Your Respects
Episode: 7
Broadcast Date: 8th February 2014
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

The Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery is a sobering reminder of the war that changed the world and the courage displayed by the men on the ground. It is almost impossible to picture the beautiful, peaceful waterways today as strategic theatres of war in the past, but it’s important never to forget.

A Bridge to Far

• Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands with almost 150,000 residents.
• It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located on both banks of the river Nederrijn as well as on the Sint-Jansbeek.
• In September 1944 British Field Marshall Montgomery sent 12,000 paratroopers from Holland, England Canada and Australia into Arhnem in an operation named Operation Market Garden.
• The operation failed due to British Intelligence ignoring Dutch Resistance reports that the SS were in the region, inaccurate maps regarding the layout of the roads in the Arnhem area, and the lack of range of the radios given to the men on the ground.
• 1500 young men lost their lives, 8000 troops were captured and today 1320 are buried here in a cemetery including 4 Australians.
• Today Europe’s river system is a transport network for trade and a way of defining Europe’s geography
• The Groote Kerk, St. Eusebius’ Church, built 1452–1560, lost most of its tower during World War II, of which part was reconstructed to a modern design and reopened in 1964. Officially the tower is not part of the church and is owned by the municipality.
• The Netherlands Open Air Museum, founded in 1912, is located outside the city. It includes antique houses, farms, and factories from different parts of the Netherlands.
• For more information on European Tours click here.

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