In a recent commemoration in The Netherlands, around 1500 people took part in a mass parachute drop, including a 97-year-old Arnhem veteran from Scotland who reenacted the jump he made at age 22.
Operation Market Garden, portrayed in the 1977 film, “A Bridge Too Far”, was one of the largest allied operations of WW2, intended to seize a series of bridges along the Dutch-German border. Arnhem’s bridge was crucial because it was the last means of escape for the German forces in The Netherlands and an excellent route into Germany for the Allied forces. However, it was “a bridge too far.”
After heavy fighting, the Allies lost the Battle of Arnhem. Around 15,000 allied soldiers—and thousands of German soldiers—were killed. More than 6,000 were taken prisoner. Arnhem itself was destroyed and the war in Europe dragged on until the final liberation came in 1945.
Read Sandy's story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-49772050
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