Vector of Memory John Frost Bridge

At 8 p.m. on Sept. 17, 1944, the 2nd Parachute Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Frost reached the Rhine Bridge in Arnhem. This was the northernmost bridge to be taken during Operation Market Garden. If the British could hold the bridge until Allied ground forces reached them, the road to the heart of Nazi Germany lay open In the original plan of Operation Market Garden, entire 1st Airborne Division with some 10,000 men were to defend the Rhine Bridge In practice, the north end of the bridge was taken by Frost and about 150 soldiers. After more than three days of sustained fighting, they had to surrender. Most of the British troops including Frost were made prisoners of war. The battle for the Rhine Bridge cost 81 the 750 British soldiers their lives. In 1977, the Rhine Bridge was renamed the John Frost Bridge.

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Source

• Text: Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Koos Winkelman

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