Liberation Route Marker 101: Into an ambush

Into an ambush
Soon after crossing the border, British XXXth Army Corps tanks drive into an ambush. The advance starts on September 17, 1944 and aims to quickly reach Arnhem. But at a little distance from here, it is already halted for the first time. Fierce fighting ensues and valuable time is lost. A week earlier, a very different drama had also taken place here.

Soon after the start of the advance to Arnhem, British tanks of the XXXth Corps drove into an ambush. A hastily-formed German combat unit, the Kampfgruppe Walther, was waiting for them. The Germans set a number of British tanks on fire. These tanks then blocked the road and fierce fighting broke out. The advance came to a halt. The British only gained the upper hand through air support from Typhoon fighter-bombers.

But precious time had been lost. Eindhoven, the target of this day, was not reached. The aim of the operation was to launch a fast attack in order to reach Arnhem within 2 to 4 days. The first delay had taken place.

A week earlier, a dramatic event took place here. The Germans captured four residents of Borkel and Schaft. After they were “released”, they were fired upon. Two of them did not survive.

Audiospot - Into an ambush

Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Geert-Jan van Glabbeek