Liberation Route Marker 025: Airborne landings

Airborne landings
The meadows at Wolfheze were a good location for the allied airborne landings. The allied forces suspected that there were German troops inside the psychiatric hospital and decided to bomb it. On 17 September 1944, the local population had to suffer three devastating rounds of bombings before gliders carrying their liberators appeared on the horizon.

On Sunday morning, 17th September 1944, the Allies bombed the asylum near Wolfheze. They thought it was being used as a German barracks and destroyed numerous buildings and the surrounding village in three waves of carpet bombs. Ninety-six civilians were killed. The bombings were preparation for the 1st British Airborne Division's airlandings drop near Wolfheze that afternoon. Their task was to secure the bridge over the River Rhine in Arnhem. At one o'clock, 134 gliders landed to the north and west of the village. Some landed in the trees, others were damaged on landing, often along with the equipment they were carrying. Then the parach

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze

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