Memorial Waalcrossing at Nijmegen

At this location on September 20, 1944 the Waalcrossing was executed with 26 canvas boats by the Third Battalion of the 504th Regimental Combat Team led by Major Julian Cook.

The 504th Regimental Combat Team was formed from the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion and the 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion of the US 82nd Airborne Division. De Waalcrossing was further supported by covering fire from the 153rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery and Sherman tanks of the Grenadier Guards.

During the Waal crossing and the fightings that accured the days after that in the Betuwe after that, 48 American soldiers were killed. Remarkably, not 48 but 49 names are on the stone. That is the result of an error discovered by historian Frank van Lunteren and as described by reporter Dorine Steenbergen from De Gelderlander during her research for a book about the Waalcrossing.

New on the monument is the name of radioman Norris Case, who was killed at the crossing, but until recently was not listed on the Roll of Honour. On that list, but wrongly, was Gerald Page Hereford who died later. That name is still on the new memorial out of piety, which now has 49 names.

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