Memorial 82nd Airborne Division and Operation Veritable

This double memorial is dedicated to the 508th of the 82nd Airborne Division and to the entire operation Veritable.

On September 17, starting at 1:30 PM, the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division was dropped on both sides of the Groesbeek - Wyler road. The first goal was to secure the drop zone and then advance to the line roughly between Restaurant Rozenhof in Heilig Landstichting and Berg en Dal. This was achieved at 7:00 PM.

With these goals secured, the bridge could be looked ahead to. It was decided to send Company A and B via the Groesbeekseweg to the Waal Bridge, with Company G providing support from Berg en Dal via the Oude Kleefsebaan. They arrived around midnight up to 350 meters from the bridge, but no further.

The next day gliders would land on the landing zones east of Groesbeek. The 508th was meanwhile spread over the area up to the Maas-Waal Canal. In the morning a German counterattack took place from Wyler who captured the landing zone T. The only company that lay there could not hold back much. Another counterattack captured the southern drop zone N. The units were from Division 406 who attacked Kampfgruppen with various, quickly gathered.

The Americans were able to recapture landing zone T around 2 pm, just in time for the arrival of the gliders.

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Source

• Text: Jeroen Koppes
• Photos: Jeroen Koppes (1), Arjan Vrieze (2, 3)
• KERSHAW, R., It Never Snows in September.
• MARGRY, K., Operation Market-Garden, 2002.

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