The people who experienced it can still see it now. The relentless stream of planes, in September 1944, from which hundreds and hundreds of paratroopers jump to liberate the Netherlands.
The people who experienced it can still see it now. The relentless stream of planes, in September 1944, from which hundreds and hundreds of paratroopers jump to liberate the Netherlands. Fights broke out everywhere around the Ginkelse Heide with German troops who stubbornly resisted.
The 1st British Airborne Division was tasked with capturing the Rhine Bridge near Arnhem. They landed west of Arnhem in three days in September 1944. The dropping site for the second day, September 18, was the Ginkelse Heide near Ede. The 7th battalion The King’s Own Scottish Borderers is deployed to defend the heath. This battalion landed north of Wolfheze on September 17. Their positions around the heath were attacked by several German units, supported by armored vehicles.
The heath proves to be too large to adequately defend, and the Scots lose ground. On Monday afternoon, September 18, the 4th Parachute Brigade landed. Just before landing, the Scots drive the Germans off the heath with a frantic attack… About 2,000 men jump, completely surprised, into an inferno of bullets, smoke and fire. Despite the anti-aircraft defense and problems with dismounting, 90% of the paratroopers land within the drop zone. The advance towards Arnhem begins around 5 p.m.
Tourist information
N224 (Ede-Arnhem), near the sheepfold on the Ginkelse Heide near Ede. Next to the Airborne Monument. GPS code: 52°02’13.36”N 5°44’02.92”E
- Category:
- Landmark
- Outdoor recreation
Address and contact
Ginkelse Heide (Verlengde Arnhemseweg)
Ede
