Luisterplek: Terugtrekking uit Oosterbeek

After a week of fighting it became clear that Operation Market Garden had failed. At that time many British and Polish paratroopers were trapped and found themselves on the wrong side of the Rhine. Many were evacuated on September 25, 1944.

After days of fighting, it became clear on September 25 that the Allied positions north of the Rhine were untenable. That same night, the Allies tried to remove as many of their soldiers as possible from the Oosterbeek area. This operation was codenamed ‘Berlin’. On the south side of the river, Canadian and British engineers coordinated the escape, which took place during heavy downpours. The engineers repeatedly crossed the river to help the exhausted soldiers across. Meanwhile, the British 30th Army Corps tried to mask the evacuation with heavy artillery fire.

The evacuation was partly possible because of the determined Polish paratroopers who, under the leadership of General Sosabowski, stood their ground near Driel. They held off the Germans long enough for 2,400 cornered soldiers to cross the Rhine. On the early Tuesday morning of September 26, Operation Berlin had to be aborted due to the increasing heavy artillery from the Germans. Even then, many soldiers tried to swim to the other side. Some made it, others drowned. About three hundred soldiers who were on the river bank had to give up. With this surrender, the Battle of Arnhem, and at the same time Operation Market Garden, came to an end. Of the 10,600 paratroopers dropped near Arnhem, 2,398 were evacuated, 1,485 were killed and 6,414 were captured.

Tourist information

Westerbouwing, Oosterbeek. Parking lot of restaurant De Westerbouwing. GPS code: 51˚58’30.77”N 5˚49’19.93”E