A Bridge Too Far..................

[Olle]

My brother and I went to Holland many years ago, and when we got to Arnhem we decided to see the bridge. For some reason (probably the Dutch beer) we couldn't find it, so after half an hour of zig-zaging through the wrong parts of town we decided to give up and get on our way south. Once we turned a corner onto one of the main drags, there it was. It was kind of weird to see it, it looked just like in old pictures and it was like driving into a history book.

[NoncomRetired]

I lost all my photos of the John Frost Bridge in Arnheim. The hardtop road leading up to that bridge on the Arnheim side still have some british MIAs over them.
Here is a photo of the bridge in Nijmegen that the 82nd took or so the movie portrayed. There was and still is a railroad bridge that runs along side the traffic bridge about 300 meters away. When Maj Cook of his 504th crossed in boats and attacked the railroad bridge, by the time they realized the mistake, the Guards Div was already across the mined traffic bridge.
When I visited the crossing area, both sides, that was a goosebumps experience.

BTW, do you remember the lake in the park between the two streets leading up to the bridge and from the bridge, supposedly there is a FW-190 in it, it was shot down, hit one of the two church spirals and went into that lake or so I was told by a dutrch friend of mine that had a basement full of dugup American, british and german weapons and many he had restored. He searched for American MIAs and had found a few when I first met him.

(My mistake, that is the John Frost Bridge now that I noticed the two block houses on the left and right.) I found my photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is the Pegasus sign on the bridge.

Originally Posted by Olle

My brother and I went to Holland many years ago, and when we got to Arnhem we decided to see the bridge. For some reason (probably the Dutch beer) we couldn't find it, so after half an hour of zig-zaging through the wrong parts of town we decided to give up and get on our way south. Once we turned a corner onto one of the main drags, there it was. It was kind of weird to see it, it looked just like in old pictures and it was like driving into a history book.

[NoncomRetired]

Here is the street before the entrance to the Nijmegen Bride, just past the kiosk the street goes left. There was real heavy fighting at that entrance, it was held by german paratroops. The last photo was some of my british para collection. That blouse belonged to a Cpl Kane of the Ox and Bucks who was part of the assault on the Melville Battery at Normandy.

The print hanging on the wall is of the John Frost Bridge during the battle, it was signed all the way around by vets of both Arnheim and Oosterbeek at the 40th Anniversary in Arnheim.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by NoncomRetired

BTW, do you remember the lake in the park between the two streets leading up to the bridge and from the bridge, supposedly there is a FW-190 in it, it was shot down, hit one of the two church spirals and went into that lake or so I was told by a dutrch friend of mine that had a basement full of dugup American, british and german weapons and many he had restored. He searched for American MIAs and had found a few when I first met him.

This was in the late 80's, and I don't remember that lake. I do remember the sight of that bridge though, and the street view in your picture looks exactly like what we saw when we turned onto that street. I have seen a lot of pictures, so there was a lot to take in while slowly driving across the bridge. The movie was shot in a different location, but even if I have seen it numerous times I still couldn't tell much of a difference.

There was also a great museum somewhere in that area, IIRC close to a war cemetary. It was an old mansion with a Sherman sitting in the driveway, and they had a lot of neat stuff. One thing that stood out was a display that showed soldiers and equipment from Germany, USA and England. Seeing the differences between the German's well made hi tech gear and the Allied's somewhat dated and utilitarian looking stuff was probably the most memorable part, and it sure made you wonder how the Germans would have done under a different commander.

[Olle]

BTW: The present bridge is not the same as the original one, which was destroyed later on in the war. However, it's an exact replica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frost_Bridge

[alanint]

Originally Posted by Olle

One thing that stood out was a display that showed soldiers and equipment from Germany, USA and England. Seeing the differences between the German's well made hi tech gear and the Allied's somewhat dated and utilitarian looking stuff was probably the most memorable part, and it sure made you wonder how the Germans would have done under a different commander.

While the German weapons and armor were generally superior, their uniforms, load bearing equipment, footwear, rations and personal items lagged far behind the US. Our webgear was revolutionary and still in use today, (if you've ever taken a German equipment belt off, all the gear slides to the back or right off the belt unless you control both ends).

[NoncomRetired]

Originally Posted by Olle

This was in the late 80's, and I don't remember that lake. I do remember the sight of that bridge though, and the street view in your picture looks exactly like what we saw when we turned onto that street. I have seen a lot of pictures, so there was a lot to take in while slowly driving across the bridge. The movie was shot in a different location, but even if I have seen it numerous times I still couldn't tell much of a difference.

There was also a great museum somewhere in that area, IIRC close to a war cemetary. It was an old mansion with a Sherman sitting in the driveway, and they had a lot of neat stuff. One thing that stood out was a display that showed soldiers and equipment from Germany, USA and England. Seeing the differences between the German's well made hi tech gear and the Allied's somewhat dated and utilitarian looking stuff was probably the most memorable part, and it sure made you wonder how the Germans would have done under a different commander.

This was the place.................it was used as the Cmd Hdqs and a hospital. It is the museum today. Foxholes were all over the place around it and the famous photo and film of a mortar crew was dug-in the front yard. Those three guys survived the war and when they went back for the making of that film, they dug up that mortar tube that they had buried and it's now in the Border Regt Museum in Carlyle. There is a legend that there was a bounty on their heads because of their accuracy.

The other photo is of the famous 'Crossroads' just down the street from the museum. Most fought over place in Oosterbeek. Two of the corner places were field hospitals, one german, one british. I met up with my dutch buddies in the british one which was and is still a coffee shop. Turn left at the crossroad and it takes you to that cemetery which is the same cemetery about in the photos. You can still see bullet holes in the bricks inside and a mural covers one wall of the inside wounded during the battle.



http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem...rderMortar.htm

I had their autographs in the book "The History of the Border Regt", sadly I don't have that book anymore, it was filled with autographs and a gift from the Border Regt for my contribution to the museum of the helmet that belonged to a Pvt Stanley that was KIA and is still MIA. I corresponded with his hole mate when he was shot through the head by a sniper. Stanley was buried in that foxhole and is still there. I corresponded with his sister also and even though his foxhole could be pinpointed by his holemate, Stanley's brother wanted him left there. Benny and I never got the chance to search the ground for him, family wishes. His sister sent me a war time photo of her brother which I gave to the museum also.