Operation Market Garden commemorated with paratroopers in Ede, Dutch king to attend

Eighty years after the landing of the airborne troops in September 1944, which was part of the Allied liberation operation Market Garden, the events will be commemorated on the Ginkelse Heide near Ede. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the commemoration of the airborne landings. King Willem-Alexander will also take part in the commemoration. He will lay the first wreath at the Airborne Memorial and meet several World War II veterans. Fifteen veterans from countries including Canada and the United Kingdom will probably be present on Saturday, the oldest of whom was born in 1921.

Both in the morning and part of the afternoon, paratroopers will land on the Ginkelsche Heide to commemorate the landing of the airborne troops in 1944. That year, more than 2,000 Allied paratroopers were dropped on this open plain between Ede and Wolfheze. They aimed to advance to Arnhem and capture the Rhine bridge from the Germans. Hundreds of paratroopers from the 11 Air Mobile Brigade and others will be in action on Saturday in a mass drop to commemorate and honor them. In addition, some soldiers from this unit will perform a free fall from a great height. There will also be parachute jumps from a 1944 Dakota transport plane and an air show featuring historic aircraft. The exact start times for the flight program depend on the weather.

De eerste sprongen zijn gemaakt in de #dropzone bij de #herdenking #MarketGarden80 op de Ginkelse heide bij #Ede. De eerste groep parachutisten kwamen vanuit een #Dakota #DC3 die ook in 1944 vloog. #airborne #LestWeForget #OpdatWeNietVergeten pic.twitter.com/2sBtgLarUx

— Sylvia van Straalen (@siarella99) September 21, 2024

Luchtlandingen Ginkelse Heide @GemeenteEde. Herdenking Operatie Market Garden.#NeverForget #80jaarmarketgarden pic.twitter.com/Mb0MwdEC9o

— Wim Verboom (@wim_verboom) September 21, 2024

In the early afternoon, the official commemoration of Operation Market Garden will take place at the Airborne Memorial in the Ginkelse Heide. The mayor of Ede, René Verhulst, and Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, will give speeches. Wreaths will also be laid. Visitors can also bring their own wreaths or flowers to lay at the memorial later in the afternoon.

After the official commemoration, visitors can find out more about Operation Market Garden and the circumstances for the Allies and the Dutch during the Second World War in various exhibitions. For example, the focus will also be on the evacuation of over 150,000 inhabitants during and after the Battle of Arnhem.

Heavy traffic and traffic jams can be expected between Arnhem and Ede on Saturday. For instance, the N224 from Ede to Arnhem will be closed from the junction with the N304. The memorial can, therefore, only be reached by car from the direction of Arnhem. The municipality advises visitors to travel by public transport or bicycle rather than by car. Free shuttle buses run from Ede-Wageningen station.

Nijmegen honors liberators with walk across Waal Bridge

Nijmegen will honor the Allied soldiers who liberated the city in September 1944 on Saturday evening. This will be done with a special edition of the so-called Sunset March, a daily walk across De Oversteek, a bridge over the Waal. In addition to numerous dignitaries, 120 American soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division will participate in the walk. At the time, men from this army unit crossed the Waal in canvas boats under heavy German fire, killing 48 men.

The Sunset March has been held every day since 2014. At sunset, a small or large group led by a veteran walks across De Oversteek. There are 48 pairs of light poles on the bridge. The light poles symbolize the dead who died in 1944 during the Waal crossing. The lights are switched on one by one at a slow marching pace. The walk is also a tribute to veterans who contribute to peace and freedom in Dutch missions, according to the municipality.

The special Sunset March XXL will take participants to the monument for the Waal crossing on the Lent side of the river after crossing the bridge on Saturday evening. Portraits of the fallen and images of the battle can be seen along the way. 48 will-o'-the-wisps will float on the river, and there will be a light show. Military choirs and orchestras will provide music. Mayor Hubert Bruls of Nijmegen will conclude the Sunset March with a speech. Everyone is welcome to join the walk, which will start at 7:30 PM on the Nijmegen side of the crossing.