Thousands of people expected at Airborne commemoration in Oosterbeek

The British war cemetery in Oosterbeek will commemorate the Allied soldiers who died eighty years ago during Operation Market Garden and the resulting Battle of Arnhem on Sunday. The organization expects more than 10,000 visitors to attend this Airborne Memorial Service because it is an anniversary year. According to a spokesperson, around 5,000 people normally come to the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery for the commemoration ceremony, which has been held every year since 1945. It is likely that not all visitors will be able to enter the war cemetery itself or outside the field around the fences. That is why an "overflow area" has also been set up. The commemoration ceremony can also be followed online via YouTube or Omroep Gelderland.

According to the spokesperson, at least one of the seven surviving Arnhem veterans will be present at the memorial service. It concerns the 99-year-old Briton Geoff Roberts, who minted the first commemorative coin in Arnhem earlier this month in honor of the Allied soldiers who fought for the city during Operation Market Garden. Several other World War II veterans are also expected to attend the ceremony in Oosterbeek.

The British Princess Anne and her husband Timothy Laurence will also attend the memorial service at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek, which is officially British territory. More than 1,750 Allied soldiers who died during and after Operation Market Garden were buried there. Most of the victims were British, but dozens of Polish soldiers and three Dutch soldiers were also buried there.

Princess Anne was also present at the official commemoration of Operation Market Garden on Saturday, where she spoke to the British and other veterans. She also read a statement on behalf of her brother, King Charles, stressing that the annual commemorations mean a great deal to them both. "It is with a deep sense of gratitude and humility that we today remember all the British Allied Forces who served and died for our freedom. And let us also remember the incredibly brave members of the Dutch Resistance and the brave civilians who endured so much during the Second World War."