 |
| NVAA Battlefield Tour 2012 Arnhem |
 |
| NVAA Amsterdam 2013 |
View NVAA Arnhem Tour 2013 in a larger map
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Arnhem - Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery
 |
| Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery |
The cemetery contains 3 Victoria Cross graves
Gronert Twins
 |
| Thomas and Claude Gronert |
As their platoon advanced to Arnhem Bridge they came accross Nazi SS troops who pretended to surrender. When Tommy and three others moved out into the open to take them prisoner, the Germans opened fire.
Hearing badly wounded Tommy scream, Claude rushed to help but was hit 3 times in the head.
 |
Pvt T. Gronert Pvt C. Gronert
2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment Army Air Corps
|
Captain WN Barrie DFC
 |
| Capt WN Barrie DFC Glider Pilot Regiment |
Enlisting with 4th
RNF (TA) before the outbreak of war he deployed to France in 1940 as part of
the 51st Highland Div. He was fortunate to avoid capture, during the evacuation
from France. On return to the UK , his unit was deployed in the home defence
role at Wylam. He was promoted to
Lieutenant and posted to the Durham Light Infantry.
When the Glider Pilot Regiment
was formed in early 1942 Lt Barrie was among the first officers to volunteer
for flying duties with the new airborne unit.
He took part in the glider operations in Sicily, where he won the DFC,
and in Normandy.
During Operation Market he was
serving with G Squadron, the majority of
their Horsa gliders carried the Light Guns, Jeeps and gunners of the 1st Air
landing Regiment Royal Artillery. On landing the Wing regrouped and deployed as
the divisional reserve, and was given the task of providing local protection to
the gun batteries of the Air landing Regiment RA.
Captain Barrie was killed in an action trying
to knock out a German gun with a hand grenade.
 |
| Capt WN Barrie DFC Glider Pilot Regiment Army Air Corps |
He is commemorated on Hexham War Memorial
ROYAL ARTILLERY
 |
| Unknown Gunner |
Gnr. G Gray 1st Airlanding Light Regiment RA
Gunner George Gray was killed 20th September 1944 served
with 1st Air landing Light Regiment Royal Artillery aged 25. He was the son of George and Isabelle Gray and the husband of Constance
Mary Gray of Gosforth, Newcastle.
He
is commemorated on the Gosforth War memorial.
 |
| Gnr G. Gray 1st Air landing Light Regiment RA |
74th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)
 |
|
L/ Sgt J.
Ottino Capt RB Hutt Lt JT Bryant
|
L/Sgt James Ottino
 |
| L/Sgt Ottino pictured front left |
 |
| L/Sgt J. Ottino 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
Capt RB Hutt
 |
| Capt RB Hutt 74th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
Captain Raymond Barnes Hutt was killed 17th April 1945
exactly one month after his 29th birthday whilst serving as the
adjutant of 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).
He was killed in the village of Wageningen,
10 miles west of Arnhem. The war diary of 74 Regiment records:
Rest of day spent regrouping in Arnhem.
Regt passed through area on which 1st Airborne Div fought and found many signs of their grim fight-parachute-harness-containers-jeeps etc. The Regt buried several "Men of Arnhem" after getting their identifications and found some communal graves with inscriptions in German. Capt R.B. Hutt RA (Adjutant) killed and major R. Hudson (2IC) wounded in the eye when jeep in which they were travelling went over some R mines. Major Hudson evacuated but not seriously wounded.
Regt passed through area on which 1st Airborne Div fought and found many signs of their grim fight-parachute-harness-containers-jeeps etc. The Regt buried several "Men of Arnhem" after getting their identifications and found some communal graves with inscriptions in German. Capt R.B. Hutt RA (Adjutant) killed and major R. Hudson (2IC) wounded in the eye when jeep in which they were travelling went over some R mines. Major Hudson evacuated but not seriously wounded.
Lt JT Bryant
 |
| Lt JT Bryant 74th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
Lieutenant John Trevor Byrant was killed 7th October 1944
aged 26. Commissioned in September 1942 he was serving with 74th
(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).
The war diary of 74 Regiment
records:
7 October 1944: Lieut J.T.
Bryant RA killed at OP
He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance 74 Regiment, St Michaels and All Angels South Shields.
Lt JT Bryant
 |
| Lt JT Bryant 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
 |
| 74th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA) Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery |
124th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)
Capt WA Wood MC
 |
| Capt WA Wood MC 124th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
Captain William Angus Wood was killed 25th September 1944
serving as a FOO with 124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).
Capt. Wood was serving with 72nd Field Regiment RA (TA) when
he was captured in Libya in May 1942. Originally reported as missing, he was
later found to be a prisoner of war in Italian hands.
He was imprisoned in Campo 21, Chieti. When the Italians signed an
armistice with the Allies, the camp was taken over by Germans who evacuated the
POW’s to Germany. During this move Capt Wood escaped and made his way south to
the British lines. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross.
He joined 124 Regiment fighting through Normandy and Belgium before
being killed in Nijmagen area.
Capt.
WA Wood is commemorated on the war memorial at Wall and on the Officers Mess
fireplace, Alexander Road TAC, Gateshead
Capt WA Wood MC
 |
| Capt WA Wood MC 124th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) |
124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiement RA (TA)
 |
| L/Bdr Blake MM |
 |
| L/Bdr Coombs |
 |
| Gnr W Kelly |
102nd (Northumberlnad Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment RA (TA)
 |
| Lt KL Gentleman |
 |
| Gnr F Astle |
113th LAA Regiment RA (2nd / 5th Battalion DLI) (TA)
 |
| Gnr FG Fisher |
----------------------------------------------------o--------------------------------------------------------
 |
| Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery |
Arnhem - Northumbrian Gunners Nijmagen
Just before the end of Operation Market, 124 (Northumbrian) Regiment TA moved to a position north of Nijmagen.
They engaged targets to their north, during which Captain WA Wood MC was killed. By 26th September 1944, Operation Market garden was at an end with the withdrawal from Oosterbeek. The battle for the Island of land between the River Waal and the lower Rhine would however continue till February 1945 when Arnhem was liberated by Canadian forces.
They engaged targets to their north, during which Captain WA Wood MC was killed. By 26th September 1944, Operation Market garden was at an end with the withdrawal from Oosterbeek. The battle for the Island of land between the River Waal and the lower Rhine would however continue till February 1945 when Arnhem was liberated by Canadian forces.
 |
| 124 Regiment War Diary Nijmagen |
 |
| 124 Regiment Gun Position Nijmagen |
 |
| 124 Regiment Gun Position was just to left of Nijmagen Bridge |
 |
| 124 Regiment 441 Battery gun dug in north of Nijmagen |
Arnhem - Northumbrian Gunners St Odernode
 |
| Operation Market Plan |
The Northumbrian Gunners continued to support XXX Corps on
the move north. After the initial fire plan, they engaged targets into the
night of the 17th, conducted fires over the next few days plan to
support the bridgeheads being established, as well as firing counter battery
missions.
The war diary of 124th (Northumbrian) Field
Regiment chronicles the opening days of Operation Market.
124 Regiment was ordered to move north with 69th
Brigade on the 21st September 1944. At this point in time the Bridge
at Arnhem had already been lost.
On the 22nd
69 Brigade was in trouble when two enemy battalions of infantry and a regiment
of tanks cut the main Corps centre-line near Uden, eight miles south of the
bridge at Grave. The brigade was cut in half with the East Yorkshires in the
north and the Green Howards in the south. 124th Regiment found itself in a similar predicament. The
main body cut off from the CO, 2IC, C.P.Os and Survey party.
Captain Dowdeswell
the battery captain of 288th Battery put the regiment into action in support of
the 101st Airborne Division. 86th Field Regiment was also in the area and the
groups of mixed artillery were collected together, with the commanding officer
of the 86th Field Regiment acting as Commander Royal Artillery to the American
divisional commander.
 |
| 124 (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA) St Odernode |
 |
| St Odernode |
 |
| 124 Regiment 441 Battery welcome an Amrican visitoe from 101st AB |
Arnhem - Eindhoven
The American 101st Airborne were tasked to secure
Eindhoven, bridges over the Wilhelminakanal to its south, and to the north,
bridges on the River Donnel and Zuid Willemswaart . The 101st had reached most
objectives by 16:00 on D Day; however the bridge at Son was blown. The move
north of XXX Corps had already been delayed by the enthusiastic crowds in
Eindhoven as they welcomed their liberators, the requirement to build a bailey
bridge at Son added further to this delay.
Once the bridge was built, XXX Corps continued to strike
north, the venerable route was however now subject to counter attack.
 |
| Operation Market 101st AB |
Arnhem - Nijmegen
 |
| 82nd Airborne Operation Market |
The capture of the bridges at Nijmegen and Grave, together
with some smaller bridges over the Maas-Waal Canal, was tasked to the American
82nd Airborne Division. As part of the protection to the bridges and
the XXX Corps route they were to secure the Groesbeek Heights to the east.
The bridge at Grave was captured, two bridges over the canal
were blown, but a third was captured and the Groesbeek Heights were secured
despite German counter attacks.
The capture of the bridge at Nijmegen did not go to plan.
The Germans resisted the initial attempts by the American Paratroopers. The
Guards Armoured Division linked up with the Americans, but was unable to
dislodge the German defenders.
Eventually Assault boats were brought up and the 504th
Parachute Infantry Regiment under heavy fire crossed the River Waal and
captured the bridge from the north.
At 18:30 the first elements of XXX Corps crossed the bridge
at Nijmegen 36 hours behind schedule and according to the original plan they
should have been in Arnhem.#
 |
| Nijmagen Bridge |
Aanhem - NVAA Gun Team
NVAA Gun Team man 17 pounder anti-tank gun Airborme Museum Hartenstein Ooosterbeek
 |
| 17 pounder anti-tank gun Hartenstein Oosterbeek |
 |
| NVAA Gun Team Hartenstein Oosterbeek |
Arnhem - Airborne Museum
The Hartenstein Hotel in Oosterbeek was used by General
Urquhart as the HQ for the 1st Airborne Division. It now houses the
Airborne Museum which tells the story of the battle for Arnhem.
 |
| Airborne Museum Oosterbeek |
 |
| Airborne Memorial to the Dutch People |
TO THE PEOPLE OF
GELDERLAND
50 years ago British & Polish Airborne soldiers fought
here against overwhelming odds to open the way into Germany and bring the war
to an early end. Instead we brought death and destruction for which you have
never blamed us.
This stone marks our admiration for your great courage
remembering especially the women who tended our wounded. In the long winter
that followed your families risked death by hiding Allied soldiers and airmen,
while members of the Resistance helped many to safety.
You took us then into your homes as fugitives and friends we
took you forever into our hearts.This strong bond will continue long after we are all gone.
1944
– September - 1994
 |
| Air Crew Memorial |
To the memory of the Royal Air Force, Commonwealth and
United States Aircrew who died on Operation Market Garden, September 1944.
“In memoria aeterna”
 |
| AB Museum - Hartenstein location of General Urquharts photograph |
 |
| AB Museum - Hartenstein location of General Urquharts photograph |
 |
