Arnhem 1944

[Boris]

Made a wee trip today to Oosterbeek, just outside Arnhem, site of the Airborne Forces Museum. Excellent Museum chronicling the Market Garden Operation in 1944 which involved mainly British & Polish paratroops trying to capture several bridges over the Rhine. "A Bridge Too Far" was Hollywoods'interpretation of some of the events.

Very thought-provoking & humbling experience.

Strangest sight was on the mock up glider which you walk through. Its an exact replica of one of the gliders which landed near the bridge, right down to the messages scrawled on the side in chalk by the troops before they took off - one of them was "Sunny Leith"........... I kid you not!

Also very nice to see John Hughes there this afternoon with several members of the Hibs coaching team - they'd all taken time out from a busy training schedule & cycled from their hotel base a few miles away to visit the museum. Respect.

[magpie1892]

That's an ace museum.

I remember feeling quite angry when I left though, as you think of the sacrifices made (even some by non-Jambos) at the time to protect the UK, and how that legacy has been chucked away by successive governments of every hue.

Makes you wonder why we bothered.

[Hibs On Tour]

That's an ace museum.

I remember feeling quite angry when I left though, as you think of the sacrifices made (even some by non-Jambos) at the time to protect the UK, and how that legacy has been chucked away by successive governments of every hue.

Makes you wonder why we bothered.

:agree: RIP

[sahib]

That's an ace museum.

I remember feeling quite angry when I left though, as you think of the sacrifices made (even some by non-Jambos) at the time to protect the UK, and how that legacy has been chucked away by successive governments of every hue.

Makes you wonder why we bothered.

In what way?:confused:

[Stantons Angel]

During a trip to Holland with a coach load of young footballers to take part in a tournament, we visited the war graves in Arnhem.

As we wandered through the immaculately kept graveyards, reading the pure white stones, it made me aware of how we had lost a generation of young men in their teens, shot from the sky above.
The stillness and quietness of the place had a very moving effect on the boys who just could not understand WHY!!

A few of them came to me that night to thank me for taking them, it had made them realise the sacrifices these young men had made and that the war had been so real!

A touch of respect from ones so young helps keep their memories alive today.

A wonderful tribute to so many. RIP:agree:

[WindyMiller]

We lived in the Netherlands for a few years, including the period commemorating the the 50th anniversary of Market Garden.
The boys studied the battles in History and we took them to visit most of the places they studied, as they weren't that far from were we lived.
Obvously we took in Arnhem, including the Cemetary and the Hotel, we also took them to the German cemetary at Ysselsteyn (30,000+ graves).
Everyone could learn from a trip to these places.

[Forza Fred]

My old man was I believe, one of the soldiers who went into Arnhem by glider, although to be honest he never talked about it much.

He's dead now obviously, but I spoke to an author once who wrote a book on the landings and he advised that he heven appeared in a photo in his book sitting in the the glider awaiting take off.

He was in the KOSB's and I think at that time was part of the 7th Airborne division.

He wa, a lifelonhg Hibby, season ticket holder in the old centere stand, season ticket holder J35 up until his death in 1975.

Unfortunatelyy he too never got to see Hibs win the cup.

[cad]

ScapaFlow (Joe) my uncle was at Arnhem in the tuppenny sliders as he called them .
You could spit peas threw them he said, and the Germans didnae have peas .
His recollection was everything went tits up ,resulting in him, surrendering ,and going for a very long walk .
The Germans found him a job working in a mine for a while ,then he escaped they just sent back to the mine ,minus his boots for a day or so just to let him know whats what.


Good Hibby was Joe sadly hes no longer here.