It all started here. Joe's Bridge near the Belgian/Dutch Frontier.
A few weeks ago some friends and I went off to Holland to raise some money for charity. This year is the 65th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden and we chose to walk The Club Route - the route XXX Corps took in their attempt to link up the bridges captured by the Airborne troops of the British and American armies. The route should have been about 65 miles, however the actual route is closer to 80. We walked it 3 days. We were raising money for the Royal British Legion and BLESMA ( British Limbless Ex-Servicemens Association ). The Ist Royal Dragoons were attached to XXX Corps for this operation and received the Battle Honour 'VEGHEL' for their efforts. I thought I would share with the group some of the photo's taken during our time in Holland.
Thanks for those great pictures;I remember the event as clear as yesterday.
ReplyDelete------
Don
Well done to you all, and thanks for some very good photo's.
ReplyDeleteyou did us all proud lads and a great set of photo,s
ReplyDeleteNice photos ,good effort!
ReplyDeleteWell done lads,allways nice to see you boys putting
ReplyDeleteyour best foot foreward for a very good cause.
--------------------
Paddy H
Thanks one and all for all of your comments. We did this walk for the first time back in 2006. As if the challenge wasn't great enough we chose to do it in 'period' kit. I have some 'dodgy' pics of me and the lads dressed up '1944' style. In 2006 we raised in the region of £6,000. Its a real pleasure to do it for such good causes.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Thank you,just thinking of my Father who was a POW on the 5/6th day,he ended up at Stalag 1vd which is in Torgue not far from the famous COLDITZ,he made it home but was it only 4000,out of 10,000 did,can`t just remember,will have to get it up on google again.
ReplyDeleteHi Grumpygit, interesting to hear of what your father went through. What regiment was he in?
ReplyDeleteJohn
Hi Grumpygit, he could have been guarded by my father-in-law and my mother-in-law came from very near Colditz.i suffer i really do!! frank
ReplyDeleteHe was a Cpl in the South Staffords,went in in `39 came out in `46,Did his jumps same place as I did just out side of Tidworth the then Para training jump school Bulford, the only time he went abroad he got captured,He spent a lot of his training not far from Grange over Sands,trying out the newfangled rockets,firing them over Morcambe Bay!!!
ReplyDeleteOh,he was with Baskefield VC when he got killed.
As you may know after all the jumps the Staffords did they went in,in Gliders!!!!!!!!
Grumps.
Hi Grumps, thanks for the info on your dad. I have a great interest in Op Market Garden. If you haven't got a copy, may I recommend a book you may like to get hold of.....BY LAND, SEA and AIR An illustrated history of the 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment 1940 - 1945. Its written by Alexander Junier, Bart Smulders and Jaap Korsloot. I think you would like it!!!
ReplyDeleteJohn
John,thanks for info,will look it up.There is a good write up of the Staffords at Arnhen on THE HISTORYNET site.
ReplyDeleteBri.
Hi Bri, thanks for that. I'll have a look! The book I have mentioned is of the larger size but is packed full of info and has some great pics. Its quite new on the market and is well worth getting hold of. You should be able to get it or order it from any good book shop or failing that take a look at ABE BOOKS on the internet. There are thousands of book sellers on there and you would be gauranteed to find a copy. It has its own search facility so you just type in what book you want or the author details and up they pop! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteCheers, John.
Passed through Arnhem a week ago on the train,thought about those great guys and their sacrifice to our cause!
ReplyDelete--------
Don