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| Another Tonsley Time Team outing and
a tale that you will tell your grandchildren and mighty bored they'll be. This
time the objective: Bridges at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, punching holes,
we, the cavalry, driving like mad and being at Arnhem in forty-eight hours to
relieve the homesteaders. This was not going to be the easiest party we had ever
been to but I would not have missed it for the world. | |
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| The journey started where
XXX corps started on the 17th September 1944 with their briefing in Leopoldsburg
then followed the old single-track road over the start line of Joe's Bridge. We
travelled onto Eindhoven and the Son Bridge (objectives of US 101st airborne).
Having crossed these we moved on to Nijmegen and the Grave Bridge, site of the
heroic river crossing of the US 82n.d Airborne. We visited the National Liberation
Museum and then rested up for the night in Groesbeek near the US 82nd drop zones.
Woolfy supped beers from a glass smaller than a thimble, Joe chatted up all the
dogs in the neighbourhood, Pete sang Elvis songs on the 25 year anniversary of
his death, George continued with top class smut and Nicky just drank and drank
and drank. The following day we crossed Nijmegen Bridge and swept up the road
and over the infamous Johnny Frost Bridge. We picked up bikes and cycled around
the drop zones of Wolfheze including the psychiatric hospital. After the Airborne
museum and game of golf we went for some thing to eat at the Café Schnoord…brown
pants, piggy backs and shop entrances - enough said I feel. The following day
included Urquart's hideaway, Kate ter Horst's house and a boat trip down the Rhine
to see Johnny Frosts bridge first hand. After a superb lunch on the banks of the
river we gathered our kit and drove like made to Brussels to catch (only just)
the flight back to Blighty. | Hover
over the image to see its caption. Click on the image to see an enlargement. |
