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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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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. |
