Following the Normandy landings of June 1944, the Allied
forces advance through northern Europe was rapid and on 11
September 1944, the Second Army entered the Netherlands
just south of Eindhoven.
The next mission was to cross the Rhine before the Germans
had time to regroup from their recent setbacks. This meant
securing crossings over the rivers and canals that stood in
their path at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem.
'Operation Market Garden' would involve the United States
82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the Commonwealth 1st
Airborne Division and the Polish Parachute Brigade. On 17
September 1944, the 1st Airborne Division began landing
west of Arnhem, but German resistance, bad weather and
problems with supplies and reinforcements led to heavy
losses, and their objectives were not taken.
They were forced to form a perimeter at Oosterbeek which
they held stubbornly until 25 September. It was then
decided to withdraw the remnants of the division across the
lower Rhine.
Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery contains the graves of most
of those who fell during the September landings, and many
of those killed in later fighting in the area.
There are now 1,678 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second
World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 246 of
the burials are unidentified and two casualties are
commemorated by special memorials. There are also 73 Polish
burials and eight Dutch graves.
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