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Showing posts with the label Operation Market Garden

Paratrooper

These days it seems that most movies and TV Shows about World War 2 focus on the Americans. We have even seen a British operation depicted as carried out by the Americans - U-571 - yes Hollywood, we're still bitter. That's not to say there haven't been some good ones; Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Hacksaw Ridge, these are all brilliant depictions of World War 2. But are we in danger of younger generations thinking the Americans single-handedly won the war? What happened to the good old days when movies were made about British actions? Or better yet, movies like The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far, which told the story from the point of view of all involved, including the local civilians. That said, could movies like Dunkirk and Darkest Hour be a sign that things are changing? Recently we spoke with Lance Nielsen, the Director/Writer/Producer is currently working on a TV series that depicts the actions of British Airborne forces during the wa

Operation Market Garden Anniversary 2016

The John Frost Bridge at Arnhem (from my visit in 2013) 72 years ago today, Allied troops set off on what could be one of the boldest missions of World War 2, Operation Market Garden. Developed by Field Marshall Montgomery, the plan was to advance into Nazi occupied Holland and develop a bridgehead over the River Rhine into Germany. There were two parts to the operation: Market (Airborne) Garden (Ground Forces) In what was the largest airborne operation of the war, paratroopers and glider troops had the job of securing bridges at Eindhoven (US 101st Airborne), Nijmegen (US 82nd Airborne) and Arnhem (British 1st Airborne). The ground forces, made up of the British XXX Corp had to advance up a single highway through Holland, linking up with the airborne forces as they went. In honour of the anniversary of Operation Market Garden we look back at some of the movies and TV Shows that tell the story of the Allies ill-fated attempt to end the war by Christmas 1944. A Bridge Too Far