Commemoration of Market Garden on September 19, 2026
With Operation Market Garden (the Battle of Arnhem), the Netherlands commemorates the brave fighters who fought for our freedom. During the airborne operation (Market) and the simultaneous ground offensive (Garden), many Allied soldiers lost their lives. 18.000 of them were killed, taken prisoner, or wounded. The commemoration takes place in Ede, at the Airborne Monument Ginkelse Heide, on September 19, 2026.
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden is the name of a major military operation by the Allies in the Netherlands in September 1944. It was one of the largest Allied operations of the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, American, British, and Canadian troops—the Allies—landed on the French coast. From there, they advanced north to liberate Europe and defeat Hitler, the German dictator. British Field Marshal Montgomery devised a plan to quickly liberate the Netherlands as well, in order to subsequently invade Germany.
Preliminary study / photograph for postage stamps Netherlands 1994, Second World War, Operation Market Garden.
Paratroopers were to capture the bridges over the major rivers at Grave, Nijmegen, and Arnhem. The Allied army would then join them from Belgium over two days and advance into Germany. At least, that was the plan.
Design for postage stamps Netherlands 1994, Second World War, Operation Market Garden. This design with the bridge was rejected: too joyful.
The operation consisted of two parts: Market and Garden. Market was the airborne component, while Garden consisted of a large army of ground troops and tanks that would advance from the Dutch-Belgian border via Eindhoven and Nijmegen to Arnhem. The goal was for these tanks to have liberated Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem within two days.
Sketch design for postage stamps Netherlands 1994, Second World War, Operation Market Garden.
Montgomery believed that the Germans were no longer as strong. He therefore thought his plan could easily be executed in two days. He did not listen to Dutch resistance fighters who had seen that the German army was actually strong. After all, the Germans had many tanks in the vicinity of Arnhem. And so, on September 17, 1944, the largest military airborne operation in history began.
Design for postage stamps Netherlands 1994, Second World War, Operation Market Garden.
<strong> More info: </strong>
Commemoration of Operation Market Garden on September 19, 2026:
https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/agenda/2026/09/19/herdenking-market-garden
Info, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem:
https://historiek.net/operatie-market-garden-doelen-tijdlijn-gevolgen/123367
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