The Battle of Arnhem was part of Operation Market Garden. With this operation, the Allies wanted to conquer the bridges over several Dutch waterways.
This method would supposedly allow them to break through from the Belgian border to the north and then to the east into Germany. The hope was to end the Second World War before the end of the year.
In September 1944, almost twelve thousand British and Polish airborne troops landed at Renkum, Wolfheze, Driel and Ede. There, and in Arnhem, Oosterbeek and surroundings, they fought troops deployed by the Germans. The 1st British Airborne Division was tasked with conquering the Rhine bridge at Arnhem. Only 750 of them managed to reach the bridge on Sunday 17 September.
The main force’s task was to hold this bridge for two days until the intended reinforcements of the ground army from the south had reached them. But the German resistance was much stronger than expected and the ground army stranded before they could get there. This resulted in heavy fighting on the advance route from Oosterbeek towards the bridge in Arnhem.
On Thursday morning 21 September 1944, the lightly armed troops at the road bridge—under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost, commander of the 2nd Parachute Battalion—had to stop the fight against the ever-increasing German supremacy, During these heavy battles, the area in the immediate vicinity of the road bridge was almost destroyed.
The allied soldiers who fought in Arnhem wore an emblem on their upper arm with a winged horse and rider. This mythological figure, the Pegasus, is the symbol of the 1st British Airborne Division. This symbol is placed on the special Freedom Trail Arnhem tiles, which are placed at 35 locations. These are connected by a ribbon of ordinary tiles.
The route has a total length of approximately 8 km.
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