Great strides were made in NW Europe following the breakout from the Normandy beachhead in August 1944. Soon, both Paris and Brussels had fallen, but opinion was divided about how best to bring victory in the west. General Eisenhower favoured an advance on a broad front, while General Montgomery sought a much narrower thrust – to reach the Rhine, encircle the Germans, and end the war in 1944. This was the genesis of Operation MARKET GARDEN, a bold and risky plan. A series of factors prevented its overall success, but it remains an extraordinary endeavour nonetheless, with controversies still raging many years later. Colonel Peter Knox will guide you through the complexities of the campaign and be with you at the main commemorative event.

Arnhem is the final chapter of the story, and so, we begin the narrative further south, following the XXX Corps advance across the bridgeheads secured

by US paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. We pay particular attention to the battles around Eindhoven and Nijmegen, before visiting the 1st British Airborne Division's landing zones on the outskirts of Arnhem. We then re-trace the route to the bridge taken by Lt Col Frost's 2 Para, and discuss the operation to seize and hold it against fierce German counter-attacks.

We do not forget the gallant attempts of the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade and the 43rd (Wessex) Division to cross the Rhine to reinforce the beleaguered British troops in the Arnhem area, and the work of the British and Canadian engineers to evacuate the survivors. We will visit the recently re-opened museum in the old Hartenstein Hotel, 1st Airborne Division's HQ during the battle. We will also pay our respects at the CWGC cemeteries at Arnhem – a lasting memorial to this extraordinary battle in September 1944 and its aftermath.

ITINERARY
Day 1 (Thursday): Depart Victoria Coach Station, London 09:00. Dover-Calais ferry. Drive to Joe's Bridge – the Start Line for the XXX Corps advance. Dinner and overnight in Eindhoven.
Day 2: Drive the Allied line of advance – Hell's Highway – visiting the bridges at Son and Grave en route. Lunch in Nijmegen – followed by the seizing of Nijmegen Bridge and the crossings on the Waal. Dinner and overnight, Arnhem. (3 nights)
Day 3: Arnhem. We begin by exploring the drop zones and landing sites on the far outskirts of the town followed by a visit to the bridge. Group lunch in Arnhem, concluding at the CWGC cemetery at Oosterbeek.
Day 4: The Polish airborne landings at Driel. The Hartenstein Airborne Museum. Lunch followed by a short walking tour of the Oosterbeek perimeter – the Devil's Cauldron, including Lonsdale's Church and Kate de Horst's house. We conclude on the high ground at Westerbouwing. Farewell group dinner.
Day 5: A visit to Groesbeek CWGC cemetery. Lunch break en route to Calais. ETA Dover 18:30 and London 20:30.