Operation Market Garden, The Beginning (BIG)

[The_MadMan]

The famous Joes Bridge near Lommel (Belgium) that made Operation Market Garden possible:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/joesbridge/mini-IMG_3793.JPG

It was captured on september 10th by Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur of the Irish Guards in a daring attack. As you understand by now, the bridge was named after him.

Closeup of the memorial:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/joesbridge/mini-IMG_3792.JPG

WWII location of the bridge (looking South):
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/joesbridge/mini-IMG_3790.JPG
After WWII the bridge was build at it's current location (to the left)

Looking North (towards The Netherlands):
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/joesbridge/mini-IMG_3796.JPG

Overview of the bridge:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/joesbridge/mini-IMG_3791.JPG
In the distance you can see the location of the Factory building from which the generals followed the start of the operation.

Leopoldsburg

In Leopoldsburg the commanders were briefed on the operation, this was done in the Cinema Splendid which has since been demolished:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/leopoldsburg/mini-IMG_3832.JPG

A Sherman tank commemorating the liberation of Leopoldsburg is located next to the station:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/leopoldsburg/mini-IMG_3830.JPG

There is a military museum in Leopoldsburg too but it was closed on sunday (guess what day I visited Leopoldsburg....).

I also visited the nearby German Cemetery, the biggest outside Germany. There are 38.962 Germans buried here which died during WWII (from 1940 till 1945 and beyond) and 541 which died in WWI.

Entrance building:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3811.JPG

Inside the entrace buidling:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3819.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3820.JPG

Closeup of the statue on top of the entrance building:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3816.JPG

View from the top of the entrance building:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3815.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3813.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3814.JPG

Endless rows of graves, beneath each stone there are two Germans buried:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3821.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3824.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3825.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3828.JPG

Statue in the centre of the cemetery:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3826_.JPG

Sybol of hope and peace:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/deutch_lommel/mini-IMG_3822.JPG
Planted on the 50th commemoration of the end of the war. May 1995.

Hechtel
Memorial Sherman in Hechtel.
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/Hechtel/mini-IMG_3850.JPG

Underneath the Sherman on a number of panels are the names of all the civilans and soldiers that died in the 4 day battle for Hechtel. Here is one of them.
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/battlefields/market_garden/Hechtel/mini-IMG_3852.JPG

Polish Cemetery Lommel
And last but not least I visited the Polis cemetery in Lommel, 256 Polish Soldiers are buried here:
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/polish_lommel/mini-IMG_3798.JPG

Closeup of the momument-area.
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/polish_lommel/mini-IMG_3803.JPG

It's very moving to see pictures of the soldiers that lie buried.
http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/polish_lommel/mini-IMG_3808_.JPG

http://nieuwint.net/ww2/albums/cemeteries/polish_lommel/mini-IMG_3801_.JPG

More pictures can be found here:
http://www.ww2battlefields.com

[sin-R]

Wow.

That's insane :|

So many people. It's sick!

Great pictures though!

[Ratman]

Thanks for the pix. Nice ones...

[corran.pl]

"Za Wolność Waszą i Naszą"

"For Your Freedom and Ours"

RIP

[ElHombre]

nice pics. thanks.

[Uncle Sam]

Great post and pics.

[Shar.]

Great pics! :)

[Freibier]

Good post!

[exarchos]

very impressive,

last weekend i've been to Bastogne (crawled in the Easy compagny foxholes) but also visited all the graveyards, so many dead young guys, so sad........

[The_MadMan]

It indeed is sad, very sad.

When I was on the German cemetery, I was all alone on that huge field which made it even more depressing. When I walked back to my car I was very, very quiet.

@all, thanks for the feedback!

[pathfinder82]

Thanks Monty!!

[exmick]

Thanks for the pics GLEAMING

QS

[Millen]

Great post i live near Leopoldsburg , and i was in the army in Leopoldsburg :D

[The_MadMan]

Great post i live near Leopoldsburg , and i was in the army in Leopoldsburg :D

The area is very well known to you then!

I also visited the CWGC and the Belgian cemeteries but I did not post the pictures here. (you can find them here: www.ww2battlefields.com)