It planned to use the First Allied Airborne Army (consisting of around 35,000 British, American and Polish parachute and glider troops) to seize a series of bridges in the Netherlands so that allied armoured formations could cross the Rhine and take the war into Germany itself.
The Dutch towns of Eindhoven and Nijmegen were successfully liberated, but the key objective – the bridge at Arnhem – remained in Nazi hands, despite the heroics of the British paratroopers tasked with its capture. These heroics (and that of their comrades elsewhere) have drawn recurrent attention in popular culture, as too have the details of the broader operation.
Here are five films and TV shows that explore the origins, impact and aftermath of the allies’ September 1944 strategic gamble.
- Theirs is the Glory (1946)
Theirs is the Glory was the first film to tell the story of Operation Market Garden, and in my opinion, it remains the best.
Filmed on location in the Netherlands, it features original wartime footage together with . Many of the latter involved British soldiers and Dutch civilians who had actually participated in the fighting.
Widely commended on its release for its authenticity, the film – which is focused specifically on the battle at Arnhem – is dedicated as an “everlasting memorial” to those who were killed.
- Arnhem: The Story of an Escape (1976)
First aired in November 1976, this television film (which was a joint BBC-Dutch production) provides an interesting take on the aftermath of the battle for Arnhem. It is centred on the real-life story of (played by John Hallam), a British doctor who decided to stay with the wounded after the allied withdrawal. He was subsequently captured by the Germans and spent several weeks caring for the injured before escaping back to allied lines.
In 1963, he authored a memoir about his war experiences. Titled , it was the inspiration behind this production.
- A Bridge Too Far (1977)
This is by far the most famous of all the productions focused on Operation Market Garden. Based on a book by , directed by and involving a star-studded cast – including Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Dirk Bogarde, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford and Lawrence Olivier – the film is broad in scope and cinematic in sweep.
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For the full article by Dr Sam Edwards visit .
ENDS