Joris Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Here are some pictures of the Hartenstein Airborne museum and some of the hardware that is displayed outside. The shermantank you see is in memory of the liberation forces who finally liberated the area in april 1945. The 17 pounders were all used in the battle for Arnhem and had been left behind after the battle. The damage can clearly be seen. On all the 17pounders is a sign attached with the history of the gun (where it was during the fighting and when it was disabled). If anyone is interested I'll go there and write that down and then post it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Come mate - lets have it all please. Great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 This gun was part of the X-Troop of the 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery and was ordered to support the 4th Parachute Brigade. After landing on September 18th, 1944 on Lnanding Zone X. between Wolfheze and Renking. It took up several positions in the area north of the railway Utrecht - Arnhem, to support the advance of the 156th and the 10th Battalions (The Parachute Regiment) along the northern route into Arnhem. When these battalions were ordered to join the rest of the division, the gun reached the perimiter at Oosterbeek. Its final position was Sonnenberglaan, about 200 yards north-west from here. At a distance of about 150 yards it fired at a tank type Char B (equipped with a flame thrower) which was destroyed. The crew managed to defend their position untill the night of the withdrawal on September 25th/26th, 1944. They they then buried the breach block and the remaining ammunition and drained the oil from the recoil cylinder. The crew, except one wounded gunner, managed to reach the opposite side of the river Rhine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 This 17-pounder anti-tank gun was the heaviest anti-tank gun used by the 1st British Airborne Division. Together with a Morris truck it was transported in a Hamilcar Glider. The truck towed the gun and carried the crew and te ammunition. The division was allotted sixteen of these guns, devided over the 1st and 2nd Anti-Tank Batteries, Royal Artillery. During the battle of Arnhem and Oosterbeek, eleven of these guns were in action. Two guns were lost when their gliders crashed. Three more failed to reach the Landing Zones because the gliders had to make a forced landing: one in the North Sea and two in Belgium and the southern Netherlands. This gun was part of the P-Troop of the 1st Battery and gave support to the 1st Parachute Brigade. After landing on September 17th, 1944 near Wolfheze, south of the railway Utrecht - Arnhem it joined the 2nd Parachute Battalion under the command of Lieut. COl. J.D. Frost in the advance to the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem. From a position near the Rhine Hotel it fired on the enemy south of the river. On September 18th the gun withdrew to Oosterbeek and took up position near the crossroads Benedendorpseweg - Veerweg. After a short period near the former gasworks it took its last position near the old church. From this point the gun fought against the enemy, approaching from the east, in defence of the 3rd Battery of the Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. When the enemy hit it for the first time half the crew were casualties. The lorry carrying the ammunition was also lost. In spite of the damage, the gun was made ready to fire again, but after an engagement with a self-propelled gun from a distance of about a hundred yards, during which the latter was put out of action, the gun was hit in such a way that the recoil mechanism was destroyed. The result was that the last shell case was not ejected and got stuck. Which can still be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 French Char B tank that was destroyed during the fighting, it might well be the one destroyed by the X-troop gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Oh great work mate! This maybe a mute point but did anyone from the glider that crashed in the north sea survive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 I'll check on that tonight, it's probably somewhere in the After the Battle book Market Garden Then and Now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martylee Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Together with some friends I visited the museum last year. I happened to have my camera with me. :-D I'm posting some photos from inside the museum, not easy to take good photos insiden though. http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0931.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0933.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0935.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0938.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0941.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0944.jpg[/img] We also visited the nearby cemetary, where a gravestone sent a chill thru my bones. Known unto god. http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0955.jpg[/img] http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w197/martylee74/IMG_0950.jpg[/img] Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Actually a big amount of graves in the Oosterbeek-Arnhem cemetery is unknown. 245 out of 1680 burials are unidentified which is more than 14%. Still a lot of soldiers are missing and buried somewhere in Arnhem / Oosterbeek and turn up in gardens, parks and forrests every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martylee Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 As with all graveyards this one too was very peaceful. It was said that this actually is considered british property!? Is that right? Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Yes, the land on which the cemetery lies has been given to the UK forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I've just come back from a fascinating 2 day visit to Holland, to the Airborne Museum and Liberty Park (the George C Marshall collection). Until my visit I had not appreciated just how harshly the Dutch folk were treated by the Nazis whilst their country was under occupation, nor how they had supported our airborne landing forces in whatever way they could. Considering what they went through, this stone outside the Airborne Museum was the least we could do!! One of the most thoughtful inscriptions I've come across..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 They knew the truth of what living and being under occupation meant , they were willing to do anything to be free again .Tragic that it took as long as it did for their freedom to return Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Arnhem is the major place missing in my battlefield tour wishlist. Maybe 2008 will be my year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Arnhem is the major place missing in my battlefield tour wishlist. Maybe 2008 will be my year. The city of Den Bosh (10 miles from my town) was liberated in Oct 1944 by the 53rd Welsh div. to get to the approaches of Antwerp harbour clear of Germans and mines. My brother and me attend commemorations with the liberators each year. I call 1 of them Gransfather and his wife Grandmother even if they aren't family. Another one (a Welshman) is a close friend. He'll come over in September te commemorate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted September 6, 2007 Author Share Posted September 6, 2007 I might be able to join you for the commemoration if I may. When is it exactly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I might be able to join you for the commemoration if I may. When is it exactly? 25th and 26th October. Thursday and Friday. 25 (in the morning) is wreathlaying at 2 monuments in Den Bosch 26 (afternoon) we go to Uden warcemetary. Both events open to the public. My brother and me are members of the committe and attend diners and such which isn't open for the general public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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