News

A Street in Arnhem by Robert Kershaw

In this long-awaited book, Robert Kershaw follows up his best-selling account of Operation Market Garden It Never Snows in September to focus on the experiences of Dutch civilians and British and German soldiers in one street while fighting to survive at the heart of one of the most intense battles of World War II. He tells the story from the perspective of what could be seen or heard from the Utrechtseweg, a road that runs seven kilometers from the Arnhem railway station west to Oosterbeek. This stretch of road saw virtually every major event during the fighting for Arnhem the legendary Bridge Too Far during September 1944.

The story is about the disintegration of a wealthy Dutch suburb caught unexpectedly in the war it had escaped for so long. The book charts the steady destruction of an exclusive rural community, where wealthy Dutch holiday-makers had relaxed before the war. The destruction of this pretty village is charted through the eyes of British, Polish and German soldiers fighting amid its confused and horrified inhabitants. It portrays a collage of human experiences, sights, sounds, visceral fears and emotion as ordinary people seek to cope when their street is so suddenly and unexpectedly overwhelmed in a savage battle using the most deadly weapons of the day.

Kershaw’s new research reveals the extent to which most people in this battle, whether soldiers or civilians, saw only what was immediately happening to them, with no idea of the larger picture. Many original Dutch, German and English accounts have been unearthed through interviews, diary accounts and letters, as well as post-combat reports charting the same incidents from both sides. The story is told as a docudrama following the fortunes of participants within a gripping narrative format. Holland had not witnessed conflict since the Napoleonic wars. What happens when your street, where you have lived for generations, is suddenly overwhelmed by conflict? A Street in Arnhem with its alternating revelations of horror and courage tells that story and provides some of the answers.

ABN Party 20 May 2017 – 10th Anniversary!

This year’s party was a great success, with well over 100 attending, some from as far afield as Australia, Singapore and the Gulf. Lt Gen Sir John Lorimer, Col Comdt of The Parachute Regt, precariously balanced on the tall fender around the fireplace in the magnificent Field Marshals’ room, gave a short update on what Airborne Forces are up to.

We were honoured to receive a framed Col Comdt’s Commendation for the work we have collectively carried out over the last 10 years. HQ ABN (4 of us) will rotate this award around our offices/studies. We all greatly enjoy what we do and hope it makes a useful contribution to the Airborne Family.

Once all had been armed with some special ‘bubbly’ General John proposed a toast to ‘The ABN’ and also to ‘Airborne Forces’. The event seemed to be greatly enjoyed by all.

Please click here for the party photos.

16 Air Assault Bde-The Pegasus Ethos

To coincide with the 75th Anniversary of UK Airborne Forces, an excellent short pamphlet 16 Air Assault Bde-The Pegasus Ethos, has been produced recently by Bd HQ and includes short, crisp sections on:

 

  • The Pegasus Ethos
  • Pegasus and Bellerophon
  • A brief operation history if The British Airborne Forces
  • The current role of 16 Air Assault Bde
  • The Hallmarks of the Airborne Soldier
  • The Leadership code

To read the full document click here