Tour description

The tour starts at the Roman Catholic Church in Driel. Here we have a short introduction on Operation Market Garden, focusing on the advance of 30th Corps and more specific the role of the 4th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment. At the Leedjes farm buildings we discuss the final preparations taken by the Battalion before crossing the river. Then we will get to the riverbank at the place where the actual crossing took place. We take the Driel-Oosterbeek ferry (included) to get to the other side of the river.

On arrival on the far side we discover the landscape differs completely from the other side of the river. After a steep climb we get at the Valkeniers woods, theatre of vicious hand-to-hand fighting for most of the men who crossed the river. We walk through the forests towards the Westerbouwing Heights were we have lunch (optional). At the restaurant we have a breath-taking view across the countryside all the way back to Nijmegen. We discuss the German defenses and the dominating positions they occupied.

Next stop will be the Old Church (included) in Oosterbeek. A small group of ‘A’ Company under Major Jimmy Grafton managed to reach the Airborne pocket. Besides carrying with them the orders for the withdrawal of the Airborne pocket, his party was able make valuable contact with the British artillery south of the river. We will visit the church which holds many relicts of the battle. Here we draw the balance of the sacrifices offered by the men of the 4th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment and conclude our tour.

This tour provide a detailed insight into the personal experiences of the men of the 4th Dorsetshire Regiment, drawing from their personal experiences. Because we are focusing on a relatively small part of Operation Market Garden, some basic knowledge about this operation would be recommended.