Demolished bridge, Arnhem, 1945

Photograph by Frank Tomlinson, 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945), 1945.

The purpose of Operation MARKET GARDEN was to seize the key river crossings over the Maas, Waal, and Lower Rhine rivers, thereby allowing the Allies to break into Germany and shorten the war. Every bridge the Germans protected from capture, or demolished, would result in the Allied advance being slowed or even halted, putting the entire operation in jeopardy. Huge quantities of building materials had been supplied, along with 2,300 vehicles to transport it, and 9,000 engineers in case bridges needed repairing or rebuilding.

Ironically, although the bridge at Arnhem survived the battle, Allied aircraft destroyed it on 7 October 1944 to prevent the Germans from using it to send reinforcements south of the river. It was recaptured in April 1945, and a temporary Bailey bridge erected alongside to provide a crossing while the main bridge was out.

From a photograph album compiled by Frank Tomlinson, 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, North West Europe, 1944-1946.