Recently, cadets and adult volunteers from South West London Army Cadet Force had the opportunity to participate in the 78th Airborne March at Arnhem, Netherlands on Saturday the 6th of September. More than 36,000 walkers commemorated the Battle of Arnhem 1944 where more than 1,700 British and Polish soldiers lost their lives and are buried at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek.
With 35 cadets and 13 Cadet Force Adult Volunteers aboard the minibuses, the team started their journey at 6:00am, followed by a traditional English breakfast on the ferry across the English Channel. Travelling through France and Belgium, the minibuses reached their accommodation near Arnhem. The next day was filled with visits to battle sites, starting with a thought-provoking visit and lecture on German war cemetery at Ysselsteyn that provided an opposing perspective from the German side. The team then moved to Overloon, a location that saw heavy combat in WW2 and now has a war museum dedicated to all the battles that took place here.
Next, the cadets and instructors made their way to famous Arnhem Bridge and were told the tale of Lieutenant Colonel John Frost and his men who bravely secured the bridge for as long as they could against overwhelming odds. For most involved, it was fascinating to see the real bridge after having seen the film ‘A bridge too far’. This was followed by a visit to the British Airborne Museum at Hartenstein which was the British HQ during the battle and also a place of heavy combat.
“As part of the trip, we went to the airborne museum in Oosterbeek, Holland and it was such an interesting and amazing experience. We were given voice guides and were guided by them throughout different rooms showcasing the parts of operation market garden and how they tackled the challenges they faced and how courageous all the troops were to hold their areas and the bridge for 4 days and even though they eventually had to withdraw due to many unfortunate mistakes, it shows how resilience is very important in everything but especially in situations like that.It also was very inspirational to see the different stories of people and all the medals they had been awarded. On top of this there were many other rooms such as an interactive walkthrough where we got to “experience firsthand” what some of the battle would have felt like which was very eye opening. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole trip and this museum!”
– Cadet Lance Corporal Quagliero, 136 PWRR Detachment
Finally, the team visited the British Airborne cemetery at Osterbeek where most of the men who died in the battle now lie at rest, with their graves still lovingly tended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. After a long day of learning about the struggles and heavy combat that took place in the area, this cemetery visit was the most poignant for everyone involved.
“Friday was quite an eye-opening day especially visiting the graves and memorials. I was quite surprised they had British graves in the Netherlands. I was also shocked to learn they had some Jewish soldiers buried there who had gone undercover with British names to join the army. It was quite emotional visiting the cemetery because a lot of the soldiers were quite young and they all had their own stories. One that stuck out to me was a story about twins who had been born together lived together signed up together and died together trying to save each other I found that story very daunting and it made me really appreciate how I live and how I don’t have to experience that. I also liked how each gravestone had their regiment carved in as-well as flowers by every grave. When we first got to the cemetery we formed up and had a moment of silence after laying down the poppy wreath which was a good moment to reflect and keep each fallen soldier in our thoughts. One thing i wished is that i got to spend more time there as I don’t feel as though I got enough time to look around and really take things in.”
– Cadet Lawrence, 136 PWRR Detachment
The visit ended with a wreath laying ceremony followed by two minutes of silence. After dinner, everyone prepared for the 78th Airborne ‘Wandeltroch’ March taking place in the morning.
Saturday morning showed signs of a bright warm day as the South West London ACF contingent began their march past the local dignitaries. After seeing the huge number of participants and spectators from all around the world, everyone started on the 10k course in good spirits. After a few ‘how much more?’ questions and several hours later everyone crossed their finish point, having walked 18 kilometres.
Tired but proud the cadets and staff all received their finishers medals from Colonel Jones in a formal parade back at our accommodation. Final packing kit collection and admin were done and on Sunday morning we set off for the long journey home. I am very pleased to say that the cadets all enjoyed the experience and the trip and every one of them was a credit to SWL ACF, We would wish to thank all the staff and organisers for making this such a great experience and look forward to the next trip !!”
Lt Ridley, 143 PWRR Detachment
