As the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem approaches later this year, Belinda Szonert discovers the Liberation Route, which follows a section of the path trodden by the Allies in their attempts to liberate the Netherlands during the Second World War.

AT the tender age of 17, Gerald Levy strapped on his parachute and prepared to be dropped behind enemy lines in one of the largest airborne landings in history.

Gerald and his comrades fell to earth on occupied Dutch soil as part of Operation Market Garden – a brave attempt by the Allies intended to shorten the Second World War.

The events, chronicled in the film, A Bridge Too Far, culminated in one of the most infamous battles of the war. The veterans who took part, many now in their 80s and 90s, remember those dark days of September 1944 with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness.

Veterans and locals will officially honour the 65th anniversary later this year.

Operation Market Garden and Operation Veritable, the further offensive launched in February 1945, are still commemorated in Holland, and British, US and Polish troops who were involved are still held in high esteem by the Dutch.

Today, young and old greet red beret-wearing veterans with genuine warmth and affection when they return to the Arnhem and Nijmegen region, which was the scene of intense fighting in a bid to give back the Dutch their freedom.

The aim of the Allied forces was to capture the bridges across the Rhine and other Dutch waterways and so swing east into Germany to end the war.

In September 1944, around 10,000 British and Polish airborne troops landed at various locations. The 1st British Airborne Division’s task was to capture the Rhine Bridge near Arnhem. Tragically, this proved to be ‘a bridge too far’.

Only Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost and his small force of men reached the bridge and they had to end their resistance against the everincreasing German troops.

The area near the structure was almost completely flattened in what became known as the Battle of Arnhem.

The bridge was also destroyed and, in 1978, its replacement was named The John Frost Bridge after the British commander.

The site of the “bridge too far” is featured on the new Liberation Route, which follows a section of the path trodden by the Allies during their attempts to liberate Europe.

The route allows visitors to re-live the events that took place around Arnhem and Nijmegen in 1944 and 1945.

There are 23 sites marked by boulders along the route, each with a plaque explaining the location’s significance.

But what makes this history lesson special is that the creators have harnessed technology to appeal to a new generation. Visitors can hire an MP3 player and listen to stories about the wartime operation and its effect on the civilian population.

There is also a website, liberationroute.

com, where these stories can be downloaded free in MP3 format.

The site includes information on monuments and cemeteries.

THE Liberation Route was launched last year. Among the guests were British veterans of Operation Market Garden, Gerald Levy and Norman Jones.

Mr Levy, 82, from East Sussex, was injured and evacuated with the wounded. He was keen to return to the Old Church at Oosterbeek, west of Arnhem, which was the scene of heavy fighting.

For 93-year-old Mr Jones, from Leeds, a visit to the Airborne Museum – the former Hartenstein Hotel and headquarters of British divisional commander Major-General Roy Urquhart – prompted him to recall how he parachuted to the ground, a Bren gun strapped to his body, amid a hail of bullets.

Visitors to the area can remember the events of 1944 and 1945, but also enjoy a holiday in the greenest part of the Netherlands.

Arnhem is the capital of the province of Gelderland, while neighbouring Nijmegen, just 12 miles away, is the country’s oldest city.

Both offer great shopping and plenty of choice for wining and dining.

Among the many tourist attractions in the area are the Burgers’ Zoo, where you can enjoy a trip around the world’s ecosystems in one day, and the Dutch Open Air Museum, which gives a flavour of life in days gone by.

The De Hoge Veluwe National Park is home to the Kroller-Muller Museum with works by worldfamous artists, including Van Gogh, and a 62-acre sculpture garden featuring more than 150 exhibits.

Arnhem is 72 miles from Rotterdam and can be reached in less than two hours by car. There are good rail connections with Arnhem, which is served by the HSL high-speed train.

The region includes accommodation to suit all budgets. Our party stayed at the Scandic Sanadome Nijmegen, which boasts its own spa with pools fed by thermal springs, where the staff gave our two veterans a warm welcome.

For Mr Levy and Mr Jones, this trip was an opportunity to pay homage to the past and, with the Liberation Route, to know that future generations will remember their sacrifice and that of their comrades.

It was a privilege to make the journey with them – travelling through a period of time with first-hand accounts of what it was like to be dropped behind enemy lines, not knowing what the future held, or if they would live to see their loved ones again.

Travel facts

Belinda Szonert was a guest of the Regional Tourist Board Arnhem Nijmegen and P&O Ferries, which offers daily overnight Hull-Rotterdam crossings from £107 each way for car and two passengers sharing an ensuite cabin. Foot passengers pay from £106 each way for two passengers sharing ensuite cabin. Minicruises start at £70 per person return for foot passengers and from £74 per person with car.

P&O Ferries reservations: 08716- 646-464 and poferries.com. Fares quoted are web fares.

Accommodation in the Arnhem/Nijmegen area starts at 160 euros per night at the Scandic Sanadome Nijmegen.

Useful websites include: vvvarnhemnijmegen.nl; liberationroute.com; airbornemuseum.nl; bevrijdingsmuseum.nl and sanadome.nl.

For more information, contact the Dutch Tourist Board (0207- 539-7950/holland.com).