Police World Edition 1 2014

Article

Four members from Shropshire branch boarded a low flying campervan and took off from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to be dropped directly into the Arnhem area of Holland - made so famous by Operation Market Garden of World War 2. T his trip had been months in the planning and each one of us was looking forward to a few days away from work to do operation. As we approached the last of the buildings we met a military signals enthusiast, who was very proud to show us round his room which was tightly packed with military comms kit. On learning that we were British and some of us He then took us into Arnhem so we could visit the Hartenstein Hotel, the British HQ during the fighting. It is now a museum which houses many relics from Market Garden and is a must see for anyone wanting to study the battle. More sightseeing followed which included the John Frost Bridge and then lunch with Jos. We got to learn

some exploring and to meet up with a Dutch counterpart. We had set ourselves an ambitious itinerary, which we knew would involve covering a lot of ground and potentially visiting a large number of locations. After a substantial breakfast we set off from Calais for the starting point of our tour. This was a road bridge on the Belgium / Dutch border known as Joe’s Bridge. On 17 September 1944 this was the departure point for 30 Corps and we intended to follow in their tank tracks. After many stops for the odd photo and to locate the many information boards littered throughout the area we got to the American Airbourne Museum at Best. Whilst there, we made our first contact on the phone with Jos - our Dutch IPA friend. The museum is situated in the area of the American drop zone and contained a large number of vehicles and aircraft from the

ex-military he was very keen to ensure we viewed as much of his collection as possible before we left! We then departed for what was going to be our home for the next 3 nights, a campsite on a farm just outside Oosterbeek. Upon our arrival we booked in and set up the van. We then had to identify which one of the many Dutchmen could be our IPA friend. After spotting a large gent with an impressive moustache, we decided he was worth approaching with an outstretched arm and indeed we were right. Jos was a retired Chief Inspector of Arnhem police and was used to guiding parties of English war veterans and their families. He was also a seasoned IPA member who told me that he had travelled all over the world with the IPA. We didn’t know it at the time but we could not have wished for a better person to show us round the area. He kindly offered to collect us the following morning at 9am and drive us round for the day. With that he left and we headed off to the nearby village for a meal and a few beers. The next day, Jos arrived, after breakfast, and we set off for Ginkell Heath, one of the main drop zones on the morning of 17 - 18 September, 1944. The area today is a military training area and is still used as a DZ on the anniversary of the Operation. Jos then drove us round Oosterbeek and showed us various locations where significant fighting took place. We made a point of visiting the immaculately kept British Military cemetery just outside Arnhem.

a little about the Dutch police and afterwards Jos very kindly showed us his super modern home built very close to the Polish drop zone. He introduced us to his family and we were genuinely touched by the hospitality he extended to us. Jos then returned us to our campsite which gave us the opportunity to show our appreciation to him by presenting him with a West Mercia Police IPA limited edition framed print by the artist Jedd. Jos, not being a man prone to big cheesy grins, seemed very pleased when we handed it to him. Our fourth day gave us the opportunity to do a little driving and visit Overloon and the largest military vehicle museum in the Netherlands. We were fortunate that it hosted a large number of vintage half-tracks and trucks which were in working order and offered rides round an off road track. There was a large number of international visitors for this special open day but the permanent exhibits were highly impressive. We left having taken hundreds of photos with which to bore wives and friends back home. We barely had time to reflect on our four days before hitting the road to catch our return train by Eurotunnel. We emerged back in the UK feeling tired but pleased with our first IPA trip. The planning for the next one has already begun! Dave Meyer , Shropshire branch

Jos and Dave with the Jedd print

Some of the hardware on display

POLICE WORLD Vol 59 No. 1, 2014

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