Operation Anger

Arnhem, April 1945. It was a ghost town. There were very few civilians, mostly on the outskirts of the city, and some were living in the Open Air Museum (Openluchtmuseum). Most of occupants of the city were the enemy; Germans and Dutch SS.

In early April, the Allies made plans for Operation Quick Anger. They were going to create artificial fog and cross the river exactly where the evacuation of Operation Market Garden took place (Operation Berlin). Canadian General Crerar, however, saw that without successful artificial fog, the men of the 49^th West Riding Division would be subject to intense enemy fire from the high ground, the Westerbouwing.

Not so ‘Quick’. Back to the drawing board.

General Crerar made the decision that the risks involved in Operation Quick Anger were too great, especially so close to the end of the war. Instead, he moved the entire division Eastward, over the Rijn at Pannerden, and re-set the stage in Westervoort.

April 12^th was the day. After hours of bombardment and air strikes over Arnhem, the ground troops, with the support of the Canadian Engineers and their massive Buffalo amphibious vehicles, crossed the dike, then crossed the Ijssel into Arnhem in Operation Anger.

The soldiers of the 49^th West Riding Division, made up of 9 different British regiments, made their way into Arnhem, fighting street to street, and house to house. Arnhem was a tragic wasteland of damaged, destroyed, and booby-trapped houses, burnt out vehicles, and, as the troops moved west, they came across the damage of the battle in the autumn of 1944.

Crosses littered the ground of what used to be beautiful yards and parks. Some had names, others had many; ‘Britise Soldaat’ with just the number of bodies indicated and a faded red beret on top.

These liberators weren’t given a hero’s welcome. There was no celebration, no flowers, no beautiful girls kissing the brave men.

For 80 years, the 60+ liberators who sacrificed their lives, went without their just recognition and remembrance.