In our regular series, household names revisit the favourite holiday destinations of their youth. This week, comedian Al Murray returns to Arnhem…
I first went to Arnhem with my Dad when I was 14 or 15 because I was doing an O-level history project about the battle of the same name.
My interest in the action was sparked by my seeing the film A Bridge Too Far and the fact that my father had served in the 131 (Parachute) Regiment, Royal Engineers and knew a load of people who’d taken part.
So one fine spring day Dad and I headed to the coast, caught a ferry to Holland, and from there made our way to Arnhem, a 90-minute drive from Amsterdam.
He walked me through the battlefield, both in Arnhem and Oosterbeek, the leafy nearby village where the last phase of the action took place, pointing out where key events happened.
We also visited the Airborne Museum in the former Hartenstein Hotel (the British 1st Airborne Division’s HQ during the campaign), which is surrounded by beautiful parkland, and Oosterbeek’s Airborne Cemetery where more than 1,700 Allied servicemen are buried – a very moving experience.
The trip had its moments of danger too: I was nearly run over by a moped in a cycle lane on Arnhem Bridge, where the British officer John Frost and his brave Paras made their extraordinary last stand.
Our trip wasn’t just about the battle though.
It was also a chance for me and my Dad to ‘bond’ and get closer. Oh, and I got to drink a refreshing cold cider at a local pub, the first time alcohol had passed my lips.
Forty-odd years on, I still find the story of the British-led Operation Market Garden – a doomed attempt to shorten the war which saw the biggest parachute drop in history – as magnetic as ever.
So last autumn I revisited Arnhem with my ‘We Have Ways’ podcast co-presenter James Holland.
Going in September is a particularly special time to visit the city, and nearby Oosterbeek, because every other house is flying a maroon and sky blue Pegasus flag (the 1st Airborne Division’s standard) in the run-up to the anniversary commemorations.
On the anniversary weekend itself (taking place on 19-21 Sept this year) there is a big parachute drop by Dutch, British and other NATO personnel (in tribute to all those who took part in the famous 1944 parachute drop), watched by thousands of people.
The locals also remember the fallen Paras in a series of poignant events including a parade and a service at the cemetery.
Moreover, every September a local Dutch schoolchild who’s been tending a particular serviceman’s grave for the past year will pass on the responsibility to a child in the class below.
All too often us Brits see WWII, with the exception of the Blitz, as something that happened ‘over there’ (across the Channel).
Whereas for the Dutch the war was something that happened on their home soil and they remember in a more visceral way.
So if anyone is casually interested in the battle, I would really recommend visiting the city.
Besides the history (incidentally, the museum is now even better than when I first visited), it’s just a very pleasant place with some very agreeable hostelries serving excellent Dutch beer.
As Arnhem’s mayor told me on my last visit: ‘The Battle of Arnhem is our modern foundation story in the same way that Dunkirk is yours, and despite the operation failing we’ll forever be grateful to those who gave their lives in a bid to free us from Nazi tyranny.’
Victory ’45 (Bantam), by James Holland & Al Murray, is out now.
