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Operation Market Garden
Sep. 17th, 2014 07:55 pmSeptember 2014 celebrates the 70th anniversary of Operation Market Garden.
Eindhoven, Son en Breughel, Veghel, (and possibly) Nijmegen and Arnhem remember the 70th anniversary of their liberation -- eight months before the rest of the Netherlands -- with a base camp featuring WWII re-enactors and a large parade of military vehicles operating from the OMG Base Camp in Veghel.
Too bad we couldn't attend the large parade of military vehicles sometimes driven by WWII veterans through Eindhoven and Son last Sunday as we were visiting family. But because Eisirt is an avid World of Tanker and because I thought it was awesome to go see the M7 Priest and the Base Camp, we drove through Veghel on our way back from Eisirt's parents and to visit.
The Base Camp was divided into two parts: an allied part ("This is Holland. Remember! The Dutch are our allies.") and a Berlin part ("You are now entering enemy territory, beware!"), and displayed elaborate tents, numerous vehicles and encampments filled with re-enactors.
WWII re-enactment is a cookie I never dreamed of sniffing, but how awesome is it to run around Base Camp for a week, work on tanks and old lorries and tell people about Operation Market Garden and the war? To me, the pictures with only re-enactors really bring home the atmosphere. Soft 1950s music played from speakers on poles and the re-enactors showed off their skills: one lorry powered a chainsaw that was hooked up to it. Another toted a huge diesel locomotive that was originally brought in by boat for post-liberation logistics. Half-track lorries and motorcycles, Red Cross trucks and tanks (including the M7 artillery that was beautifully renovated!) were parked throughout the camp.
The best part about this display of antique vehicles was that because of the parade, we knew that most, if not all of them, would still be in working order. I have no doubt that countless volunteers worked tirelessly on these vehicles and motorcycles, making them all a product of war and love at the same time.
This morning there were more festivities as people rebuilt the bailey bridge in Son and the entire parade was sent back to Son in several convoys. It was quite thrilling to be standing in front of the store where I work and see army jeeps drive by, and their occupants waving at us as if they were liberating us on the spot. Dutch flags waving in the background made the picture complete.
In the last convoy I saw were the tanks. It was quite surreal to hear the loud thunderous roar of tanks and to see one drive down the street in the centre of town. Three tanks in close succession, and the M7 not among them as it was out of gas, nor the rusty Comet Eisirt hugged on Monday, so I'm guessing several from the War Museum in Best (possibly) among them.
My (phonecam) pictures are here -- and the set includes a video of the M7 Priest rampaging through the fields!
Nothing compares to other photographers who did bring their real (SLR) camera's though... Omroep Brabant has this awesome action photo of the M7 Priest being awesome and in action. More of their reporting here (Dutch).
Flickr has a beautiful collection of OMG pictures too.
And for those of you who would really like to watch the parade there is one final chance: Saturday September 20th, the parade of military vehicles will travel from Veghel to Uden, Zeeland, and Nijmegen. (Leaving Veghel at 7am).
I might like a chance to snap some better pictures with my Real Camera, but I'll be working on Saturday....
Eindhoven, Son en Breughel, Veghel, (and possibly) Nijmegen and Arnhem remember the 70th anniversary of their liberation -- eight months before the rest of the Netherlands -- with a base camp featuring WWII re-enactors and a large parade of military vehicles operating from the OMG Base Camp in Veghel.
Too bad we couldn't attend the large parade of military vehicles sometimes driven by WWII veterans through Eindhoven and Son last Sunday as we were visiting family. But because Eisirt is an avid World of Tanker and because I thought it was awesome to go see the M7 Priest and the Base Camp, we drove through Veghel on our way back from Eisirt's parents and to visit.
The Base Camp was divided into two parts: an allied part ("This is Holland. Remember! The Dutch are our allies.") and a Berlin part ("You are now entering enemy territory, beware!"), and displayed elaborate tents, numerous vehicles and encampments filled with re-enactors. WWII re-enactment is a cookie I never dreamed of sniffing, but how awesome is it to run around Base Camp for a week, work on tanks and old lorries and tell people about Operation Market Garden and the war? To me, the pictures with only re-enactors really bring home the atmosphere. Soft 1950s music played from speakers on poles and the re-enactors showed off their skills: one lorry powered a chainsaw that was hooked up to it. Another toted a huge diesel locomotive that was originally brought in by boat for post-liberation logistics. Half-track lorries and motorcycles, Red Cross trucks and tanks (including the M7 artillery that was beautifully renovated!) were parked throughout the camp.
The best part about this display of antique vehicles was that because of the parade, we knew that most, if not all of them, would still be in working order. I have no doubt that countless volunteers worked tirelessly on these vehicles and motorcycles, making them all a product of war and love at the same time.
This morning there were more festivities as people rebuilt the bailey bridge in Son and the entire parade was sent back to Son in several convoys. It was quite thrilling to be standing in front of the store where I work and see army jeeps drive by, and their occupants waving at us as if they were liberating us on the spot. Dutch flags waving in the background made the picture complete.
In the last convoy I saw were the tanks. It was quite surreal to hear the loud thunderous roar of tanks and to see one drive down the street in the centre of town. Three tanks in close succession, and the M7 not among them as it was out of gas, nor the rusty Comet Eisirt hugged on Monday, so I'm guessing several from the War Museum in Best (possibly) among them.
My (phonecam) pictures are here -- and the set includes a video of the M7 Priest rampaging through the fields!
Nothing compares to other photographers who did bring their real (SLR) camera's though... Omroep Brabant has this awesome action photo of the M7 Priest being awesome and in action. More of their reporting here (Dutch).
Flickr has a beautiful collection of OMG pictures too.
And for those of you who would really like to watch the parade there is one final chance: Saturday September 20th, the parade of military vehicles will travel from Veghel to Uden, Zeeland, and Nijmegen. (Leaving Veghel at 7am).
I might like a chance to snap some better pictures with my Real Camera, but I'll be working on Saturday....
