70th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden recognized at Fort Taber

The Fort Taber Fort Rodman Historical Association, Inc. in cooperation with the City of New Bedford are sponsoring a living history camp Saturday, September 13 and Sunday 14, 2014 to recognize the 70th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden, a World War II battle fought in the Netherlands between September 17 – 25, 1944.

The camp will be open, free to the public, from 9 to 4 each day. Re-enactors represent both Allied and German soldiers will provide a living history camp inside Fort Rodman (Stone Fort) at the City’s Fort Taber Park.

The operation consisted of two elements, “Market” a large scale airborne assault followed by “Garden” the ground force movement to link up with the various airborne troops that would capture numerous river and canal crossings. The battle became the largest airborne operation up to that time.

The plan was developed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and was designed to force an entry into Germany over the Lower Rhine. The goal was to circumvent the northern end of the Siegfried Line and seize the bridges across the Meuse River and portions of the Rhine River (the Waal and the Lower Rhine) as well as several canals. Crossing the Lower Rhine would allow the Allies to enter into Germany’s industrial are in the Ruhr.

The battle principally involved units from the British 1st Airborne Division, the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, and ground troops from the British XXX Corps. Although the operation was not successful for the Allies, it did liberate sections of occupied Holland.

For further information please contact Joseph Langlois 508-996-3850 or Bob Bromley 774-357-9591.