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2505 - Scherpenisse, Zeeland, Netherlands

This is a great card of the Arnhem Bridge. Of course it is the iconic bridge in A Bridge Too Far. The movie is set during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. The British 1st Airborne Division, and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade were ordered to secure the bridge at Arnhem. At the beginning of the operation, a bulk of the paratroopers were dropped far from the bridge and weren't able to get to their objective. The 2nd Parachute Battalion, led by Lt-Col John D. Frost (1912-1993), did get to the bridge but couldn't secure both sides. They met with resistance from the German 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. 

The British forces ran out of ammunition and were captured on 21 September, four days after they were dropped. Remaining forces were ordered out on 26 September. The bridge was eventually destroyed by the US Army Air Forces shortly after. 

The bridge built to replace the bridge after the war was named after Lt-Col Frost. The Arnhem Bridge was named John Frostbrug (John Frost Bridge) in 1978, although Frost was reluctant to receive the honour. 

Frost was taken prisoner after they surrendered on 21 September and was a prisoner of war at the Oflag IX-A/H camp at Spangenberg Castle and then moved to a hospital in Obermassfeldt. He was liberated by American troops in March 1945. He was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order Medal in September 1945. 

Marianne, the sender of the card, is from Scherpenisse. Scherpenisse has a population of 1414 people (2001). 

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