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).

3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

Search This Blog