VETERANS joined thousands of people in the Netherlands this weekend to remember the men who fought and died during Operation Market Garden, 82 years after the battle began.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans took a group of veterans, including eight who served during WWII, to the Netherlands for the annual commemorations, including the mass parachute drop at Ginkel Heath, which was attended by more than 60,000 people, and the moving Airborne Memorial Service at Oosterbeek Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery recently.
For the Taxi Charity family, some of the most poignant moments came at the Airborne Memorial Service, attended by thousands, which takes place at the cemetery where more than 1,700 Allied servicemen are buried.
Three special moments left a lasting impression on everyone.
As the congregation stood for the one-minute silence, to remember those who never returned, a Dakota flew over the cemetery, creating a deeply moving link between the aircraft of 1944 and the men whose graves lay beneath it.
Local schoolchildren, known as the ‘flower children’, who have been laying flowers on the graves since the first memorial service in 1945, one by one, placed flowers on the graves, continuing a tradition that has been part of the Oosterbeek service since 1945. Every one of the 1,764 Second World War graves received a flower, a simple but incredibly powerful demonstration that the men buried there have not been forgotten.
But perhaps the most emotional moment came when WWII and Market Garden veteran Geoff Roberts MBE was called forward to lay a wreath. As he made his way to the Cross of Sacrifice, the crowd rose to its feet and broke into spontaneous applause, acknowledging the presence of the only Market Garden veteran able to attend the service. With the help of his family, Geoff rose from his wheelchair and laid his wreath in memory of those who fought alongside him. He then stood to attention and saluted.
Market Garden veteran Geoff Roberts MBE. Photograph credit: Dean Euesden.Colin Mills, London Taxi Driver and Chair of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans who drove Geoff from his home to the Netherlands, said:
“Every year we come to the Netherlands, we are reminded of the extraordinary bond between the veterans, the Dutch people and the men who gave their lives during Operation Market Garden.
“The mass parachute drop at Ginkel Heath is an incredible sight, but it is the moments of quiet remembrance that stay with you.
“Watching the Dakota fly over, seeing the flower children carefully place a flower on every grave and then seeing Geoff stand to lay his wreath and salute were incredibly moving.
“Geoff’s determination to stand, despite being in a wheelchair, and pay his respects to his fallen comrades was a moment that none of us will forget.
“The Dutch people have never forgotten what these men did for their freedom. Every year they demonstrate that gratitude in so many ways, and it is a privilege for the Taxi Charity to bring our veterans back to the Netherlands to be part of these commemorations.”
The charity is supported throughout its Netherlands visits by a group of British cab drivers, carers, medics and volunteers as well as friends from Dutch organisations.
For the Taxi Charity veterans, drivers and volunteers the annual journey is about far more than remembering the past. It is about maintaining the friendships forged between British veterans and the Dutch people and ensuring that the stories of those who fought for freedom continue to be remembered by future generations.
To fund and facilitate their work, the charity is wholly reliant on donations, grants and sponsorship. Please visit: www.taxicharity.org for more information.
