Hendrikx, Peter/De Trez, Michel Bridges are Ours. Pictorial History of the 82nd Airborne Division in the Holland Campaign. Volume 2

Rarely identified airborne equipment, documents and artefacts from the collections of the December 44 and D-Day Experience Museums and local collections are scattered throughout the book. Although the authors' intention was to compile a pictorial history, extensive research in American and British archives also led to a better understanding of the reasons why Operation Market Garden ultimately failed. "Bridges are Ours" begins where "Burning Bridges" ends, namely with the battle for the bridges of Nijmegen. There were about five different attacks, and each one is covered in great detail. The main attacks on 19 and 20 September, when the 2nd Battalion of the 505th Parachute Regiment, supported by British tanks, attacked both the railway and road bridges from the south, are covered in detail. When the German defenders refused to give way, the 504th Parachute Regiment was ordered to cross the Waal in small boats - an action considered by many to be one of the most heroic of the Second World War. De Trez and Hendrikx unravel the decision-making process of the Waal crossing and provide a detailed account, illustrated with many artefacts. After the 82nd Airborne Division has completed all its missions, the last regiment is involved in the battle. The 325th Glider Regiment was delayed for many days due to bad weather and dangerous planning. However, the 325th Glider Regiment played an important role in the subsequent defence battles. "Bridges are Ours" continues the defence battles of the 504th, 505th and 508th Parachute Regiments and their supporting artillery battalions. The activities of the cargo glider pilots, members of the airborne forces who were deployed as infantrymen, are also covered. Many newly discovered photographs tell a story of danger and misery. Divisional headquarters units such as the military police, the signalmen and the medical battalion are also featured in
"Bridges Are Ours" are also well documented. The final chapter includes a critical appraisal of the senior commanders of Operation Market Garden and their role in the decision-making process and execution of the operation. Sources in British and American archives shed new light on the historiography of Operation Market Garden.