Operation Market Garden, the ultimately failed attempt to liberate the north of the Netherlands from Nazi Germany in September 1944, was commemorated by veterans and royalty in the Netherlands this afternoon. Under a clear blue sky, Prince Charles and Dutch Princess Beatrix watched over a thousand parachutists re-enact the landing of British, US and Polish paratroopers on Ginkel Heath, which happened on September 17, 1944. The landing marked the start of Operation Market Garden, one of the largest allied operations of World War Two – famously depicted in the 1977 film “A Bridge Too Far”, starring Sean Connery.

Dutch defence minister Ank Bijleveld said at the commemoration of the battles: “The battle was tough, brutal and vicious.”

Mayor of Ede, Rene Verhulst, added: “We all know that Operation Market Garden did not bring the liberty that everyone was hoping for.

“But these were days of great courage, that were decisive for the future of our continent.”

Market Garden was meant to clear the path for allied troops into Germany, by liberating the north and east of the neighbouring Netherlands, isolating German troops in the west of the country.

Tens of thousands of paratroopers were instructed to seize bridges up and down from the Dutch-German border, but after three days of heavy battles and initial success, they failed to take the city of Arnhem.

Around 15,000 allied soldiers and thousands of German soldiers lost their lives in Operation Market Garden, which culminated in the loss of the Battle of Arnhem – prolonging World War Two in Europe until the final liberation came in May 1945.

Among the thousands of spectators on Saturday were veterans who survived the harsh battles in 1944.

Some of them even took part in the commemorative parachute jumps, including 97-year-old Sandy Cortman.

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The veteran said: “This was terrifyingly thrilling.

“I won’t be doing this again tomorrow.”

Prince Charles laid a wreath while wearing military gear, which read: “In everlasting remembrance, Charles.”

He later shook Mr Cortmann’s hand before meeting other veterans.

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Operation Market Garden was a failed World War 2 military operation fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944.

It was the brainchild of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, nicknamed the Spartan General.

The airborne part of the operation was undertaken by the First Allied Airborne Army with the land operation by XXX Corps of the British Second Army.

The aim was to create a 64-mile salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the River Rhine.

This would create an Allied invasion route into northern Germany.

The operation consisted of two parts. The first was an airborne assault to seize key bridges.

The second was a ground attack moving over the seized bridges creating the salient.

The attack was the largest airborne operation up to that point in the Second World War.

As well as the death toll, up to 88 tanks were destroyed and 159 aircraft.

The failure of Operation Market Garden to form a foothold over the Rhine ended Allied hopes of finishing the war by Christmas 1944.

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