Last Sunday, alongside the RBL, the Mayor of Bedford and the Lord Lieutenant, Richard Fuller MP took part in a commemoration of Operation Market Garden at the war memorial in Bedford.
Speaking afterwards, Richard said:
Armistice Day on the 11th of November is when we all come together to remember those who fought and died for our country in conflicts around the world.
There are many key dates throughout the year, however., that are reminders of how others paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and Sunday was a case in point with the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden where over 1,500 allied servicemen lost their lives and many more were captured.
I was privileged to lay a wreath at Bedford Embankment War Memorial on behalf of the people of North Bedfordshire.
Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War. It was fought in the German-occupied Netherlands, specifically Eindhoven, Arnhem, and Nijmegen, from 17-25 September 1944.
It was a daring airborne operation to secure crossings of the River Rhine and lead to an advance into Northern Germany. Although it ultimately failed, the courage and determination of the airborne troops and the units that assisted them, made Market Garden one of the most famous battles of the Second World War
