Operation Market Garden has been the subject of many books,
TV programmes and films; but what makes Market Garden so interesting.
A leading factor is that it is often viewed as a doomed
operation from the start. An operation that was flawed in every aspect; and
plays up to the image of the British forces conducting business as usual rather
than the dash that was required.
There are plenty of sources out there covering Market Garden
from well known films such as “A Bridge Too Far” and “Band of Brothers” to
written accounts of the battle either covering a small part of the battle (such
as the battle for Arnhem itself) or taking a wider look at the entirety of
operation. There are also plenty of first hand accounts and the tales of the
brave Red Devils holding on for much longer than was expected against far
greater odds, makes for exciting reading and viewing.
This makes researching Market Garden not only accessible but
also very interesting as there are many different angles to look at. When
researching Market Garden I found Robert Kershaw’s “It Never Snows in
September” very interesting as it covered the German perspective of the battle,
which as I do not speak or read German proved very useful.
The National Archives also has a vast amount of unit War
Diaries that can be easily accessed and can contain some often overlooked
“quirks” of the operation. One such “quirk” involved the Dutch village of Oss
Finally Market Garden involved airpower (or lack of at
crucial moments), plenty of tanks and artillery and not to forget the infantry
(including British, American and Polish airborne forces as well as German
paratroops opposing them). This level of combined arms required a huge planning
and logistical arrangement. This alone provides a lot of primary sources that
are available to view at the National Archives and can really give an insight
into how certain departments and arms of service assess priorities.
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