Just Got Back from Arnhem

Thanks Popski.

As this is a family holiday, i can't spend as mutch time doing this as i'd like. I've agreed with the missus that we will try and pick areas that i will find interesting, but will also cater for the wife and kids if they don't fancy going to a war museum or cemetry that day. But i dounbt that will be to difficult with all the nice towns and beaches in the areas i plan on going.

 

In that case Bish

Near Eben Emael is the very very nice city Maastricht ( even got a MacDonalds) And Arnhem is also a very nice city to go shopping for the Mss whilst you can have a look at the Hartenstein museum. The Groesbeek museum is very near Nijmegen which has the most pubs per head of the population in Holland, so should be good. If you can squeeze in these 3 museums you should be OK.
If you need directions just let me know.

Popski

 

Hi guys,

Sorry I was AWOL; laptop problems and the failure of the people I got it from kept me off the net for a while.

Anyway, the others have answered some of your questions already - what a great team we all are!

Re. La Cambe. There is nothing to see now. The fast road from Caen to Falaise has changed the ground where Witmann was killed, and you can't even stop there now. The best way is to visit the nearby Canadian Cemetery and view the ground from there.

Whatever time you allocate for battlefields it will never be enough! I have been visiting them for 20+ years now, and am always finding something new. If you come through the WW1 battlefields of the Somme, you should come and look me up - as that's where I live (most of the time). Decent British cuppa always on offer!

At Ypres there is a kids fun park where you can leave the family while you go out battlefielding - if you drop me an email nearer your visit, I'll help in any way I can.

 

When serving in Germany a few years ago, decided, ok forced...to do Nijmegan marches in last year of service....With all my interest in matters military would you believe I had never bothered to use the advantage I had of being in the battle areas to actually visit any of the sites....Looking back now what a waste....So did a tour of the Arnhem area on that occasion.

One thing that sticks in my mind is a camping trip 4 of us went on one leave time....Didnt have a clue where we were going just drove, found a site by a river....set up tent..time to eat and a few Grossen Pills bitter....walked along river path, went round bend and thought blimey where have I seen that before....Damn I know this place...where are we....looked across river at old turreted emplacements leading to what looked like a tunnel at far end....Ive seen this before I know I have...signpost on small jetty leading out to where original bridge obviously was positined..bugger me...Remagen....Gave me an instant buzz...to think without planning just walked into it...