Student Tour Blog

Written by Paige Cranstone

Located at the former headquarters of the 1st Airborne is the British Airborne Museum which facilitates an impressive exhibition dedicated to Operation Market Garden, the battle for Arnhem, and the troops of the 1st Airborne Division. The attempt to liberate Arnhem was part of operation Market Garden, an Allied attempt to advance into occupied Netherlands via the capture of key bridges. What the Museum was able to do was tell the story of the British division, the Polish troops who aided them, and the civilian experience of war through artifacts and an a very well put together immersion experience which guided us through the gliders, and the battle within the town, as well as the Rhine bridge. In the exhibition, you could listen to Lance Corporal Wojciechowski, a Polish veteren of the Airborne Divison speak about his experience at the fall of Poland, occupation at a forced labour camp, and after the opportunity to fight for his country. He recalled Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski crying at the Polish anthem when leaving the train station and the powerful message of nationhood and pride the polish troops would get to experience and fight for. Learning about the story and then being able to walk through a simulation of it helped me to understand the detail, experience and horror of war through the specific example of the attempted Liberation of Arnhem. The experience of civilians evacuating their home, long under occupation was very moving, for me this hit especially during the immersive experience when you could hear the whispers of a mother and her child through a doorway into a basement. The temporary exhibition which looked at the process of recovering lost soldiers and their identity reminded me that the consequences of the wars can still be felt now over 80 years later. This Museum captured the shared experience of war between Allied nations, civilians and military personnel, which is and area I particularly enjoy to study as I believe it captures incredible stories of resilience, tragedy and bravery.