by Ron Kilber (rpknet@aztec.asu.edu)
          & Roland Korst (korst_ro@euronet.nl)

A part from Market Garden's airborne effort (the "Market" part), the ground operation (the Garden part) was the responsibility of the 2nd British Army, which included a Belgian and Dutch Brigade. They were assembled and ready to fight their way just as soon as the airborne troops captured and held the bridges along the road to Arnhem. Altogether the entire Allied ground operation numbered about 100,000 armed troops. When you count the air and ground forces in Operation Market Garden, all together they numbered close to 140,000 fighting men from armies of six separate countries. The road they traveled became known as Hell's Highway, and was named so by the US Army 101st Airborne Division.

The overall Market Garden operation was commanded by General Bernhard Law Montgomery of the British Army, who in turn reported to the Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight D. Eisenhower of the US Army. Lieutenant General Brereton of the USAAF was the commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, which, amongst other participants, incorporated the US 82nd , the US 101st and the British 1st Airborne divisions. Lieutenant General B. G. Horrocks of the British Army was commander of the XXX Corps, which executed the ground operation from Belgium.

The US Army 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General Maxwell Taylor, used about 1,300 planes, and over 800 gliders to transport roughly 11,000 men, hundreds of jeeps and all other equipment needed to support the operation. The 101st jumped into the Eindhoven area, which boundaries include the cities of Best, Son and St. Oedenrode. The 101st jumped in three waves over a three-day period.

The US Army 82nd Airborne Division, commanded by Brigadier General James Gavin, used rougly the same number of planes and gliders to transport the 12,500 men, the heavy guns, jeeps and other ground support equipment. They, too, landed in three waves over a three-day period, and jumped into the Grave/Groesbeek/Nijmegen area.


The 1st British Airborne Division, commanded by Major General Roy Urquhart, used about 1,100 planes, almost 700 gliders and more than 10,000 men. They jumped and landed in two waves into the Wolfheze area west of Arnhem on the first and second days.



The Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, numbering about 750 men, was commanded by Major General Stanislav Sosabowski, used about 100 planes, approximately 35 gliders, and they jumped and landed as the third wave into the Wolfheze area and also into an area south of the Rhine River at Driel.

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