Bridges are Ours (vol 2) - Pictorial history of the 82nd Airborne Division in the Holland Campaign

"Burning Bridges" (volume 1) and "Bridges Are Ours" (volume 2) are the culmination of 35 years of research on airborne history and contain 976 pages and more than 1,600 photographs, most of which have never been published before.

 All photographs are identified by date, location, the name of each soldier, equipment or historical context. In many cases, all of these elements have been identified, making it possible to write complete captions for each photograph.

Photographs of airborne equipment, along with rare documents and artefacts from the collections of the "December 44" and "D-Day Experience" museums, enrich the book. Although the authors' intention was to compile a photographic history, extensive research in American and British archives has also shed new light on why Operation Market Garden ultimately failed in its mission.

 
"Bridges are Ours" begins where "Burning Bridges" leaves off — with the capture of the Nijmegen bridges.

 In general, five separate attacks took place and each is covered in minute detail. The main attacks of 19 and 20 September, during which the 2nd Battalion of the 505th Regiment, supported by British tanks, attacked both the railway and the southern road bridges, are described in detail.

While the German defence held firm, the 504th Regiment was ordered to cross the Waal River in small assault boats — an act of war that ranks among the most heroic of the Second World War. Michel de Trez and Peter Hendrikx unravel the decision-making process behind the crossing of the Waal River and detail the entire operation.

 After the 82nd Division had accomplished all of its missions, one final regiment was committed to battle. The 325th Glider Regiment had been delayed for several days due to bad weather and the dangerous situation. However, in the defensive battles that followed, the 325th Regiment played an important role.

 "Bridges are Ours" continues with the defensive battles of the 504th, 505th and 508th Regiments and their supporting artillery battalions. The activities of the glider pilots — Air Force members called upon to serve as infantry — are also covered.

Many recently discovered photographs tell the story of this dangerous battle. The divisional headquarters units, such as the Military Police, the Signal Corps and the medical battalion, are also well covered.

The final chapter offers a critical assessment of the principal commanders of Operation Market Garden and their roles in the decision-making process and the execution of the operation. Sources in British and American archives have shed new light on the historiography of Operation Market Garden.