Paratroopers mark 80 years since Operation Market Garden

Many of the thatched roof villas and apartments around Arnhem display the merlot flag decorated with a leaping pegasus, dedicated to the British Airborne forces, to ensure the sacrifices made for their freedom are not forgotten.

Some of the most ferocious fighting took place on these tranquil, tree-lined streets during the eight-day battle.

The battles were so incongruously bloody that those who witnessed war on their doorsteps recalled taking refuge from the relentless gunfire and described the paratroopers dropping like “stars falling from the sky’”

The area was eventually swarmed by victorious Nazi soldiers and became one of the last places to be liberated from the Nazis.

This eastern Dutch region has long maintained its traditions as a heartland of Allied remembrance.

So, why do the Dutch still put such great emphasis on remembering the failed Allied effort?

Earlier this month, the BBC sought answers from walkers on ‘Wandeltocht’ – the world’s largest one-day commemorative march that follows the footsteps of the Allied forces, passing key historical landmarks.

Thirty-four thousand people armed only with water bottles took part in the annual tribute, which encourages young and old to engage with history in a meaningful way.

As living memory passes with the remaining veterans, the Dutch feel a responsibility to share these stories and ensure their legacy is maintained.

Mattijs van Gessel’s sons Koen and Tom are hiding shyly behind his shorts. Their mother Sary told the BBC it was an opportunity to educate them.

“Wars take place everywhere and we tell them our safety is not something that you can take for granted,” she said.

That morning, during breakfast, Sary said the family had discussed why all the military personnel were in the village.

“If this wasn’t happening then we wouldn’t be talking about it.”

One gentleman, Geert, told me he had goosebumps on the walk. His adopted grandfather was wounded by a piece of shrapnel and was tended to by two Dutch nurses. The shrapnel and his beret are on display in the Oosterbeek museum.

“We would like to take it back for the family but it is more important for the world to see the evidence. It’s most important for kids to know it was real,” Geert said.

Another participant, Amanda Juanita Diemel, told the BBC that they were “walking with history”.

“It makes it very concrete, very tangible,” she said.

“It’s important to keep it alive, to learn from the past, especially with everything going on in the world today.”

As weeks of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden draw to a close, these moments have caused people to pause and remember the price paid to restore peace in Europe.