Operation Market Garden Anniversary in the Netherlands Date in the current year: September 17, 2024

Operation Market Garden was a failed military operation carried out by the Allies during the Second World War. At that time, it was the largest airborne operation in military history. The operation was planned by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, who intended to force an entry to Germany by crossing the Lower Rhine. It took place in the skies above the Netherlands and on the ground.

On September 17, 1944, Allied airborne troops landed in the Netherlands. Their tactical objectives were to secure the bridges. At the beginning of the operation, the Allies captured a number of bridges between Nijmegen and Eindhoven. However, due to a number of reasons (including the defeat in the Battle of Arnhem), Allied troops did not manage to cross the Rhine. Operation Market Garden ended on September 25, resulting in Allied operational failure.

In the Netherlands, anniversaries of Operation Market Garden are marked with wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments and other commemorative events.