Operation Market Garden brought in stunning colorized images. Operation Market Garden, which began on September 17 and ended on September 25, was an unsuccessful Allied military operation sustaining between 15,000-17,000 casualties. The battles were mainly fought in the Netherlands in corridor Eindhoven – Nijmegen – Arnhem in World War 2. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time.
The following featured photographs, colorized by Tom Marshall, Doug Banks, Rui Candeias and Royston Leonard, capture in vivid detail the Allied Troops on the battlefields of World War II. Their photos are also featured among the hundreds of colored photos on the WW1 Colourised Photos and WW2 Colourised Photos
Editor’s note: Photos and photo captions are courtesy of artists’ Facebook pages, but may be edited for brevity. Photos featured are from Defense of Department (includes U.S. Navy, Marines, Army, Coast Guard and Air Force) and military service pages, Imperial War Museum, National Archives, Library of Congress, newspapers or donated by third parties.
Men of “E Squadron” Glider Pilot Regiment photographed at RAF Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, shortly before ‘Operation Market Garden’ in September 1944. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
Serial A-7 dropping on Drop Zone ‘N’ near Groesbeek, September 17, 1944, around 13:12. This serial carried General Gavin’s Command group and the 1st Btn of the 505th, 82th Airborne. (Colorized by Anthony Malesys)
A serial of Douglas C-47 Skytrains of the 315th Troop Carrier Group, dropping 41 sticks of the 1st Polish Airborne Brigade into DZ “O” near Grave, southwest of Nijmegen in Holland, on September 23, 1944, D+6 of Operation Market Garden. (Colored by Jakob L.)
Men of No 3 Platoon, ‘R’ Company, 1st Parachute Battalion, 1st (British) Airborne Division armed with Bren gun and No. 4 rifles defend a large shell hole outside Arnhem, during Operation ‘Market Garden’, 17th September 1944. The Corporal on the left is Cpl Alfred Reynolds from Wolverhampton, who was killed later that day. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
Two British Airborne troopers dug in near Oosterbeek, Holland on 18 September 1944, showing the woodland fought in on the western side of the British perimeter. (Colorized by Paul Reynolds)
Squadron Sergeant Major Watt, HQ, B Squadron, 1st Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment, takes aim with an American M1 carbine from the first floor front balcony of the Hartenstein Hotel, Oosterbeek, near Arnhem in The Netherlands. Saturday, September 23, 1944. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
Four men of the 156th Parachute Battalion moving through a shell-damaged house in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem, Netherlands. September 23, 1944. (Colorized by Royston Leonard)
Two soldiers watch as ‘Cromwell’ tanks of the Guards Armoured Division of the 2nd Armoured Recon Battalion the Welsh Guards cross Nijmegen bridge in the Netherlands, Thursday, the 21st of September 1944. (Colorized by Tom Marshall)
War Correspondent Alan Wood is seen typing his despatch, while Airborne troops in the background consult a map during Operation ‘Market Garden’, Holland, 18 September 1944. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
No. 1 Gun, 75mm howitzer of ‘D’ Troop, 2nd Battery, 1st Airlanding Light Regiment, 1st Airborne Division in the Oosterbeek perimeter. September 21, 1944. (Colorized by Royston Leonard)
British Paratroops at Arnhem ‘Operation Market Garden’. September 20, 1944. A 3-inch mortar team of Nº23 Mortar Platoon, Support Company, 1st (Airlanding) Battalion, Border Regiment, bombarding enemy positions from the edge of the woodland to the south of Van Lennepweg. The team are (left to right) Privates Norman ‘Jock’ Knight, Ron ‘Ginger’ Tierney and Cpl. Jim McDowell. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
A 6 pounder anti-tank gun (Gallipoli II), No 25 Anti-Tank Platoon, 1st Bn, Borders engages a German Char B tank at the Herberg cross-roads only 80 metres away. Oosterbeek. Wednesday, 20th September 1944. Gallipoli II’s crew, the soldier on the left is unidentified but the others are (L-R) Lance-Corporal R. Eccles, Private G. ‘Taffy’ Bar and Private Joe Cunnington. Gallipoli II, under Corporal B. Lever of No. 26 Anti-Tank Platoon, 1st Border Regiment, 1st Airborne Division, managed to knock out the German PzKpfw B2 (f) as it passed in front of what is today no. 264 Utrechtseweg. The tank commander, Leutnant Siegfried Giesa, was slightly wounded. (Colorized by Rui Candeias)
Paratroopers (inc. RAMC Para Field Ambulance personnel) of the British Army’s 1st Airborne Division taken as POWs by Germans during the Battle of Arnhem. Taken near Arnhem, Gelderland, the Netherlands. 20 September 1944. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
British South Staffordshire troopers (possibly Battalion HQ) captured around the area of the Museum, Arnhem in the failed attempt to break through to the Bridge. They are standing in front of the Musis Sacrum in Arnhem, where they were filmed, and then interrogated. (Colorized by Royston Leonard)
Four prisoners thought to be of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abte
The three Army Film and Photographic Unit Photographers who took the graphic still and cine pictures of the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem. The picture, which shows them with their cameras, was taken at the AFPU Centre at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire on 28 September 1944, the day that they arrived back. Smith was wounded in the shoulder. Left to right: Sgt. Dennis M Smith, Sgt. Gordon “Jock” Walker and Sgt. C M “Mike” Lewis. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
Members of the British 1st Airborne Division (mostly 1st Bn Borders), safe in the grounds of the Missionary College in Nijmegen, on Tuesday 26th September, after being successfully evacuated across the Rhine from Arnhem. (Colorized by Doug Banks)
Back row, L-R: Ptes. Jack Cohen (Divisional HQ’s Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Defence Platoon), Poule (from Sheffield, unit unknown), Johnny Peters (No.14 Platoon, B Company, 1st Border, from Liverpool).
Middle row, L-R: L/Cpl. C. McInnes (23 Mortar Platoon, 1st Border), Pte. D. Doran (1st Border), Lt. C.E.K.Speller (Platoon Commander No 2 Platoon, 21 Independent Para Coy).
Front row, L-R: Cpl. Jim McDowell (23 Mortar Platoon, 1st Border), Lt. A.G.Catford (E-Sqn, G.P.R.), Pte. Danny Shaw (9th Field Company, RE), L/Cpl. Thomas McEwan (No.18 Platoon, 10th Battalion), unknown, Pte. A. R. Morgan-Lewis (L-Section, 1 Abn Div Sigs), Tpr. Jim Cooke (Recce Squadron), L/Cpl. Ronny Lord (23 Mortar Platoon, 1st Border), CSM: Terry Armstrong (89 Field Security Section, Int Corps), L/Cpl. S. “Judy” Wright (Divisional HQ’s Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Defence Platoon). Source: www.paradata.org.uk
Read more such as Then & Now from the Battle of Arnhem, Operation Market Garden brought in 37 Photographs or other stunning colorized images from Normandy in 1944. We’ve added two new books reviews covering this subject: Arnhem 1944 – The Human Tragedy of the Bridge Too Far and Images of War: The Battle for Arnhem.
Great photos. Poorly planned op. Waste of many good men. Film “ A Bridge Too Far” tells the story.
Wives father John Campbell 3189332 Sapper kia Arnhem 22/09/44.Wife has not got a photo of her father.Just a chance, anybody.
John Ferguson there is a Facebook group called The Bridges to Arnhem, if your wife joins she maybe lucky and discover something. They are very helpful, my dad was a glider pilot at Arnhem and they helped me
My dad was 3 para and captured he escaped and managed to get through to the American sector on April 14 1945. I have been to Arnhem twice with my dad since, unfortunately my dad died in 2010 always my hero Arthur Winstanley.
Dear Joanne, I saw your post on argunners.com, while searching information and pictures of your dad Mr. Winstanley.
When I was younger I collected autographs of the veterans visiting Arnhem/Oosterbeek. In my small notebook I found the autograph of your dad, dated 1992.
I run a small museum based on Market Garden, Arnhem area. I also organize battlefieldtours for children. During these tours I use pictures/stories and personal items of the brave forces landing in Wolfheze and fighting in Oosterbeek. This way the story becomes more lively for the kids…
I hope to use your dads information. Unfortunately I could not find any personal things about him. I am interested in photo s during WO 2 (digital or prints). And of course his memories of 1944-1945.
Could you help me with this ? I understand if you don’t feel like it. Then I won’t bother you anymore.
Kind regards, Ivo Tilanus
Amazing photos,thankyou.my uncleThomas Stanley Warwick was 1st airborne,he was Royal Artillery,a gunner on the 17 pounders,he was killed manning his 17 pounder on tbe crossroads up from thehartenstein.i keep looking and hoping that imight see him on a photo,sadly he hasno known grave either
Wonderful work. Helps to see the reality of the situation – not just history but our living history.