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“One of the most saddening sights I have seen in this war, for though the destruction is very far from total every building is smashed in some degree.”

— An officer describing Arnhem after its liberation by british and Canadian forces on April 12-16, 1945.

Because the city was empty, the 1st Canadian Corps artillery had no hesitation to fire and expended more than 70,000 rounds to ‘soften’ the enemy throughout the day on April 12, 1945 using both artillery and ground attack aircraft.

The RAF used 36 Spitfires and 83 rocket firing Typhoon sorties.

The attack was preceded by one of the heaviest artillery barrages ever fired by the 1st Canadian Corps.

Three infantry brigades of the 49th West Riding Division leapfrogged each other through the city of Arnhem and in four days, Arnhem was under Allied control.

Sadly, though, this cost more than 60 Allied lives, and the soldiers weren’t greeted by admiring crowds. Arnhem had been destroyed and very few civilians were witness to the victory. Because of this, the relationships between the soldiers and locals weren’t built and the memories of this battle were lost to time.