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Recreation of the 75 years of the Waal river crossing, in Nijmegen.

September 20, Nijmegen. On this day in 1944, 260 men of the 82nd Airborne Division went paddling to the other side of the Waal river. They reached the other side under heavy fire and managed to break through the German defense. However, half of them were injured or killed. Exactly 75 years later, 'Pontoon Group '40 -'45', in collaboration with Vereniging MARS and various other re-enactment associations, commemorated the Waal crossing by paddling in the Waal river at the same exact locations. This event also belongs to the Commemorations of the 75 anniversary of Operation Market Garden, taking place during the whole week. (Photo by Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#4890944
Date Taken	20 September 2019
Location	N/A
Photographer	Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto
Category	Human Interest
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto

1944 75 Jaar Waalcrossing 75 years Operation Market Garden 82nd Airborne Division Airborne Airborne Operation Allied Forces Allied operations American forces Assault boats Belgium Bridge too far De Oversteek De Oversteek bridge Dutch re-enactment group England English English forces German forces Germany Johnson Seahorse PO15 outboard motors M2 Assault Boats Nijmegen OMG Operation Market Garden Plywood Treadway Pontoon Pontoon Group ’40-’45 Pontoon bridge Rijkswaterstaat Second World War The Netherlands Troops Uniforms WWII Waal Waalcrossing airborne forces audience boats bridge commemoration cross rivers event flags history liberation liberation route military military camps military uniforms operation market garden reenactment paddling public re-enactment group recreationists river spectacle vehicles veterans war commemoration war operation war veterans