THE Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment marked the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden in Carlisle over the weekend.
The Arnhem commemorations, held on September 14, saw the regiment and the local Regimental Association come together for a day of remembrance at Carlisle Cathedral.
Family members and the public joined in, witnessing the reading of all 126 names of the fallen from the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, in a ceremony within the Regimental Chapel.
Members of the congregation included the Lord Lieutenant, the Colonel of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the MP for Carlisle Julie Minns, and the Mayor of Carlisle.
Family members of those who served at Arnhem were also present, paying their respects.
In the afternoon, a Beating Retreat military ceremony took place at Carlisle Castle, led by The Duke of Lancaster’s Regimental Band.
Over 350 people, including soldiers from the 1st and 4th Battalions of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, watched the musical parade.
The 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, has a significant connection to Operation Market Garden.
On September 17, 1944, they flew in gliders into Arnhem as part of Field Marshal Montgomery’s plan to seize and hold a 64-mile corridor from Eindhoven in southern Holland to Arnhem.
The operation aimed to provide an invasion route for the allies into northern Germany and shorten the war.
However, it was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving all its objectives.
The 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, landed by glider on September 17 to defend the landing and drop zones to the west of Arnhem.
Two days later, they were involved in intense fighting in the Divisional perimeter at Oosterbeek, a small town just west of Arnhem.
Late on September 25, the order was given to withdraw.
Despite its failure, the operation remains a defining moment of the Second World War.
Units, including The Border Regiment, that served in this campaign were awarded the Battle Honour ‘Arnhem’.
In a post on social media, Carlisle MP Julie Minns said: “Today we remember the men of the 1st Battalion Border Regiment who 80 years ago today took part in the Battle of Arnhem.
“Of the 10,000 British troops only 2,000 made it safely back, with the Border Regiment suffering heavy casualties.
“We will remember them.”
In line with the commemorations, Cumbria's Museum of Military Life will be hosting a full day of lectures with four expert speakers exploring different aspects of Operation Market Garden on October 5th at the museum.
The exhibition Arnhem 80: The Aftermath and The Legacy 1944-2024 runs at Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life until November 10th.
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