News
HRH attends the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem and makes a speech
18th September 2004
The Prince of Wales attended the 60th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Arnhem and called on the youth of today to never forget the sacrifices made by those who died.
The Prince flew into Holland for two days to attend events organised to commemorate the epic Second World War battle in which 1,750 Allied troops perished.
On the first day, The Prince attended a reception in honour of the 4th Para Regiment, whose men dropped in to Arnhem in September 1944 in a bold and brave move to take the town‘s strategic river bridge.
In his speech to veterans and local dignitaries, The Prince recalled the horrors experienced not only by the soldiers who fought in Arnhem but also the Dutch people who lost their homes, and in many case their lives.
His Royal Highness spoke in front of the former Hartenstein Hotel in Oosterbeek which was used as the headquarters of the first British Airborne Division in 1944, and which today stands as the town‘s war museum.
The Prince said: “As we stand here this evening we can only imagine the ferocity of the fighting around this building and the surrounding area during the nine-day battle of Arnhem.
“We must never forget that intensely human story, with all the lessons, warnings and inspirations it holds for us today.”The Prince recalled the sacrifices made by the Dutch resistance and local civilian community who supported Allied troops during and after the battle.
His Royal Highness said: “Tragically many paid a most dreadful price for their unstinting compassion and loyalty but, during a time of unimaginable hardship, great friendships were forged between the local community and the Allied troops, some lasting to the present day.
“This occasion presents us with the opportunity to recall the suffering of the Dutch people and the appalling horrors they endured with the deliberate looting and destruction of their homes in the Arnhem area.”
The Prince appealed for today‘s generations to appreciate the suffering of those who sacrificed their lives to ensure liberation.
His Royal Highness said: “My father's and my grandfather's generations gave such service and suffered such unimaginable horrors in the course of two horrific world wars.
“It is my generation that has reaped the rewards of their heroic actions and we must try to make sure that our children understand those values and those loyalties for which they died and for which our remaining veterans fought so hard to give us.”
On the second day The Prince attended a memorial service at the British Military Cemetery in Oosterbeek.