Operation Cannonshot was the code name for the Canadian crossing of the IJssel at Gorssel and Wilp on April 11, 1945. After a failed attempt of Operation Market Garden’s to liberate the Netherlands, much depended on this operation. The 48th Highlanders of Canada, part of the first Canadian Infantry Division, went through the Achterhoek towards the IJssel in order to break through the German front. The success of Operation Cannonshot marked the start of the liberation of the West Netherlands.

The Infocentre WW2 is a historic, touristic, and educational information point. It aims to provide visitors of Nijmegen and its surrounding the best introduction to the stories, heritage, events, and museums linked to the Second World War in the area.

The Nationaal Onderduikmuseum (National Hideout Museum) in Aalten presents how people in the Netherlands and Germany experienced the Second World War and how they reacted to the occupation. The museum’s main focus is on the social and emotional influence of

One of the main objectives of Operation Market Garden was to capture the two bridges across the Waal river in Nijmegen. This task proved to be difficult. In a desperate effort to maintain the momentum, U.S. paratroopers crossed the Waal in canvas boats. Attacking from both sides, they managed to capture the bridges intact.

The monument was erected to honour resistance members who died, and in particular Jan van Hoof. Jan van Hoof was a member of the Geheime Dienst Nederland, an intelligence branch of the Resistance, and had gathered information on the two Waal bridges, and on the demolition charges planted on them by the Germans.

The Freedom Museum is located in the beautiful green and hilly landscape of Groesbeek. The museum is close to Germany and right in the area of two of the most important operations on the Western Front during WW2: Market Garden and Veritable.

The City Museum Doetinchem offers more than a collection and exhibition. The museum revolves around storytelling. The volunteers at the museum are good storytellers and would gladly escort you through the museum.

On September 24 1944, during the battle for Arnhem, the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade parachuted on to a landing zone by the village of Driel. The Brigade was commanded by Major-General S. Sosabowski.

Over 3,900 war victims are buried at Loenen Field of Honour and include those who lost their lives in different places around the world due to various circumstances. There are military personnel, members of the resistance, people who escaped the Netherlands and went to England during the first years of the WWII to join the Allies (‘Engelandvaarders’) and victims of reprisal and forced labour. Those who died during the Indonesian War of Independence, military casualties from New Guinea and victims of peacekeeping missions in Korea, Lebanon, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Mali are also buried here.

The memorial to the soldiers of the 7th battalion of the Royal Hampshire Regiment’ in Driel (municipality of Overbetuwe), is a granite plaque framed with bricks displaying the 7th battalion of the Royal Hampshire Regiment’s emblem.

The monument represents a 7 meter tall steel wing sticking out of the ploughed earth at an angle. It serves as a metaphor for the people that still have not been ´liberated´ from the war.

Museum Vliegbasis Deelen is located on the road from Hoenderloo to Schaarsbergen. The former air base is a former German ‘Gefechtsstand’ and has recently been listed. The museum focuses on the Night Fight 1940-1945 and the air battle above the province of Gelderland. Scale-models, original footage, photos, finds and military objects (including a V1 replica with original interior) show the history of Vliegbasis Deelen during the Second World War.

The Dutch memorial in Huissen (municipality of Lingewaard) is a walled mass grave decorated with reliefs depicting the air raid on Huissen and a figure of Christ. The names of the victims are engraved in the sandstone wall. The construction of the memorial was first started on 17th September 1944 and completed officially on 2nd November 1947.

During World War II, only a small proportion of the Dutch population was actively involved in resistance activities. The village of Aalten was an exception. Similar to the village at the start of the Asterix & Obelix comic books, Aalten showed considerable courage and bravery in its resistance against the occupying forces, by giving an enormous number of refugees a place to hide.

The Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen contains the graves of 1,543 military personnel who were killed on Dutch soil between September 3 1939 and May 5 1945.

The Information Centre: The Poles of Driel provide insights into the battle fought by the Ist Polish Independent Parachute Brigade in the village of Driel during Operation Market Garden.

In the Canadian War Cemetery, lie 2617 members of the Commonwealth armed forces killed during the Second world War.

Historisch Museum De Casteelse Poort is housed in a villa that stands on the site of an old castle. Remains of the castle’s gatehouse can be seen in the cellar.

Many of the museums artefacts were donated by war veterans or local people. Almost every object in the Betuws War Museum has its own story, so that through the museum guides’ verbal commentary you get an excellent impression of the Betuwe in that period.

The Airborne monument in Arnhem is a damaged pillar from the former Palace of Justice placed on a pedestal. The pillar stands as a memorial to the memories of death but also of victory and life. The text on the pillar reads: ’17 SEPTEMBER 1944′. There are two reliefs next to the monument, one of the Pegasus Airborne Symbol and the other with the text: “Battle of Arnhem 44, Bridge to the future 94”.

The Airborne Memorial in Oosterbeek (municipality of Renkum) is a stone pillar crowned with five carved figures. The figures on the outside are men and soldiers, with one man at the top representing freedom.

This British war cemetery contains the graves of 1,754 Allied troops. Most of the soldiers who were killed during Operation Market Garden lie buried here.

The air forces of England, the United States and Germany had numerous different types of aeroplane in active service and remnants of a number of them are on show – for example, engines, propellors, undercarriages, wing panels, oxygen cylinders and cockpit instruments. In addition there are other items which were on board when the plane crashed, such as flying kit, navigational documents, guns, ammunition and radio equipment.

The Airborne Monument on Ginkel Heath in Ede is a concrete pillar with a copper eagle at the top with its wings spread as if in full flight. The plinth is shaped like a crystal with the pillar emerging out of it like a prism. There are three copper symbols on the pillar. The first is a winged parachute wearing a crown. The second, is the emblem of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and the third, an image of a purple Pegasus (the mythological winged horse). At the foot of the pillar, there is a plaque made of natural stone and ten metres away, there is a large boulder with an inscription on it. The memorial is 3m high, 30cm wide and 30cm deep.

The Battle of Arnhem, the biggest airborne landing operation of the Second World War, took place in and around Arnhem in September 1944. It formed part of Operation Market Garden. The goal of the Operation was for Polish, British and American airborne forces to capture the important bridges across the Dutch rivers so that ground troops could advance via these bridges. But the Operation failed…

The Museum shows the course of events during the Battle of Arnhem. This took place in September 1944 in the area between Ede and Arnhem and formed part of the Operation Market Garden. British, American and Polish airborne troops were to take control of the river bridges from the Belgian border to Arnhem.

In September 1944 the Allies launched Operation Market Garden with the goal of capturing several bridges in the Netherlands and to secure a quick advance towards the heart of Germany. The bunker in Valkhofpark was part of the German defence system of the crucial bridge over the Waal river in Nijmegen.

During the harsh winter of 1944-1945 a large part of the German-occupied Netherlands suffered from severe shortages of food and fuel. This would result in the death of some 20.000 civilians. The famine, known as the ‘Hunger Winter’, would last until the surrender of German forces in May 1945.

On 5 May 1945 German commander general Blaskowitz met with Canadian general Foulkes in Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen. There they negotiated the surrender document for all German forces in the Netherlands, which they signed the next day. The occupation of the Netherlands had come to an end.

Operation Market Garden managed to liberate a large part of the Netherlands, but failed in its main objective: outmaneuvering the Germans with a surprise crossing of the Rhine. The Nijmegen-Groesbeek area, conquered during Market Garden, remained in Allied hands and served as a springboard for the successful Rhineland Offensive in February 1945.

To ensure the success of Operation Market Garden, the Allied forces had to capture the bridge in Arnhem. But the light-armed airborne forces stood no chance against two SS Panzer Divisions that happened to be in the area. After desperate fighting and many casualties the Arnhem bridge proved to be ‘a bridge too far’.

The city of Nijmegen played an important role in Operation Market Garden. With two bridges across the Waal river it was vital for the Allied advance towards Arnhem and Germany later on. On 20 September 1944 U.S. troops managed to capture both bridges and liberate the city.

Operation Veritable was part of an Allied pincer-movement aiming to clear the area between the Roer and Rhine rivers of German forces. British and Canadian units attacked from the north, while the Americans closed the trap from the south. By destroying dams in the Roer, the Germans tried to hamper the operation.

After September 1944 the Betuwe, the area between the Waal and Rhine rivers, became the fluid boundary between Allied and German territory. This half flooded no-man’s-land came to be known as ‘Men’s Island’ since almost all the women and children had been evacuated and the land was surrounded by water.

In March 1945 the Allies broke the German defences and crossed the Rhine. The strange situation now occurred that the Northern part of the Netherlands was liberated from the east, from German territory. At some points the German forces put up stiff resistance, while elsewhere they chose to surrender.

The Bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem was the last bridge that needed to be captured during Operation Market Garden. If the Allies could capture this bridge the road to Germany would lay open. The task of capturing the Rhine Bridge fell to the British 1st Airborne Division.

On May the 20th 1941, ANZAC, Greek and British forces stood side by side with the heroic population of Crete in the defense of their Southern Mediterranean Island against the elite of Hitler’s war machine. The ensuing battle is etched

Guided by top experts in WWII history and the Museum’s exclusive guides in Normandy, you’ll hear the personal stories and walk in the footsteps of the Citizen Soldiers who fought for the freedom we enjoy today.

This itinerary takes you to a number of German military cemeteries, museums and other remembrance places throughout Europe that capture the German experience of World War II.

This itinerary follows in the footsteps of the Dutch Prinses Irene Brigade, which was formed from Dutch men who fled to England after the collapse of the Netherlands in May 1940.

To follow in the footsteps of Canadian troops during WWII, you will depart from the UK where Canadians gathered with other Allied troops to take part in a series of trainings to prepare for D-Day.

The route of British troops at the end of the Second World War started in July 1943 with the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy. Then they trained in the United Kingdom for the D-Day landings and the invasion of Normandy, together with other allied troops.

The European theatre of WWII opened with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, followed by the Soviet invasion. Throughout the war, Poles provided significant contributions to the Allied effort, fighting on land, sea and air. Large number of Polish troops managed to escape, first to France, then to the United Kingdom, where they formed the 1st Armoured Division and the 1st Parachute Brigade.

The Belgian 1st Infantry Brigade was formed in early 1943 in England by the Belgian Prime Minister in exile. It reunited the various Belgian units dispersed within the British Army: survivors from 1940, volunteers from the colonies and Legionnaires from North Africa. In command of the Brigade was Jean-Baptiste Piron, a veteran of World War I and officer in the Belgian army in 1940.

The Commando Kieffer owes its name to a banker born in Haiti who, at the age of 40, decided to join the military. Philippe Kieffer was commander of the sole French unit present in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

During WWII, General Harry Crerar commanded the First Canadian Army. In Normandy, the First Army was involved in Operation Totalize, Operation Tractable, the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, and the final clearing of the Channel Coast.

American General James M. Gavin was the youngest major general in the U.S. Army in World War II. He was also the only general to make four combat airborne jumps during the war.

This itinerary crosses Normandy, France; Flanders, Belgium; the Netherlands; and Germany, taking you to some of the most significant milestones in Maczek’s journey during the war.

The 2nd French Armoured Division landed in Normandy on 1 August 1944 and took part in the liberation of Paris before pursuing the German army towards the Alsace region.

During this week-long itinerary you will visit sites that recall Montgomery’s involvements in the different fronts and battles fought at the end of the war.

This tour takes you to the different locations General Patton crossed between July 1943, starting with the Sicily landings and ending with the liberation of the Czech Republic in May 1945.

Alsace houses a large number of historical places commemorating its rich history during the Second World War. The British, the French, the Americans first liberated the northern part of the region in November 1944.

This 3 days tour will make you relive, together with your private guide and driver, the story of the Second World War in Sicily and Italy.

In September 1944, a United Nations force under Canadian Command, took up a battle against a determined enemy, that wanted to prevent the use of the harbour of Antwerp at all cost. Learn about victory, bravery, misery and tragedy. Hear about the generals and the common city and farmer boy soldiers. Many found a lasting resting place at the local Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.

Get to know the history of this fascinating region in the Czech Republic, where World War II ended after the liberation by the US Army. We will go through various locations where history took place, and visit memorable places related with these events.

Individuele fiets-trektocht van Normandie naar Nederland over de ‘Voie de la Liberté’.

This tour gives travelers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the men of the 4th Battalion Dorset Regiment during Operation Market Garden.

Experience the Gothic line history guided by an “English soldier”, you will have the chance to trace back the events happened during the fighting to freedom Italy. Discovering the places where General Alexander, Sir Winston Churchill and other main characters wrote the 2nd World War history.

Tour for ten whole days on an exciting itinerary around the region of Kent which played a crucial role during WWII. You will find a compelling mix of daring missions and surprises (what was Dumbo doing on Romney Marsh?), tales of ingenuity and heroic human spirit.

Experience WWII history in the German capital and follow the footsteps of the Red Army during the final Battle of Berlin.

Visit the town sites that played a major role during the German occupation and at the moment of the liberation of Lucca by the Allies, and the fortifications of the Gothic Line at Borgo a Mozzano that defined the destinies of Lucca and its area.

Our guided walks allow travellers to discover the Gustav Line, a German defensive fortification system from Ortona to Cassino. Starting from the Battle of Ortona, our visitors will be invited to discover the River Sangro Crossing, the Battle of Orsogna and the Battle of Pizzoferrato.

A trip which will allow your students to discover the daily life in Berlin and Krakow during the Second World War and in particular the Holocaust.

There are few names that stand for the horror of the Nazi reign over Europe quite like that of Auschwitz. This is a special tour not to be missed as we tell an incredible story about a time and place – and more than one nation.

Gdańsk: the city where everything began: the Second World War and fall of the Berlin Wall. The daily life during the war in Eastern Europe will be explained as well how the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain related to the creation of the Union Solidarnosc.

Visit today’s Poland and pay tribute to the heroes and victims of this country’s experience during WWII. For the population of Poland, the end of the Second World War was not necessarily a liberation.

In October 1944 Aachen was the first big German city liberated by the American forces. The ‘Battle of the Hürtgen Forest’ stopped the Allied advance for several months.

Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, played a central part in the decision process of the Holocaust and its implementation. During the Wannsee Conference, the deportation and mass murder was decided and thousands of people were deported to the two main camps near Berlin.

This guided visit to historic Berlin will introduce visitors to the incredible story of Berlin in the Twentieth Century.

The tour starts in Berlin where one of the last battles of the Second World War in Europe took place, then proceeds to Poland, where the first battle of WWII started in Gdansk in 1939.

The tour will move from Aachen to Schengen, crossing the border many times during the tour. The world wars will be the main topic of the tour.

During this tour we will follow the trails of the soldiers who executed Operation Market Garden and faced many difficulties during the freezing Battle of the Bulge.

This program will explore the Battle of Market Garden and why the defeat was inevitable. These historic places immortalise forever our duty to remember.

Visit Groesbeek National Liberation Museum 1944-1945 and walk along the places where violent fights took place in September 1944 during Operation Market Garden.

Visit the many sites and museums memorialising the sacrifices made and the historic events which took place in Luxembourg.

This program will allow your students to relive the events of World War II in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by visiting sites and museums that bear witness to this chapter of the country’s history.

This program will explore Hitler’s last big push to push back the Allied forces in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.

The tour examines the greatest pitched battle ever fought by the Americans: the Battle of the Bulge.

Travel in time in the Paris of the Second World War, from the occupation time to the liberation of the city in 1944.

This tour will take you from Paris to the gates of Normandy.

By the evening of 6 June 1944, the Allied forces had established a foothold on all five landing beaches. There was still a long way to go, but the day’s operations, which took the German command by surprise, were successful.

Italy and its natural and cultural richness can also be discovered through the sites and museums memorialising the Italian Campaign and the liberation of Italy: from Sicily via Montecassino to Rome.

For the population of Poland, the end of the Second World War was not necessarily a liberation. The arrival of the Soviet Army meant first defeat and then effectively a new occupation. For many Poles the political consequences of the war lasted until 1989, when Poland became an independent and democratic state again.

The bombing campaign of Warsaw by the German Luftwaffe during the Invasion of Poland started on 1 September 1939 and resulted in gruelling years of terror, occupation, resistance and tragedy. Visit Poland and pay tribute to the heroes and victims of this city’s events during WWII.

The Battle of the Scheldt occupies a prominent place in the collective memory of the local Zeeland population and beyond. It played a key role in the liberation of the Netherlands and the end of the Second World War.

WWII cost the lives of many civilians in Limburg, and a large number of towns and villages were destroyed by bombings and artillery battles. Various cemeteries, too, bear witness to this dark chapter in Limburg’s history.

To ensure the success of Operation Market Garden, the Allied forces had to capture the bridge in Arnhem. However, the light-armed airborne forces stood no chance against two SS Panzer divisions that happened to be in the area.

During the autumn and winter of 1944-45, the longest battle of the Second World War on German soil took place in the Hürtgen Forest. With this battle, the war precipitated by the Nazi regime returned to Germany. The battle caused numerous casualties on both sides.

The Battle of Berlin was one of the last battles of the Second World War in Europe. The war that had been called for in Berlin finally returned to the city. Many soldiers and civilians died in widespread house-to-house fighting. On 21 April, the first Soviet units finally entered Berlin.

Today, visitors can explore the beautiful landscape of Luxembourg and visit the places where historical events are memorialised, such as General McAuliffe Monument, dedicated to the memory of General Anthony McAuliffe, Division Artillery Commander and Acting Division Commander of the 101st US Airborne.

The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of WWII.

The liberation of Paris was not a priority for the Allies, but an uprising of the population against the Germans on 19 August made it necessary.

London played an important role in nearly every aspect of the Second World War. The city was host to several governments in exile and was an important centre for the planning of the Allied war efforts.

This tour gives travellers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the American and Allied Forces and follow the path of the First and Second World Wars.

On 6 June 6 1944, Normandy was the theatre of the outcome of the Second World War. Come discover the Second Word War’s story by following the tracks of the soldiers during the landings on Utah, Sword, Omaha, Juno and

This tour tells the story of Canada’s involvement in two of the iconic operations of WWII – the Dieppe raid (1942) and the Normandy campaign that began on D-Day (1944).

This journey helps you discover the main sites of the Second World War in London as well as Dover as an entry point of the tour in the United Kingdom.

This tour will look at operations of the Anglo-Canadian armies of 21st Army Group initially in trying to fix the German forces in the eastern bridgehead in order to support American breakout operations further west.

In May 1945 the US Third Army Division, led by General Patton, entered into Pilsen to liberate the Czech people from six years of German occupation.

Rome was captured by the Allies after the fierce battles of Monte Cassino and Anzio were fought. Today different museums document the history of the city and highlight important events such as the resistance movement and the liberation in June 1944.

Explore the fascinating war in the skies known as the Battle of Britain. After the fall of France in 1940 and their own discouraging defeat in Belgium and France, the United Kingdom regrouped, dug in and took to the air

Full day excursion with a private driver and guide to discover the history of the city of Catania, in Sicily, Italy.

Immerse yourself in the history of the largest Czech city liberated by the US Army during World War II. Tour the places and memorial sites of the US liberation.