A visitors guide to the best Arnhem WW2 sites

Discover Arnhem WW2 war graves and how to visit them in this easy-to-follow guide.

Arnhem war graves facts

“Out of ammunition. God save the King!”

Image: British Prisoners of War marched through the streets of Arnhem (© IWM)

• In British military history, Arnhem holds as much weight as other Second World War events like Normandy, Monte Cassino, Kohima & Imphal and Dunkirk.
• The word and city itself are evocative of one of the most daring Allied operations of the Second World War: Operation Market Garden.
• Market Garden a major Airborne-led offensive Allies aimed at liberating the southern Netherlands and forcing a route into Germany over the Rhein.
• Arnhem and its important road bridge were one of the objectives of Market Garden.
• A desperate battle was fought by British paratroopers holding the bridge itself and the Commonwealth and Polish forces were sent to relieve them against the German Wehrmacht occupying the city.
• The Battle of Arnhem raged between 17-25 September 1944. By the end of a week and two days of near-constant fighting, Arnhem remained in Nazi hands. Nearly 2,000 Commonwealth and Allied soldiers had been killed.

Where are the war graves in Arnhem?

Image: Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

Arnhem's WW2 war graves are either maintained in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries or are located in municipal burial grounds.

The main CWGC Arnhem site is Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. It is a purpose-built war cemetery containing burials dating from the Battle of Arnhem. It is located outside the city centre proper, in the outskirts where fighting was incredibly fierce in September 1944.

Elsewhere, you can find graves in Arnhem Jewish Cemetery and Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery.

These burial grounds are maintained by the local authority although the war graves are CWGC’s responsibility.

How many war graves are there in Arnhem?

Over 1,700 war graves can be found in Arnhem.

The vast majority of these casualties are buried at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Who is buried there?

Arnhem war graves contain burials from the Allied soldiers who fought during Operation Market and the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.

The majority are burials of British servicemen, although in CWGC’s care lie Polish, Dutch and German soldiers from the battle.

Arnhem war cemeteries to visit

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

Image: The iconic Cross of Sacrifice amongst the headstones at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery is the only purpose-built Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Arnhem.

There are now over 1,680 Commonwealth WW2 war graves in the cemetery, over 240 of which are unidentified casualties of the Battle of Arnhem. Alongside them lay nearly 80 Polish servicemen, three Dutch and four non-war burials.

Three Commonwealth War Graves employees are buried here, lying in the peaceful cemetery they spent their lives caring for.

On 17 September 1944, paratroopers from the 1st Airborne Division began landing west of Arnhem. Their objective was to capture the bridge over the Rijnbrug bridge (now John Frost Bridge) to open the way for the armoured units moving up through the southern Netherlands. 

German resistance, bad weather, and supply difficulties resulted in heavy casualties. After more than three days of desperate fighting on the bridge, the paras were forced to withdraw. 

A perimeter was established at Oosterbeek to the west, which was held stubbornly until the order was given to pull back over the lower Rhine on September 25.

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery holds casualties from the early landings and the later stand at Oosterbeek.

It was started in June 1945 following the Liberation of Arnhem in April. Grave Registration Units moved into the city and began to locate and record the dead. 

The Dutch Government permanently loaned a small field in Oosterbeek to the Commission in June. Burials were brought in from grounds around the city. 57 war graves were moved from the garden of Kate Ter Host, an Arnhem citizen whose house had been used as a medical post during the battle.

The Poles were brought in from Driel where they had fought hard, but ultimately unsuccessfully, to break through to Oosterbeek to relieve the beleaguered British paratroopers there.

Today, the cemetery has become the focal point for the commemoration of Operation Market Garden. 

Surviving veterans of Arnhem regularly attend annual services in the cemetery, often accompanied by young schoolchildren from the city, to remember their lost comrades.

Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery

Image: The CWGC headstones at Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery

Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery is Arnhem’s general cemetery. It is perched atop one of the hills surrounding the city.

Lying outside the city, on the road to Appeldoorn, it is a densely wooded site. It adjoins the Arnhem Jewish Cemetery. Arnhem Jewish Cemetery contains one war grave belonging to Gabriel Sion of the Jewish Brigade. A special memorial commemorates him.

Just under 40 CWGC war graves lie in Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery. These are a mixture of Allied airmen, including Polish, Canadian and British servicemen. 

The burials in Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery date from across the Second World War, not just the Battle of Arnhem. For example, the earliest burial is Aircraftman 1st Class James Shuttleworth who was killed in April 1940.

Arnhem war memorials

GroEsbeek Memorial

Image: The Groesbeek Memorial

There are no CWGC war memorials within Arnhem itself.

The Groesbeek Memorial, within Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, instead commemorates by name those who fell in the Battle of Arnhem but whose graves are not known.

The Memorial itself is not solely dedicated to Market Garden casualties. 

Rather, it commemorates all those officers and enlisted men who died during the campaign in northwest Europe between the time of crossing the Seine at the end of August 1944 and the end of the war in Europe with no known grave.

Over 1,000 Commonwealth servicemen are commemorated on the Groosbeek Memorial. Of these, over 380 date from Operation Market Garden, i.e. between 17-25 September 1944.

Non-CWGC war memorials in Arnhem

Image: The Arnhem Airborne Memorial (© Liberation Route Europe)

The most prominent non-Commission memorial in Arnhem is possibly the Airborne Memorial.

Situated on a small piece of land up the main highway from John Frost Bridge, the memorial is built from a damaged pillar from Arnhem’s former Palace of Justice.

According to its creators, the memorial stands in remembrance of the dead but also marks the victory of life. The pillar text reads: “17 September 1944”. 

One of the two reliefs built into the brickwork surrounding the memorial features the Pegasus winged horse emblem of the Parachute Regiment, emphasising the airborne connection.

Historical Sites to visit in Arnhem

Arnhem Bridge WW2

Image: Arnhem Bridge photographed by the German military just after the Battle of Arnhem (©  IWM (HU 2127))

John Frost Bridge is one of the main routes into Arnhem’s city centre, crossing the Nederrijn as it heads towards Germany.

At the time of Market Garden, it was an incredibly important strategic asset. The operation’s success rested on the successful capture of the bridges over three wide Dutch rivers.

The task of capturing the bridge, then known as the Rijnbrug, was given to 1st Airborne Division. Lieutenant-Colonel, commander of 2nd Parachute Battalion, was to spearhead the assault.

Had all gone to plan, some 9,000 Paratroopers would have been on the bridge to hold it for three days it would take the tanks of XXX Corps to reach them.

When the battle was joined on 17 September, Frost had just 750 lightly armed paratroopers with him. The battalion quickly made its way to the northern end of the bridge, but soon found itself trapped by men of the II. SS-Panzerkorps.

Cut off from the rest of 1st Airborne, bombarded by artillery, and fighting off both tanks and infantry in intense close-quarters combat, Arnhem Bridge quickly devolved into one of the most bitterly contested battles of Market Garden.

Facing armoured vehicles, a constant rain of mortar and artillery fire, and infantry assaults, the paras held on for three days and four nights before being forced to withdraw. They left behind men 650 killed, captured or wounded.

John Frost was amongst those captured. He was held in Germany until his camp was liberated by American troops in March 1945. For his actions commanding the resistance on the bridge, was renamed in his honour in 1978, despite Frost’s objections.

Today, the bridge is one of the busiest routes in and out of the city. 

A small museum, Airborne at the Bridge, detailing the battle of Arnhem Bridge is situated nearby. 

Otherwise, the riverfront up from the bridge is dotted with pubs, cafes and restaurants and is one of Arnhem’s tourist hotspots.

Oosterbeek

Oosterbeek to the west of Arnhem was also the site of incredibly hard fought combat during Operation Market Garden.

Having been fighting to get towards to the bridge from Arnhem’s western approaches, 1st Airborne had been badly mauled. Weather, equipment troubles, and intelligence failures regarding the enemy forces’ strength, the paras had been badly mauled.

On 20th September, General Roy Urquhart, who had been separated from his men for most of the early stages of the Battle of Arnhem, ordered a perimeter formed around his HQ in Oosterbeek, centred around the Hartenstein Hotel.

The Hartenstein formed the heart of Urquhart's defensive perimeter. The perimeter extended in a horseshoe around the grand building. 

In the following days, the perimeter was hit time and again by heavy Wehrmacht firepower. Soldiers were tired and pushed beyond their physical limits on both sides. The perimeter was also difficult to supply, making things even more difficult for the defenders.

A break in the weather on 21 September allowed the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade to land at Driel, four miles away from Arnhem. Unfortunately, the Poles landed directly on top of a German force that blasted the Polish airborne troops to devastating effect.

The Poles still managed to fight their way close to the beleaguered 1st Airborne troops but were unable to find a breakthrough, despite putting in a titanic effort and taking heavy losses. The Polish contribution to the Battle of Arnhem can never be overlooked.

The perimeter was held until September 25 when supplies finally ran dry. The order was given for the withdrawal and so 1st Airborne, bloodied and wounded, crossed the southern Rhine, bringing an end to the battle of Arnhem.

The Hartenstein is now the Airborne Museum Hartenstein dedicated to the Battle of Arnhem. 

Full of fascinating artefacts and displays, including a large interactive experience room simulating what it was like to be a soldier trapped in Arnhem during Market Garden, makes it a must-visit for any Second World War enthusiast.

Lesser-known historical Battle of Arnhem sites to visit

Zwarteweg 14

Image: Zwarteweg 14, the former hiding place of Airborne General Urquhart (Wikimedia Commons)

The unassuming, red-bricked terraced house on the Zwarteweg may look like your everyday Arnhem home, but it holds special historical significance.

It was here, in the attic, that General Urquhart, alongside Captain Willie Taylor and Lieutenant James Cleminson, hid from German soldiers during the confused fighting up the Utrechtseweg road into Arnhem. This section of 1st Airborne was trying to fight its way through Arnhem’s out suburbs into the city, towards the vital road bridge held by John Frost and his men.

Due to a navigational error, Urqhart, Taylor, and Cleminson were cut off from their men when their attack into Arnhem was stopped dead by the Wehrmacht. With their location a maze of small alleys and back streets, the three were soon lost.

Fortunately, Dutch civilians came to their aid and hid them in the attic of Zwarteweg 14. Staying silent for hours as German patrols prowled the streets, it must have been nerve-wracking for the three British soldiers hiding there.

The following day, the South Staffordshires were able to take the area holding Urquhart and co. With the help of a commandeered Jeep, Urquhart was able to make it back to his men and take control. 36 hours had passed.

St Elizabeth Hospital

Image: The former St Elizabeth Hospital in Arnhem (Wikimedia Commons)

Today an apartment building, the St Elizabeth Hospital changed hands as much as four times during Operation Market Garden.

Initially held by the Germans, British troops arrived here on the 17th, and it was soon transformed into a casualty clearing station. For a while, Dutch, British and German medical teams fascinatingly worked together to treat casualties on all sides.

The grounds around the hospital were viciously fought over. On the hospital’s driveway on 17 September, C Company, 1st Parachute Battalion, cut down a group of German soldiers. Just a taste of the violence going on outside the medical facility.

On the 19th, St Elizabeth was finally decisively captured by the Wehrmacht. British medical staff were ordered into captivity but Major Cedric Longland, chief of the British team, was able to leave two teams behind to help tend to the wounded. It’s thought this action helped save many lives on both sides.

The Dutch Underground resistance movement was also at work in St Elizabeth. Resistance members were able to smuggle out wounded English soldiers before they could be taken as prisoners of war, including Brigadiers Lathbury and Hackett, two senior British commanders.

Arnhem Visitor Guide

Arnhem lies close to the German border and is well-served by road and rail links.

The nearest airport to Arnhem is Amster Schipol. Dutch railways run an hourly service to Arnhem although there are more frequent trains to Utrecht where you can change for Arnhem. The journey takes roughly an hour.

Next to Arnhem Centraal is the city’s bus station. Oosterbek is about a 15-minute bus ride from the centre of Arnhem.

Major motorways connected to Arnhem include the A12 and N225.

Arnhem WW2 Sites Map

Liberation Route Europe has an interactive map of historic Battle of Arnhem sites available on its website.

Where to stay

Arnhem has a thriving private holiday rental market.

There are also hotels catering for all budgets. The closest accommodation to John Frost Bridge is the Bastion Hotel along the river front. The Holiday Inn Express is also a short distance from the bridge.

Hotel De Bildberg is one of the closest places of accommodation to the Hartenstein Museum in Oosterbeek.

Arnhem WW2 Sites Opening Times

Arnhem Ooosterbeek War Cemetery is open to the public 24 hours a day.

Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery’s opening times vary seasonally, but is generally open from 08.30 am daily, and closes between 05.00 and 09.00 pm depending on the time of year.

The Airborne Museum Hartenstein is open daily between 10.00 am and 05.00 pm. Likewise, the Airborne at the Bridge Museum is open daily with the same hours.

Remembering the fallen of Arnhem

Discover the Legacy of Liberation with Commonwealth War Graves

The Legacy of Liberation marks the 80th anniversary of some of the Second World War's most pivotal battles. 

From Kohima and Imphal to the D-Day Landings, the Legacy of Liberation remembers these remarkable events.

Join us to mark these historic moments. Visit The Legacy of Liberation today to learn more.

Want to help Commonwealth War Graves keep telling the stories of the fallen of the Battle of Arnhem?  Support our Foundation by making a donation or leaving a legacy.