Stories of Battle of Arnhem Casualties

Read real stories of Battle of Arnhem casualties as we remember them 80 years on from Operation Market Garden.

How many people died in the Battle of Arnhem

Why did the British lose so many men at Arnhem?

Paratroopers holding the line at Arnhem (© IWM)

Operation Market Garden was one of the most audacious major offensives ever conceived by Allied High Command during the Second World War.

A mixed ground and airborne assault aimed at capturing key river bridges in the southern Netherlands, liberating that part of the country, and opening the way into Germany, the Arnhem offensive famously went a “bridge too far” for the Allies.

The capture of Arnhem’s Reijnbrug road bridge was the furthest and last bridge the Allies wished to capture.

Ultimately, the paratrooper assault on Arnhem, their tenacious defence of the Oosterbeek perimeter and Arnhem bridge, and subsequent retreat is possibly the most famous episode of Operation Market Garden.

So why did the operation fail and why did the British army lose so many men at The Battle of Arnhem?

• Rapid planning – The success of the Airborne assault in Normandy on D-Day showed the power of mass parachute attacks, but Normandy was carefully planned over two years. Market Garden, the brainchild of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, was put together in a much shorter period of time.
• Bad weather – In warfare, the enemy gets a vote, you get a vote, and the weather gets a vote. Thick low clouds gathered over Arnhem, prevented timely landings of men and materiel, stymieing the Airborne’s relief.
• Unexpectedly stiff Wehrmacht opposition – The Allies were expecting to fight either old men, the sick, or the inexperienced at Arnhem. Instead, two SS Panzer Divisions and their armoured fighting vehicles were outfitting in Arnhem at the time of Market Garden. The Lightly equipped paratroopers were not capable of standing against Panzer tanks, supported by waves of German infantry, for long.
• Poor communications – Famously, the British were given the wrong sort of crystals for their radios at Market Garden, essentially making them useless. A breakdown in communications between the Airborne and XXX Corps proved costly. The separation of Airborne General Roy Urquhart from his men for the first two days of the battle didn’t help either.

Where are the war dead buried in Arnhem?

Image: Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

The war dead of the Battle of Arnhem are commemorated predominantly at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery is the only purpose-built CWGC site in Arnhem. Over 1,700 casualties of The Battle of Arnhem and Operation Market Garden are buried here. Just over 240 are unidentified. 

The majority of those commemorated at Arnhem Oosterbeek are British servicemen, but the cemetery also contains Polish, Dutch, and German casualties from the Battle of Arnhem.

Veterans of Arnhem, though dwindling in number, still visit Arnhem on the anniversary of Oosterbeek. To this day, they are greeted by crowds of appreciative Arnhem citizens who flock each year to the ceremonies at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, showing incredible gratitude for the efforts made by the Allies to liberate their city.

Just under 40 CWGC World War Two graves are located in Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery, which is Arnhem’s civilian cemetery. A single burial lies in Arnhem Jewish Cemetery.

Find more WW2 sites in Arnhem to visit in our guide.

Arnhem casualty list

Find a list of the Arnhem casualties buried in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

You can also use our Find War Dead tool to discover the casualties buried in Arnhem. The “Country (commemorated in)” and “Cemetery or Memorial” tool will help you narrow down the location.

Alternatively, use our Find Cemeteries and Memorials tool to locate CWGC’s Arnhem locations.

Casualties of the Battle of Arnhem by country

Allied Casualties

Image: A wounded British soldier is rushed to an aid post as the fighting intensified in Arnhem (© IWM)

Allied casualties of Arnhem outnumber those of the Axis by nearly double.

Martin Middlebrook in his book Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, gives the following Arnhem casualty numbers per regiment:

• 1st Airborne Division - 1,175 killed
• Glider Pilot Regiment – 220 killed
• Polish Independent Parachute Brigade – 90 killed

Additionally, other military services also incurred heavy casualties in the Arnhem Offensive. The RAF, for instance, lost 370 men killed, the Royal Service Corps around 80, and IX Troop Carrier Command around 30. 

More than 6,500 1st Airborne Division paratroopers, 510 Glider Pilot Regiment troops and 110 Polish soldiers were taken as prisoners of war following the defeat at Arnhem.

The Wehrmacht and SS Panzer units in Arnhem were able to reorganise and completely blunt the Allied thrust into the city. This still came at a great cost. 

Axis casualties 

Image: A British soldier kneels behind a knocked-out German panzer in Arnhem (© IWM)

Estimates vary regarding the number of Axis Arnhem casualties. Official figures have never been released. 

A signal sent by II SS Panzer Corps to Wehrmacht General HQ on September 27 records 3,300 total casualties: 1,300 killed or missing and 2,000 wounded. 

Historians continue to debate the exact number, but somewhere between 1,300 and 1,725 combat deaths is the consensus on Axis Arnhem losses.

Across the whole of Operation Market, Axis losses are estimated at some 13,000 but the exact figure is up for debate. Either way, this is significantly more than Field Marshal Walter Model’s original estimates for 3,300 casualties total in the Market Garden operation area.

Stories of Sacrifice from the Battle of Arnhem

Read on to discover the tragic, inspirational and moving stories of casualties killed at the Battle of Arnhem.

The Gronert Twins

Image: Tommy and Claude Gronert (copyright unknown)

Tommy and Claude Gronert were born together, lived together, and sadly, died together.

The pair were born in Carn Brea near Redruth, Cornwall in early 1923.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the twins initially enlisted in the Hampshire Regiment before volunteering for the airborne infantry.

The brothers took on parachute training at RAF Ringway in May 1943. Their instructors’ comments “has jumped well” applied to both Gronerts.

Completing jump training, the Gronerts were first assigned as reinforcements for the 1st Parachute Brigade before being posted to the 2nd Battalion. The twins then saw service in Italy between September and November 1943.

Come September 1944 and Operation Market Garden, Tommy and Claude were by now serving with 6 Platoon, ‘B’ Company. 

With their unit, the twins parachuted onto Drop Zone X near Heelsum, several kilometres to the west of Arnhem. 

Initially, ‘B’ Company’s progress was good. They safely reached Arnhem and continued to advance to the crucial road bridge over the Rhine. 

A scouting party was called up to reconnoitre the road ahead. Tommy was one of the soldiers chosen for the job. Claude was ordered to stay behind to protect their rear.

A German patrol emerged in front of the Paras, forcing them to take cover. It appeared the Wehrmacht soldiers were offering to surrender as they held their weapons in the air. 

As the patrol’s leader, Lieutenant Cane, went forward, the Germans opened fire, raking the patrol with bullets. Tommy was mortally wounded.

Seeing this, Claude ran forward to his brother’s aid but was also fatally struck.

Claude and Tommy Gronert are amongst the most tragic Arnhem casualties. The pair had been inseparable in life. Now, they would be inseparable in death.

The twins are buried next to one another in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. Each headstones bear the inscription chosen by their mother: “Winds of Heaven blow softly here where lies sleeping those we loved so dear.”

Our thanks to Malcolm Peel for this entry.

Flight Lieutenant David Lord VC

Image: Flight Lieutenant David Lord VC

Five Victoria Crosses were awarded for heroism during the Battle of Arnhem. Unfortunately, four of these were awarded posthumously.

Amongst those most highly decorated casualties of Arnhem is Flight Lieutenant David Lord VC.

His path to military service began as a young, devout catholic. David initially had designs on the priesthood but realising this was not his vocation, he moved to London to become a freelance writer.

Once more, this career move didn’t pan out so in 1936 David joined the Royal Air Force. 

It seems flying agreed with David as by 1939 he had earned a promotion to Sergeant. 

His wartime service took David to India where he flew transport aircraft. He was one of the pilots assigned to fly important troop transportation and supply missions in India and Burma (present-day Myanmar), including supporting Orde Wingate’s Chindits on their far-ranging treks behind enemy lines.

In 1942, David was commissioned as a Pilot Officer. Such was his conduct and skill that he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943. A further promotion to Flight Lieutenant followed in 1944.

David returned to the UK at this point and was assigned to Number 271 Squadron, RAF.

In Operation Market Garden, David was once again given transport duties. 

On September 19, David’s Dakota aircraft was struck by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire, taking out one of his two engines, and setting the plane alight. David was able to drop off his cargo, but as he turned to nurse his wounded craft home, he found he had two crates left.

Knowing the supply situation was desperate for the boys on the ground, David chose to turn back and drop off his remaining supplies. This was extremely perilous as his plane was on fire and could disintegrate or explode at any moment.

David made the run and ordered his crew to bail out. Shortly after, the Dakota plummeted 900 feet from the sky in a fireball. While the crew had been ordered to bail out, only Flying Officer Henry King, David’s navigator, survived. 

David had insisted on staying at the controls for the whole ordeal. 

Henry was able to link up with men from the 10th Parachute Battalion who informed him their position had been overrun with their supplies now in Wehrmacht hands.

Henry himself was taken prisoner at Arnhem and spent the rest of the war in a German PoW camp. After his liberation following V-E Day, Henry was quizzed about his wartime experiences. It was from his testimony that the decision to posthumously award David Lord the Victoria Cross was made.

Today David rests alongside other Arnhem casualties in CWGC’s Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Thanks again to Malcolm Peel for sharing this story.

Porucznik (Lieutenant) Stanislaw Antoni Slesicki

Image: Porruzcnik Stanlislaw Antoni Slesicki (copyright unknown)

Polish paratroopers of the Polish Independent Parachute Brigade fought incredibly hard at Arnhem.

Tragically landing on top of a major German force at Driel, the Poles fought an incredibly desperate battle to break through to Arnhem in an attempt to relieve the beleaguered elements of 1st Airborne there.

Porucznik Stanislaw Slesicki was one of the first Polish paratroopers to arrive in Arnhem on 21 September 1944.

Like many of his countrymen, Slesicki’s wartime experience was already remarkable. 

Stanislaw had joined the Polish Military in the early 1930s. He saw action during the Nazi German invasion of Poland but managed to escape via Hungary, Italy and France to continue the fight.

Eventually, Stanislaw made his way to Scotland where he joined the new Polish airborne force being assembled there.

Arriving with the Polish Independent Brigade on 21 September into a hail of fire, Stanislaw and his comrades nevertheless fought back tenaciously, establishing a defensive perimeter from which to strike out. 

As dawn broke on 22 September, the Wehrmacht began bombarding the Polish positions. Stanislaw was one of a group of Polish officers discussing their options for crossing the Reijn and reaching Oosteerbeek when a shell landed among them.

Stanislaw was killed instantly. Many more Polish soldiers were wounded. 

Over 1,500 Poles were dropped at Driel. They fought their own tough battle all while trying to attempt to relieve the British at Oosterbeek.

Today, Stanislaw rests alongside 80 other Polish casualties of the Battle of Arnhem in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Lieutenant John Hollington Grayburn VC

Image: Lieutenant John Grayburn VC (copyright unknown)

The fighting at the bridge at Arnhem was some of the bitterest of Market Garden. Lieutenant John Grayburn, commander of 2nd Platoon, ‘A’ Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, was right in the thick of it.

John was one of the first British soldiers to reach Arnhem Bridge on 17 September. Leading the charge, John was struck in the shoulder almost instantly by a burst of machine fire. He continued to rally his men, despite lack of cover on the exposed bridge roadway, and continually urged them on until casualties proved too heavy.

By the end of the day, the British paratroopers had captured the north end of the bridge and set up positions in the houses and buildings on either side. Ferocious counterattacks, an enormous weight of enemy fire, and a lack of supplies gradually forced the airborne back.

During this time, John kept a cool head and was able to keep inspiring his men to give their all, despite their desperate situation. 

John was the last soldier off Arnhem bridge once the retreat was sounded on 20 September. With their position now becoming untenable, as German tanks began dismantling the airborne perimeter one by one, the order was given to evacuate.

Tired, filthy, his head bandaged and arm in a sling from wounds sustained earlier in the battle, John stood up to begin the evacuation from Arnhem Bridge.

Sadly, he was killed almost instantly, aged just 26.

For his valour and conduct on the bridge, John was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

His medal citation, published in the 23 January 1945 edition of the London Gazette, gives extra context: “For nearly four days, despite pain and weakness from his wounds, shortage of food and lack of sleep, Lt. Grayburn displayed supreme and unflagging gallantry and determination. Without his inspiring leadership, the Arnhem Bridge could not have been held for so long."

Wing Commander Graeme Elliot Harrison

Image: Wing Commander Graeme Elliot Harrison (copyright unknown)

Canadian-born, Sussex-raised airman Graeme Elliot Harrison joined the RAF in the mid-1930s and by the Second World War was an experienced bomber pilot.

His wartime career started in the Far East where he flew missions against Japanese targets. He was later transferred to the UK where he flew sorties over Germany. For leading US bomber groups against enemy targets, Graeme was awarded the US Silver Star.

Graeme was given command of 190 Squadron, Royal Air Force in January 1944, leading them through the Normandy Campaign’s air war. He was still their commander during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

On 21 September, 190 Squadron set off on a supply mission to Arnhem. Their fighter escort was late so German Luftwaffe aircraft were able to pounce on the unprotected bombers as they made their way slowly but surely to the Netherlands.

Fifteen 190 Squadron aircraft were shot down. A further eight were taken out by anti-aircraft fire. Nevertheless, they continued to Arnhem.
Graeme was able to drop his supplies for the appreciative airborne troops and turned for home. 

Sadly, his plane was hit, and the aircraft fell from the sky. All nine of its crew were killed on impact.

Tragically, Graeme left behind a young daughter, born just a few months before Graeme’s fateful mission.

Graeme was originally buried next to where the plane fell, but he was later moved to Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery where he rests today.

Discover more Arnhem Stories with For Evermore

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