Joe's Bridge

Joe's Bridge, known as the bridge with the number 9 on the Meuse-Scheldt Canal in the Belgian town of Lommel. The bridge was named by British troops in September 1944. Joe 's Bridge was a week later the springboard for the ground offensive of Operation Market Garden, the Allied forces.

Name

The bridge in the village of Lommel Barrier was captured on 10 September 1944 by the Irish Guards under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Vandeleur in a lightning operation, while the German occupiers twelve kilometers south in the battle for Hechtel still fighting a few days hard against the Welsh Guards. The Irish Guards had Hechtel miss, and got into a northeast immediate movement on the villages Eksel, Overpelt and Neerpelt to the Meuse-Scheldt canal. From the site of the zinc factory in Overpelt the British managed to obtain the mined bridge intact in the hands. The conquest of the bridge kesselte the German combat troops in Hechtel partly a difficult and their deduction. During some days tried German units to retake the bridge, while there was also fighting with bayonet. The Irish Guards gave the bridge the name of Joe 's Bridge, according to John Ormsby Evelyn Vandeleur your leader. In three kilometers further away in the center of Lommel SS troops set now has 40 randomly selected citizens as a living sign on the road, the machine gun at the ready. Rapid response of British liberators from the eastern district Barrier could prevent a bloodbath. The German occupation troops were to occupy until 17 September, the north side of the Meuse-Scheldt canal, up to the bridgehead Joe 's Bridge.

Operation Market Garden

Joe 's Bridge was used on 17 September by the British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery as a springboard for the ground offensive of Operation Market Garden, as the path away over the bridge, 15 km, Netherlands Valkenswaard and continues to Eindhoven.