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Taxi Charity attends 70th anniversary of the Airborne March



Airborne March 2016

On Thursday 1 September 2016, the Taxi Charity took five Arnhem veterans to the 70th anniversary of the Airborne March, known locally as Airborne Wandeltocht.

The veterans were taken in three taxis from Harwich to the Hook of Holland on Thursday night and arrived in Arnhem/Oosterbeek at midday on Friday.

The Airborne March itself took place on Saturday 3 September.

The veterans we escorted were:

  • Arthur Letchford, 2 Para - one of the few soldiers to get to the bridge during the battle

  • John Crosson and Geoff Roberts, both 7th Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) 1st Air Landing Brigade - they went in in gliders

  • Alex Hall, 218 Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC)

  • Ted Pieri, 250 (Airborne) Light Composite Company - he was waiting to go on third lift when the operation was cancelled due to heavy losses.

Special thanks to our volunteer taxi drivers: Ian Gaffney, Paul Gale and Ron Geraghty.


Airborne Wandeltocht

For more photos, please visit our Flickr or Facebook pages.


[Our veterans are interviewed for Dutch TV around the 6:15 mark]

 

Itinerary for 70th Airborne March 2016 at Oosterbeek

09:30

Veterans Welcome at Airborne Museum

10:00

Opening of reception, with speeches by Wilma Luckel, march leader; Jasper Verstand, deputy mayor

10:25

Laying of flowers/wreaths at Soldier & Flower Girl monument opposite museum

10:40

Beat & retreat by Massed Pipes and Drums 10:50

Opening speech by march leader on the stage 10:58

Last Post

11:00

One minute silence

11:02

Opening of 70th Airborne March. Veterans were invited to take a place on the stand to salute groups and individuals; or to participate in march past by riding in golf carts

12:30

End of march past

14:00

Start of the homecoming parade

16:00

End of the homecoming parade

16:30

Medals presented to those who participated for the 50th, 60th and 70th time 17:00

End of ceremony

18:00

End of Airborne March

 

For more information about the Airborne March, visit www.airbornewandeltocht.nl

For more photos, please visit our Flickr or Facebook pages.

For more videos, please visit our YouTube channel.

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