On March 23rd, 1945, the Allied Forces crossed the River Rhine in the town of Rees in Western Germany during the Operation “Plunder”. The Battle of the Rhine was crucial for the Allied advance into Germany in the last months of the Second World War and included the transportation and installation of huge amounts of bridging equipment in order to cross the mighty Rhine River. The supply of troops and vehicles for the further advance into Germany took place via Bailey Bridges.

In Rees alone, the pioneers of the British “Royal Engineers” built seven bridges until May 1945, including the longest Bailey Bridge of the Second World War with a length of around 1517 metres. The British engineer Donald Bailey (1901-1985) developed a “modular system” of prefabricated steel frames and beams. With bolts and cotter pins, all parts of these bridges could be connected quickly and easily, allowing for easier river-crossing operations. On wide rivers, such as the Rhine, floating pontoons usually supported the construction.

The element of a Bailey Bridge, that was turned into a monument, was recovered in August 2022 by Dutch citizen Tjijs van Dooren and helpers on the right bank of the Rhine near Rees. It was restored and painted in the Netherlands. A special feature of this Bailey frame are the four barbed elements that had clawed their way into the banks of the Rhine in 1945. The now exhibited part served as an anchor that had secured the actual Bailey Bridge to the riverbed.