Airborne landings on the Ginkel Heath

With the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the liberation of Europe began. After fierce fighting in the summer, most of France and Belgium were liberated at lightning speed in early September. On Sunday, September 17, 1944, the Allies attempted to bring a quick end to the war from Belgium with an advance through the Netherlands, Operation Market Garden. As part of this grand plan, the bridges over the Rhine at Arnhem were to be captured by British airborne units. This part of the operation became known as the "Battle of Arnhem.

On that Sunday afternoon, the German troops saw airborne landings near Renkum and Wolfheze. Immediately, the German high command in the Netherlands sent the SS Wachbataillon 3 (about 750 men, mostly Dutch soldiers in German military service) from Amersfoort to Ede. Upon arrival in Ede, the German battalion commander, SS-Sturmbannführer (Major) Paul Anton Helle, set up Hotel Pension de Langenberg as his command post. During that evening and night, his troops arrived there from Amersfoort.

From the Langenberg he directed the troops towards the Ginkelse Heath. There followed heavy fighting with the landed British soldiers, who meanwhile had entrenched themselves in the woods around the heath. The next morning Helle moved his command post to Herberg Zuid-Ginkel.

On Monday afternoon, September 18, Helle sat resting in the gelagkamer of Herberg Zuid-Ginkel. During the night his troops had captured most of the Ginkelse heath from the British. Helle placed his heavy weapons north of the Rijksweg 24 (now N224), east of the inn. The fighting had subsided for a while, but a renewed German attack was already in preparation. At the same time, British troops were waiting for the 4th Parachute Brigade to land, but ground fog in England had delayed the landing.

By three o'clock Helle's adjutant, SS Untersturmführer (1st Lieutenant) Albert Naumann, heard the heavy roar of aircraft in the gelagkamer. Seeing the imposing spectacle of the many planes approaching from the southwest, he understood that quick action was needed. Almost 1900 British paratroopers landed right above the SS Wachbataillon. Helle was rudely awakened from his sleep. With the men present, he fled through the back door towards the Hindekamp. The commander of the heavy weapons, a veteran, aimed his guns at the paratroopers who were now approaching Helle's headquarters. A short time later, the British took out these guns. The commander of the 4th Parachute Brigade, Brigadier (Brigadier General) Hackett, near the sheepfold, personally captured about six Germans.