Joe's Bridge facts for kids
Joe's Bridge is a special nickname for Bridge No.9. This bridge crosses the Bocholt-Herentals Canal near the town of Neerpelt. It is located in the Belgian city of Lommel, just south of the border with the Netherlands. British soldiers captured the bridge in September 1944. It then became the starting point for a big ground attack called Operation Market-Garden.
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How Soldiers Captured Joe's Bridge
The original bridge was destroyed by the Belgian Army in 1940. But German soldiers built a new wooden bridge next to it. This new bridge was taken on the evening of September 10, 1944. It was captured by the Irish Guards, led by Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E Vandeleur.
While the Welsh Guards fought German forces nearby, the Irish Guards moved quickly. They advanced through the villages of Aksel, Overpelt, and Neerpelt. They launched their attack from a zinc factory in Overpelt. The attack included both soldiers and tanks, with help from artillery. They managed to capture the bridge without damaging it.
Capturing the bridge helped surround German troops in Hechtel. German units tried for several days to take the bridge back from the north. But they were pushed away, sometimes even with bayonets. Once the bridge was safe, engineers from the 615th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, began fixing it. The Irish Guards then secured the area around the bridge. They held the main road towards Valkenswaard.
About 3 kilometers to the west, in Lommel, SS soldiers had gathered 40 Belgian civilians. They held them at gunpoint as human shields. But the quick advance of the British from the east stopped a terrible event. The Germans held the north side of the canal until September 17, except for the area right around the bridge.
The bridge became known as "Joe's Bridge." This name came from Lieutenant-Colonel Joe Vandeleur. It might also be because the Royal Engineers group who fixed it was called "Joe's Troop."
Joe's Bridge and Operation Market-Garden
On the afternoon of September 17, 1944, XXX Corps began moving north. They advanced along the N69 road. This road soon became known as "Hell's Highway" to American paratroopers. British soldiers called it "The Club Route." Tanks from the 2nd Irish Guards led the way.
A heavy bombing attack had hit known enemy positions. But the information was not perfect. Many German groups survived, including SS and Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) soldiers. The Germans let the British tanks move along the road. They waited for the lead tanks to be next to hidden units in the woods. Then they opened fire with anti-tank guns. They destroyed seven lead tanks.
Lieutenant-Colonel Vandeleur then called for airstrikes. Rocket-firing Typhoon planes attacked the German guns. This stopped the firing. Armored bulldozers cleared the wreckage from the road. Foot soldiers finished off any remaining enemy resistance. This became the pattern for the rest of the advance towards Valkenswaard and Eindhoven.
After the War: Remembering Joe's Bridge
The bridge was rebuilt after World War II. A memorial below the southern edge of the bridge remembers its famous name. The Irish Guards Memorial is on the northern bank. It is on a side-road off the road to Valkenswaard.
Today, Joe's Bridge is part of the "Airborne trail." This is a 225-kilometer walking path from Lommel to Arnhem. It was created to remember Operation Market-Garden. The Dutch hiking group "Ollandse Lange Afstand Tippelaars" (OLAT) made the trail. It officially opened in September 2004. This was during the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Liberation.
See also
Images for kids
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Joe's Bridge in 2010
