John Frost Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Frost Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 51°58′29″N 5°54′43″E / 51.97472°N 5.91194°E |
| Crosses | Lower Rhine |
| History | |
| Opened | 1948 |
The John Frost Bridge (called John Frostbrug in Dutch) is a famous road bridge. It crosses the Lower Rhine river in Arnhem, Netherlands. This bridge was bombed during World War II but was later rebuilt. Some parts of the bridge are still original from 1944.
The bridge is named after John Dutton Frost. He was a British Major-General. He led soldiers who fought to protect this bridge in September 1944. This battle was called the Battle of Arnhem. The bridge was even shown in a 1977 movie, A Bridge Too Far.
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Building the Bridge: A Look Back
There was a floating bridge in Arnhem since 1603. But as the city grew, a stronger, permanent bridge was needed. The Rijnbrug (Rhine bridge) was built between 1932 and 1935.
In 1940, Dutch engineers destroyed it. They did this to slow down the German army invading the Netherlands. The Germans needed the bridge, so they used a temporary floating bridge. They also repaired the main road bridge. It was finished in August 1944.
The Battle of Arnhem: A Bridge Too Far
In September 1944, the Allied forces started a big plan called Operation Market Garden. Their goal was to capture several bridges. The road bridge across the Lower Rhine was the final target. The British 1st Airborne Division was given this important job.
But the German army fought back harder than expected in Arnhem. Only a small group of about 740 British soldiers reached the north side of the bridge. They were led by Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost.
On the night of September 17, the British tried to take the south side of the bridge. They used a flamethrower to clear German positions. This accidentally set fire to an ammunition store. The bridge's fresh paint also caught fire. The flames lit up the area all night. This made the British stop their attack.
The Bridge's Fate After the Battle
The German forces in Arnhem eventually defeated Frost's men. But it took them several days to do it. Frost's soldiers had managed to block the bridge for German tanks for about four days. This was twice as long as a whole division was expected to hold it. The rest of the British division held out nearby in Oosterbeek. They were evacuated across the river on September 25.
Even though the bridge survived the battle, it was later bombed. B-26 Marauder planes destroyed it on October 7, 1944. This was to stop the Germans from using it to send more soldiers south of the river. The bridge was rebuilt after the war and opened in 1948.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of the old bridge during the fighting at Arnhem, September 1944
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Aerial view from the church tower
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The Fietspad or Bicycle Path on the bridge.
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The Between-Fire-Starter art installation
