Airborne & Air Assault demonstration ’80 years commemoration’ at Vlagheide, Eerde

On September 17^th 2024 it was exactly 80 years ago that the paratroop landings of the 101^st Airborne Division marked the beginning of the liberation of the south of the Netherlands. The Vlagheide is located between Sint Oedenrode and Schijndel and formed Dropzone A during Operation Market Garden and this is where the first allies landed on North Brabant soil on 17 September 1944. After heavy fighting in the narrow corridor towards Arnhem a village called Eerde was the first liberated village in the province North Brabant. This historic moment was commemorated with demonstrations that honor the courage and determination of that time. The role of the 101^st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is still crucial in the current wars. These demonstrations showed their current working methods and emphasize the cooperation with the Dutch 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (Air Mobile Brigade). Nowadays there is a Vector of Memory at the Vlagheide, a monumental signpost that is part of the Liberation Route Europe walking route network.

On 17 September 1944 American paratroopers from the 101^st Airborne Division set foot on North Brabant soil at the Vlagheide which was part of Dropzone A during Operation Market Garden. This area played a crucial role in Operation Market Garden, in which roads and bridges had to be captured to allow the Allied ground army to advance to Arnhem. Despite the rapid liberation of the nearby village of Eerde, the operation did not go as planned. A bloody battle ensued near the hamlet of Koevering. German troops cut through the corridor and halted the Allied advance for forty hours. It turned out to be one of the determining factors in the failure of Operation Market Garden. One of the soldiers who took part in the fighting around the corridor was Bobby Hunter.

The personal story of Bobby Hunter:

Bobby Hunter was one of the first to jump from his plane above Eerde on Sunday afternoon, September 17. The planes carrying D-Company, to which he belonged, are the vanguard appearing above the marked drop zone. When the green light on the plane came on, he left the plane. The weather was ideal for a jump, the sun was shining and there was almost no wind. Due to the low height from which they jumped, there was little opportunity to make corrections. “I drifted straight towards the only tree in the area. The field had just been plowed and it felt like I was landing on a cushion,” Bobby said. He quickly took off his parachute and was about to run to the assembly point when he heard Francis McKeown’s voice calling to him. Francis had jumped behind Bobby and landed a little further away. He ended up with one leg in the soft field and the other on the paved road (Koeveringsedijk) and severely sprained his ankle. Bobby went to him and took everything Francis had with him, in addition to his own equipment, while the latter staggered to the assembly point, leaning on Bobby’s body. Francis had to stay behind there with the other wounded, to be later moved to the sisters in Veghel, who helped care for the wounded. Heavily packed, Bobby and his group started the rapid march towards the road bridge over the canal in Veghel. Bobby took part in all the fighting around the Corridor and on September 24, 1944, when his unit was sent to Eerde for reinforcement, his friend Francis, who had just rejoined the unit, was killed. This made an extremely deep impression on Bobby and his comrades as Francis was a well-liked person within the unit. Bobby has returned many times to the place where the Market Garden “adventure” began for him, each time he wanted to return to the tree where he landed that day.

Exercise Falcon Leap 2024

Exercise Falcon Leap is one the largest multinational airdrop training exercise in Europe which was hosted by the Royal Netherlands Air force from 9 till 21 September 2024 at Eindhoven airbase. Units of the Dutch 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (Air Mobile Brigade) train above our country and above Belgium in dropping loads and paratroopers, which is done together with foreign Army and Air Force units. In the recent years exercise Falcon Leap has grown into a much larger and more complex exercise involving many military units which serves to enhance cooperation between the Air Mobility Command and the ground forces. Strengthen joint airlift capabilities and improve airborne operational procedures were the key goals of the exercise.

Exercise Falcon Leap is a unique exercise because all aspects of an airborne deployment are trained and this made it a crucial exercise with a view to the readiness of the airborne unit: 11 Battalion of the 11 Air Mobile Brigade and 336 Squadron of the Air Mobility Command. The rapid deployment of a unit, the rapid movement of units over large distances and integrated planning with the Air Mobility Command were discussed during the exercise. This training contributes to the preparedness of the airborne units and their ability to work effectively with international partners. In addition exercise Falcon Leap offers the opportunity to gain experience with foreign parachute systems and radio connections which is essential to improve cooperation between units from different countries.

Participants

During this year’s exercise twelve allied nations participated: The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States of America. They practiced in different phases and each phase focuses on specific training objectives. Week 1 is the first phase in which only the Dutch units of the 11 Air Mobile Brigade practiced with 250 to 300 paratroopers and dropping cargo. Week 2 is the second phase in which the exercise was expanded to include cooperation with foreign units. In the final phase of week 2 approximately 1.000 soldiers performed parachute jumps together. The last jumps of the exercise take place on the Ginkelseheide near Ede, which is a historic location because of the airborne landings during Operation Market Garden 1944.

The future of exercise Falcon Leap

Exercise Falcon Leap still has a long future ahead of it. Every year the airborne battalion of the 11 Air Mobile Brigade is integrated into the exercise. Falcon Leap also serves as preparation for the largest airborne exercise in Europe, exercise Swift Response. Finally, commemorating Operation Market Garden the day after the exercise remains an integral part of Falcon Leap. Historical awareness will always remain connected to this training. We must honor our history while preparing for future challenges.

Operation Market Garden à Bram