Thijs Laan

Airborne Wandeltocht / Airborne March

In 2016 we celebrate the 70th Jubilee edition of worlds largest one-day march, the International Airborne March at Oosterbeek in The Netherlands. The Airborne March is a march in commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem of September 1944. In 2014 the 68th edition was held with 34.806 participants from over 18 different countries. The Airborne March is intended to honour the 1.750 British and Polish soldiers and airmen who lost their lives during the Battle of Arnhem and are buried at the Airborne Cemetery at Oosterbeek. The revenues of the Airborne March are used to enable veterans and next of kin with poor means, to come over to The Netherlands and attend the annual Airborne-commemorations in and around Arnhem in September. The Airborne March started in 1947 and is organised every year by the Police Sports Association "Renkum". Start and finish are at the sports park Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, just beyond the Airborne Museum, the former Hartenstein Hotel, which was used as Divisional H.Q. at the time of the battle. The march is also meant to remind one and all, especially the post-war generations, of the sacrifices man was ready to make for the restoration of democracy.