Even fifty-nine years after the actual fighting the Battle of Arnhem still represents a most telling defeat for a great many people. The fierce and bloody fighting for the bridge across the river Rhine near the capital of the Dutch province of Gelderland is perhaps one of the best-known episodes in the history of the Second World War. Scores of books, newspaper articles, documentary and even some feature films have been dedicated to the planning and execution of Field Marshal Montgomery's plan of attack. As the liberation of the part of Holland above the great rivers only seemed a matter of time, its tragic outcome had traumatic consequences for all who participated in the fighting. Tragically, the crossing of the Rhine appeared to be a bridge too far'.