Is This The Most Interesting Bridge in Europe?
Words and photos by John Clayton This is the so called “Bridge Too Far” from the movie of the same name. As I stood there I closed my eyes and could hear the gunfire, the rat-tat of both allied and German guns, and the scene from the movie where British troops in a house near the bridge, could see all the action unfolding before them. There is also, at the foot of the bridge, a small monument and gun from the conflict. Because it was such a glorious day when I stood there, it was hard, if not impossible, to reconcile that with the mayhem and murder that took place in September 1944. It all made me contemplate the large number of soldiers who died trying to either take the bridge or defend it. In 1978 the bridge was officially named “The John Frost Bridge” in honor of the 2nd Parachute Battalion Commander (played in the movie by Anthony Hopkins) who spearheaded the small advance of British paratroopers to reach it. Have you ever seen a movie about some historical event and then, later on, gone to the places yourself? When you got there did you find it was as you thought it’d be, or was it all totally different? I mention all this because longtime listeners to my shows when I was on…
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