Americans on ‘The Island’
At the bottom of the bridge on the south bank of the Neder-Rijn, just like at Schoonderlogt, there is a monument that commemorates the American 101st airborne division that guarded the area in the autumn of 1944. They called the area between the rivers ‘The Island’.

Operation Pegasus
After the lost battle at Oosterbeek, many British and Poles who remained on the north bank were captured. Another part went into hiding and was helped by civilians and the resistance. In the night of 22-23 October 1944, the resistance organised a large-scale escape across the Rhine in collaboration with the Allies.

During this operation ‘Pegasus’, more than 100 soldiers managed to reach the south bank safely. Among them was one Pole, Stanislaw Kulik. This crossing took place about 3 kilometres downstream from the bridge.

“We crossed the last road and came out of the forest onto the flood plain beside the river […]. Then I heard an American voice calling out to us. Jones and I quickly ran over to where the American was. Clambered inside the boat and grabbed the oars. ‘Let’s go!’ our freedom was so close, I just wanted to get out of there.”

Kulik had managed to hide from German troops for five weeks, after which he crossed the river safely with the help of the resistance.

A second similar operation in November failed.