The last Polish soldier to take part in Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne operations of WWII, has died in Canada at the age of 105.
Like other paratroopers in the 1st Polish Army Corps, Bolesław ‘Bolek’ Ostrowski was airdropped into the Dutch town of Driel in 1944 as part of Operation Market Garden, a complex and ambitious operation that had been designed by its Allied commanders to shorten the war and open the road to Berlin.
Instead, the Battle of Arnhem as it became known, ended in a bloody fiasco and defeat, with Ostrowski himself fortunate to escape with his life. Having trained as a radio operator, he found himself pinned under heavy enemy fire after the Germans identified his radio signal.
After the war, Ostrowski settled in Canada, and wrote of his wartime experiences in “A Polish Paratrooper’s Memoir.”
Despite the much-publicized failings of Operation Market Garden, Ostrowski never voiced regrets about his role in the battle. Interviewed last year about the airdrop by the Driel-Polen Association, he said: “It was worth it.”
His daughter announced his death on Friday before the news later spread across social media.
On Facebook, the Polish Combatants’ Hall paid tribute to his “courage, resilience and service,” while other veteran and memorial associations hailed him “a hero.”
Instead, the Battle of Arnhem as it became known, ended in a bloody fiasco and defeat, with Ostrowski himself fortunate to escape with his life. Having trained as a radio operator, he found himself pinned under heavy enemy fire after the Germans identified his radio signal.
After the war, Ostrowski settled in Canada, and wrote of his wartime experiences in “A Polish Paratrooper’s Memoir.”
Despite the much-publicized failings of Operation Market Garden, Ostrowski never voiced regrets about his role in the battle. Interviewed last year about the airdrop by the Driel-Polen Association, he said: “It was worth it.”
His daughter announced his death on Friday before the news later spread across social media.
On Facebook, the Polish Combatants’ Hall paid tribute to his “courage, resilience and service,” while other veteran and memorial associations hailed him “a hero.”
Ostrowski was born in 1919 in the region of Kresy—now part of Ukraine—later fled westwards in 1939 to avoid conscription into the Red Army. However, following the German-Soviet carve-up of Poland, Ostrowski found himself in the Soviet-occupied sector and was deported to Siberia.
Like other Poles, he was able to leave the Soviet Union during a brief thaw in diplomatic relations, and in 1942 Ostrowski arrived in the United Kingdom via a complex route that had taken him through Kazakhstan, Iran and South Africa.
In Britian he joined the 1st Polish Army Corps, a Scottish-based unit commanded by General Stanisław Sosabowski.
Yet while Sosabowski’s troops had trained with the hope that they would one day be airdropped over Poland to liberate their homeland, they found themselves effectively subordinated to Britain’s 1st Airborne’s command. It was in these circumstances that the unit found itself called in to partake in Operation Market Garden.
On paper, it looked impressive and envisaged 35,000 Allied troops being dropped 65 miles behind German lines in the Netherlands.
This huge airdrop—then the largest of the war—would be swiftly followed by ground forces from the XXX Corps of the British Second Army punching their way through to liberate Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem.
Yet despite being overseen by one of Britain’s most celebrated tacticians, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the operation was deeply flawed and thwarted by poor weather, fierce German resistance, farcical communication breakdowns and an utterly dismissive attitude to the gathered intelligence.
Launched on September 17, 1944, it hit trouble from the outset. Among the operation’s numerous failings, the 1st Airborne had been given a drop zone 10 kilometers from the bridge at Arnhem, thereby totally negating the element of surprise.
Rather than facing ‘old men on bikes’ as anticipated by many of their commanders, troops found themselves pitted against the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions.
With the success of Market Garden reliant on all bridgeheads being captured, Allied plans quickly unraveled. For their part, the Poles found themselves entering the fray three days after the initial airdrops, by which time the operation’s failure had been sealed.
Eight days in, and the operation was abandoned, and while the Polish contribution was initially praised, General Sosabowski—who was one of the few to voice reservations about the wisdom of Market Garden—was later scapegoated by other Allied commanders.
Regarded in retrospect as one of the biggest Allied failings of WWII, the operation—and the heroism of those that fought on the ground—has gone down in legend, not least on account of books and films such as the epic A Bridge Too Far.
Like other Poles, he was able to leave the Soviet Union during a brief thaw in diplomatic relations, and in 1942 Ostrowski arrived in the United Kingdom via a complex route that had taken him through Kazakhstan, Iran and South Africa.
In Britian he joined the 1st Polish Army Corps, a Scottish-based unit commanded by General Stanisław Sosabowski.
Yet while Sosabowski’s troops had trained with the hope that they would one day be airdropped over Poland to liberate their homeland, they found themselves effectively subordinated to Britain’s 1st Airborne’s command. It was in these circumstances that the unit found itself called in to partake in Operation Market Garden.
What was Operation Market Garden?
Operation Market Garden was a high-stakes gamble that was taken with the bold intention of shortening the war by six months.On paper, it looked impressive and envisaged 35,000 Allied troops being dropped 65 miles behind German lines in the Netherlands.
This huge airdrop—then the largest of the war—would be swiftly followed by ground forces from the XXX Corps of the British Second Army punching their way through to liberate Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem.
Yet despite being overseen by one of Britain’s most celebrated tacticians, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the operation was deeply flawed and thwarted by poor weather, fierce German resistance, farcical communication breakdowns and an utterly dismissive attitude to the gathered intelligence.
Launched on September 17, 1944, it hit trouble from the outset. Among the operation’s numerous failings, the 1st Airborne had been given a drop zone 10 kilometers from the bridge at Arnhem, thereby totally negating the element of surprise.
Rather than facing ‘old men on bikes’ as anticipated by many of their commanders, troops found themselves pitted against the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions.
With the success of Market Garden reliant on all bridgeheads being captured, Allied plans quickly unraveled. For their part, the Poles found themselves entering the fray three days after the initial airdrops, by which time the operation’s failure had been sealed.
Eight days in, and the operation was abandoned, and while the Polish contribution was initially praised, General Sosabowski—who was one of the few to voice reservations about the wisdom of Market Garden—was later scapegoated by other Allied commanders.
Regarded in retrospect as one of the biggest Allied failings of WWII, the operation—and the heroism of those that fought on the ground—has gone down in legend, not least on account of books and films such as the epic A Bridge Too Far.
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