On 6 June 1944 the Allies launched Operation Overlord - the large-scale landings of American, British and Canadian troops in Normandy came to be known as “D-Day”.  After the breakout from the bridgehead in Normandy the main thrust of British 21st Army Group  lead through northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands towards the Ruhr industrial region. This region was of strategic value because it was one of the centres of the German armaments production and the coal mining industry. It was located in the western part of Germany and thus well within reach of the attacking forces. The Allied commanders in chief, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, had agreed on this plan before “D-Day” and saw is as one of the keys to victory. However, their forces were facing the “Westwall”, or the Siegfried Line, as the Allies called the defence works stretching along the western border of Germany all the way north to the city of Kleve. Montgomery decided not to attack the West Wall head on but rather envisioned bypassing it north of Kleve. This meant that an initial phase of his advance would take place on Dutch soil. The British Field Marshall planned to attack in the direction of Nijmegen and Arnhem. At Nijmegen, his troops were to cross the river Waal, at Arnhem they were to cross the Rhine. They would then swing south to cross the border into Germany. The aim was to surround the Ruhr region in a large-scale pincer movement. His northern advance would take place in coordination with the United States First Army enveloping the Ruhr industrial area from the south. This second thrust was to break through the West Wall south of Aachen and to cross the Rhine near Cologne/Bonn. The US-troops would then turn north to surround the Ruhr region. The spearheads of this huge pincer operation were to meet near the city of Hamm, thus isolating and neutralizing the Ruhr industrial area. Once this was accomplished, Montgomery’s troops would advance north of the Ruhr region across the North German Plain. This terrain was flat and had a well-developed network of roads which would allow the highly motorized Allied troops to penetrate deep into Germany.

At the beginning of September 1944 the first phase of Montgomery's plan to attack the Ruhr region was completed. The breakout from Normandy had been successful, as was the rapid advance through northern France and Belgium. The Allied troops had reached the southern border of the Netherlands. Further south, American armies were poised for further attacks along the entire western border of Germany. On September 12th,1944, leading units of the United States First Army occupied the first German villages near Aachen. Therefore, the Allies hoped that the war might be brought to a victorious end before Christmas. Montgomery now decided to make use of the momentum and devised a bold plan. American and British airborne troops were to land behind the German frontlines at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem to open up a so-called "corridor" for the British ground troops  - an avenue of advance that would allow them to make their way from the Dutch-Belgian border all the way to Arnhem. At Nijmegen and Arnhem the airborne spearhead of his forces would capture and hold bridges over the Waal and Nederrijn rivers, thus enabling the ground troops to overcome the obstacle posed by these waterways. The combined offensive by ground and airborne forces was codenamed "Market Garden". When this operation was launched in September 1944 the border region near the rivers Rhine and Meuse was turned into a battlefield - both on Dutch and German soil. The fates of individuals on both sides of the border now depended on decisions made by the military and political leadership of the opposing nations. The battles that were to rage over the coming months would claim thousands of lives among the armies battling each other – and also among the civilians whose cities and villages were targeted by airraids and artillery fire.

Sunday, September 17th
Operation "Market Garden" is launched: The American 101st Airborne Division is dropped north of Eindhoven; the 82nd Airborne Division south of Nijmegen, near Grave, Groesbeek and Wyler. Units of the British 1st Airborne Division are dropped north of the Nederrijn, eight kilometres west of Arnhem. The British encounter surprisingly tough resistance from the Germans who have stationed units of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions near Arnhem. Further German reinforcements arrive. Nevertheless, in the evening a British parachute battalion reaches and captures the road bridge on the southern edge of Arnhem’s city centre and tries to hold it.

Tuesday, September 19th
Seven heavy US bombers attack Emmerich. The city is considered a transport hub behind the frontline. The raid targets the railway yard but parts of the city are also hit. 42 civilians and 15 soldiers are killed. Nine heavy US bombers attack Wesel, here too the railway facilities are targeted. However, a number of houses in the vicinity are also hit, leaving 16 people dead.

Wednesday, September 20th
Some of the American airborne units have advanced as far as Nijmegen. The airborne landing has succeeded in opening up a route to Nijmegen for the British ground troops and tanks. They join the US paratroopers and together they capture the two intact bridges over the river Waal. They find the centre of Nijmegen to be heavily damaged from an attack that had taken place on February 22, 1944, when American bombers had hit the city. They had been on their way to Gotha in Thuringia when the order came to abort the mission. The crews then chose Nijmegen as an alternative target. 771 residents were killed in the bombing - making this incident the most costly attack on a Dutch city. The fighting in September 1944 brought further destruction, partly because the Germans set fire to buildings during the retreat. 261 residents were killed during the liberation of Nijmegen.

Monday, September 25th
The British suffer heavy losses in the embattled bridgehead near Arnhem; the majority of the airborne forces has to surrender to the Germans. Four days earlier, the Germans had already overwhelmed the British unit holding the bridge in Arnhem. This means that a crucial part of Operation Market Garden, the crossing of the Nederrijn on Dutch territory, has failed. Arnhem has suffered extensive damage. The German occupiers order the residents of Arnhem to leave their city which is then systematically plundered by the Germans.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler issues the order to call up the "Volkssturm". The male population between the ages of 16 and 60 is registered for possible deployment to the front. Hitler Youth, older men, BDM girls are called upon to form work details to strengthen and expand the fortifications of the West Wall between Venlo and Kleve.

Tuesday, September 26th
In the evening fighter bombers attack Kleve and drop bombs. The 15-minute raid leaves 68 people dead. In the days before 30 Kleve residents had already been killed by fighter bombers strafing the railway yard.

Wednesday, September 27th
In Wesel an airraid warning is sounded and around 10 a.m. several heavy bombs go down in various parts of the city causing several fatalities. The target of British bombers that day is actually an oil refinery located in Sterkrade. Due to thick cloud cover 53 aircraft do not find their target and drop their bombs more or less "blindly" on alternative targets nearby.

Thursday, September 28th
Emmerich is attacked by American medium bombers. Their bombs target the railway station, but the town also suffers considerable damage. 47 civilians and five soldiers are killed.

Saturday, September 30th
In Goch, the area around the railway station is bombed, killing 35 people. 

20 kilometres southwest of Goch, on Dutch territory, British and American tank units try to advance in a south-westerly direction towards Overloon. Their aim is to push the German troops out of the area west of the Meuse. The attacking forces are opposed by a German armoured brigade. The battle rages until October 18th ending with the capture of Overloon and Venray by the Allies.

Monday, October 2nd
British generals meet for a planning conference. They consider launching an offensive from the Nijmegen area on the left bank of the Rhine towards Wesel and as far as Venlo and Krefeld. “Operation Gatwick” is envisaged to start between October 8th and 10th.

Saturday, October 7th
In the early afternoon the British Air Force attacks Kleve and Emmerich. Both towns are in the area of advance for the planned British “Operation Gatwick”. In addition, the most important access roads to the front near Nijmegen/Arnheim run through Emmerich and Kleve. The destruction of Emmerich by 340 heavy bombers leaves 568 civilians and 18 soldiers dead. In Kleve, the attack by 335 heavy bombers kills 463 people. 

The increasing fear of airraids causes a first wave of evacuations of civilians from Wesel. The non-working population has the opportunity to use special trains that depart in the evening and take the Wesel refugees to the Magdeburg area. The Wehrmacht convalescent hospital in the municipal hospital in Magermannstraße in Wesel is closed and the patients are transferred. The hospital will now be turned into Wehrmacht General Hospital. In towns on the western bank of the Rhine, increasing numbers of women and their children take the opportunity to evacuate to the Magdeburg area. 

Montgomery cancels “Operation Gatwick”, the planned attack on the western bank of the Lower Rhine. Another task now appears more urgent to him: the clearing of the Dutch territories at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. The Scheldt estuary is controlled and defended by the Wehrmacht in order to deny Allied ships access to the port of Antwerp. Opening this port would significantly shorten the Allied supply routes to the frontline in the Lower Rhine region. So far, only ports in Normandy and northern France are operational for the Allies. 

Sunday, October 8th
West of the Meuse, in Dutch villages between Venlo and Roermond, German police and Wehrmacht soldiers carry out the first major “church raid”. At the end of Sunday services in various churches they round up and abduct around 2,000 male churchgoers and deport them to Germany for forced labour.  The abducted include boys from the age of 14 and even men older than 60. During further raids in the fall of 1944, one thousand more men are rounded up in the villages and forced to work in Germany. 

The population of Goch is called upon to voluntarily evacuate the town. In the course of October, around 10,000 people follow the advice. Around half of them will be accommodated in villages in the Magdeburg area.

Thursday, October 12th 
In a raid codenamed “Aktion Gustav” the Germans abduct 360 men in Venlo for forced labour in Germany.

Friday, October 13th
41 American bombers attack Venlo at around 11 AM. The city is still occupied by the Germans and, with its two bridges over the Meuse, is considered an important target behind the front. 59 civilians die in this attack. 

Sunday, October 15th
Behind the frontline, a 10 to 15 kilometre wide strip in the district of Kleve is declared a “red zone”, including the town of Kleve. Women and children have to leave this zone, men under 60 are allowed to stay. Behind this zone a “Green Zone” is designated in an area further to the rear of the frontline. Many civilians evacuating the “Red Zone” decide to stay put in the “Green Zone”.

The frontline is still running west of the border, on Dutch soil. Thus, Dutch inhabitants of the “Red Zone” near Gennep are forced to leave their homes and farms. Their refugee treks cross the western bank of the Lower Rhine region on foot towards Rees, where they cross the river to then go north to return to Dutch territory firmly held by the Germans. The cattle from the evacuated areas are driven eastwards and also taken across the Rhine. Hitler Youth accompany these cattle trains.

Monday, October 16th
Another roundup begins in the German-occupied villages between Venlo and Gennep, during which male inhabitants are abducted for forced labour in Germany. Further raids follow in the German-occupied areas and towns along the Meuse until the end of 1944.

Sunday, October 22nd
A small group of heavy US bombers attacks Geldern, killing 25 people. 

Monday, October 23rd
In the evening, Rees is bombed. This is the second attack on the town, after a first raid that had targeted the railway tracks on September 11th. Each of these attacks cost six civilian lives.

Tuesday, October 24th
1200 Dutch forced labourers arrive in Goch; they had been deported from the road in Enschede and are to be used for entrenchment work on the “Westwall”. 

Saturday, November 4th
Canadian and British units have seized the areas on the North Sea coast on both sides of the Scheldt estuary. This will allow Allied ships to access the port of Antwerp. As sea mines have to be cleared first, it will take another three weeks before freighters can enter the port – it will not be until November that supplies from Antwerp will reach the Allied forces on the Lower Rhine front.

Sunday, November 5th
Venlo is again attacked by US bombers. They have orders to destroy the bridges over the Meuse, but fail to do so. A convent is hit, killing 13 nuns and two other Venlo citizens. 

Friday, November 10th
“Aktion Rosenstock” is launched: in a massive raid the Germans seal off Rotterdam, search all houses and deport over 50,000 men between the ages of 17 and 40. They are forced to do forced labour in Germany. Many of them are sent to the Ruhr industrial area and the Lower Rhine region, where they will do entrenching work along the “Westwall”. 

Sunday, November 19th
At 3.30 PM, 68 British bombers attack the two bridges over the Meuse in Venlo. The bridges are hit but not destroyed. However, they are now considered largely unusable for traffic. 19 Venlo citizens are killed in this last bombing raid on the city. In 13 attacks on Venlo and its bridges since October 13th, a total of 212 citizens have been lost their lives. The city centre is largely destroyed. 

Saturday, November 25th
The German Wehrmacht blows up the two bridges over the Meuse in Venlo. 

Tuesday, November 28th
Orders are given for the evacuation of the entire civilian population from the town of Goch. The city is regarded as an integral part and linchpin of the “Westwall” defensive line. The evacuation has to completed by December 5th . Men between the ages of 16 and 60 who are to be deployed in the Volkssturm are exempt. An evacuation committee goes from house to house and enforces the order. After that, there are still around 2000 men in Goch. 

Sunday, December 3rd
Allied low-flying aircraft strafe a train near Werth waiting on the railway tracks leading from Empel via Bocholt to Münster. On board the train are 1000 Dutch forced labourers, many of whom suffer injuries, 14 of them are killed. 

Geldern is bombed. The remaining civilian population is about to be evacuated to areas on the river Oder; 37 people are killed in the attack.

Tuesday/Wednesday, December 5th/6th
During the “Sinterklaas raid” in Haarlem in the Netherlands, 1,300 men between the ages of 17 and 40 are abducted and taken by the Germans to forced labour camps near Rees, Bienen and Praest. They are forced to live in harsh conditions in camps which come to be known as the “Hell of Rees” and have to dig anti-tank ditches and build fortifications. 

Saturday, December 16th
The frontline on the German-Dutch border and the Lower Rhine region fades into the background as the German “Ardennes Offensive” (of “Battle of the Bulge”) is launched further south. Concentrating their forces, German troops initially break through the American lines and advance into Belgium and Luxembourg, their objective being Antwerp. After ten days, the Allies succeed in repelling the attacking Germans.

Saturday, January 13th
The Germans attempt to destroy the bridge over the Waal in Nijmegen using 17 “Biber” one-man submarines, but the attackers are repulsed. Since its liberation in September 1944, Nijmegen has been under German artillery fire. For five months Nijmegen is considered a “frontline town” and in this period a total of 955 inhabitants are killed.

Sunday, January 14th
The Germans order the evacuation of Venlo. In the following weeks, thousands of inhabitants are forced to leave the city and are taken by trains via German territory to the still occupied northern parts of Netherlands.

Thursday, January 18th
The German 6th Parachute Division attacks British positions southwest of Arnhem on the “Betuwe Island”.

Sunday, January 21st
Male civilians between the ages of 16 and 60 remaining in the “Red Zone” and the “Green Zone” in the Lower Rhine region are conscripted into the “Volkssturm”. The “Volkssturm” battalions are to be attached to the Wehrmacht divisions deployed at the frontline. These are also tasked with training the “Volksturm” units, which suffer from a widespread shortage of  weapons.

The Germans order the evacuation of the city of Roermond. Over the next three weeks, all civilians are taken by train to the northern parts of the Netherlands which are still under German occupation.
 
Thursday, February 1st
The front along the “Westwall” or “Siegfried Line” still runs on Dutch soil between Nijmegen and Roermond; on German orders the “Red Zone” behind the front is now largely cleared of all remaining civilians. The “Westwall” is now better fortified and Wehrmacht soldiers take up positions. The 1st Parachute Army, commanded by General Schlemm, holds the front in this sector. His army is part of Army Group H, commanded by General Blaskowitz.

139 heavy American bombers attack the Wesel railway and road bridges. Between Duisburg and Nijmegen/Arnheim the only bridges leading across the Rhine are located in Wesel. This makes the city the foremost transportation hub in the Lower Rhine region – a role that is perceived as crucial by both the Wehrmacht and the Allies. The attacking US bombers also hit residential areas in Wesel, causing 14 deaths and numerous injuries among the population. As a consequence of this attack all schools in Wesel suspend classes until further notice. Due to the frequent airraid alerts and the now tangible danger, many Wesel residents leave the city. Trains run from neighbouring Drevenack to take civilians away from the endangered zone and to safety.

Saturday, February 3rd
British fighter-bombers strafe a locomotive standing on a railway yard in Dingden. Dutch civilians are in a train waiting nearby - over 1,300 people from the Roermond area who are to be forcibly evacuated in cattle wagons to northern Holland. The strafing attack kills a family of four Dutch civilians while another six are seriously injured.

Wednesday, February 7th
Starting at 10 PM a force of 286 British heavy bombers attack Kleve. 58 German civilians lose their lives as well as around 100 Ukrainian forced labourers who were locked up in a prison during the raid. Almost simultaneously, 448 heavy RAF bombers attack Goch. The town is largely abandoned by its inhabitants. However, apart from 30 German civilians over 200 forced labourers - mainly Soviet prisoners of war and Italian “military internees” are killed. 95 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force attack Kalkar, Uedem and Weeze.

Thursday, February 8th
At 5 AM 1050 guns open fire marking the start of Operation “Veritable”. Around 340,000 combat and support troops are assembled in the staging areas between Nijmegen and Boxmeer for this major offensive. From 10.30 AM battalions of the British XXX Corps attack in the Gennep and Hekkens area as well as near Groesbeek and Wyler, heading in the direction of the German border. In addition to three British divisions, two Canadian divisions are also deployed in the first wave of the attack. The northern part of the battlefield in the Rhine lowlands is flooded, as the Wehrmacht has blown up the dykes in this area. The aim of the Allied offensive is to conquer the western bank of the Lower Rhine region and, if possible, to capture the still intact railway and road bridges at Wesel. But in this initial phase the German defenders positioned in the Reichswald forest put up fierce resistance.

Eight British fighter-bombers strafe a freight train carrying forcibly evacuated Dutch families from Roermond. The carriages are waiting on a siding in the Kanonenberge in Blumenkamp near Wesel. 15 Dutch civilians are killed and another 75 are reported to have been injured.  

Friday, February 9th
At the start of Operation “Veritable”, the British and Canadians have broken through the advanced German defensive positions on the north-western edge of the Reichswald forest, but combat at close quarters continues in the woods. The ground has thawed, muddy dirt tracks and the forest terrain make it difficult for vehicles and tanks to advance. The low cloud cover keeps Allied fighter-bombers from attacking ground targets in the battle zone. 

The town of Rheinberg is targeted by Allied bombers.

Saturday, February 10th
On this day, Ninth US Army is set to cross the River Rur in the area between Roermond and Düren in order to conquer the western bank of the Lower Rhine region between Düsseldorf and Wesel. However, the operation codenamed “Grenade” cannot be launched as the Germans have blown up the Roer dams causing severe flooding and making it impossible for the Americans to cross the river for the time being. 

Wesel is attacked by US bombers. Around 50 bombs hit the northern parts of the town. Many Wesel residents leave their homes and take shelter in the surrounding villages. The town administration is now housed in the remote outskirt of Blumenkamp . 

In a fighter-bombers attack on Xanten 57 civilians are killed.

Sunday, February 11th
Kevelaer is bombed, five civilians lose their lives.

Monday, February 12th
Four days after the start of their major offensive, British troops have seized the ruins of Kleve. British and Canadian attacks in the direction of Kalkar are stopped by the Germans. They stubbornly defend the area around Schloss Moyland to prevent the Allies from advancing along the Reichsstrasse 57 highway. German 116th Panzer Division and the 15th Panzergrenadier Division are deployed as reinforcements in the Kalkar and Goch area.

Tuesday, February 13th
In the morning hours numerous civilians loaded with their luggage are gathering in the streets of Uedem to be evacuated across the Rhine. However, the trucks allotted for this purpose do not arrive. At around 10.30 AM, six Allied bombers attack the town, strafing by fighter bombers follows this raid. 23 people are killed in Uedem. 

 At around 4 PM Xanten is bombed.

Wednesday, February 14th
The weather is improving, and the Allies can now deploy their air forces as planned. 37 heavy US bombers attack the Wesel road bridge. This time some bombs are on target and part of the bridge collapses. 

Geldern, which has been largely evacuated, is targeted as a traffic hub behind the front: Starting at 9 AM small formations of light US bombers repeatedly attack the town. Fires caused by incendiary bombs destroy large parts of Geldern, 10 civilians are killed. Nieukerk is also bombed, as is Kevelaer. As a result of airraids 11 civilians and 18 German soldiers are killed in Wetten near Kevelaer.  Xanten is bombed once more.

German “Me 262” jet fighters carry out 53 missions over the combat zone on the western bank of the Lower Rhine region. They are bombing Allied columns and traffic routes in the Kleve, Gennep and Nijmegen areas.

Rees is bombed during the night. The old peoples’ home of the hospital is hit, nine people die in this attack. Many Rees residents leave the town to stay with relatives or acquaintances in the surrounding villages.

Friday, February 16th
63 heavy US bombers attack Wesel at around 11.30 AM, initially targeting the Rhine bridges but the city is also badly hit. Following this attack most of the remaining population flees the town. After this first attack the sirens sound the “all-clear” at around 3 PM. However, at 4 PM 100 Royal Air Force heavy bombers start a major attack destroying large parts of the city. At night, fires are raging in Wesel and delayed action-bombs are exploding. 322 inhabitants of Wesel are killed on this day. It is estimated that around 100 German soldiers also died in this arrack on Wesel. The day will come to be known as Wesel’s “black Friday.”

American medium bombers attack Rees at around 12 noon that day. Many of their bombs come down in the Rhine meadows outside the town. However, the town is hit by incendiary bombs and largely destroyed by fire, 32 people die. Two fully loaded trailers with German artillery ammunition parked on the church square are hit by incendiary bombs; the shells explode one after the other. The hospital in Rees also burns out, its patients are evacuated and housed in the nearby convent Haus Aspel where the German army is running a military hospital.

Saturday, February 17th
In destroyed Wesel, rescue teams are trying to free buried survivors and to recover bodies. The patients of the destroyed civilian hospital in Wesel are taken to the hospitals in the neighbouring cities of Dinslaken, Walsum, Hamborn and Sterkrade. On this day, the Royal Air Force is scheduled to attack Wesel again but the 298 heavy bombers are ordered to abort the mission as the town is covered by low cloud. 

Sunday, February 18th
Another airraid by 160 British heavy bombers hits the ruins of Wesel at around 3 PM. Rescue teams are caught by surprise and 46 people lose their lives. In the evening, the ruined city is ravaged by fires; delayed action-bombs continue to explode.

Monday, February 19th 
In Wesel the burial of victims begins and will continue over the following days and weeks. The police try to identify the dead before the burials. Four mass graves are laid out. At around 3.30 PM, the largely deserted city is again the target of a heavy bombing raid by 168 British heavy bombers, killing 23 people. 68 US heavy bombers attack the Wesel railway bridge but fail to destroy it.

Wednesday, February 21st 
British troops seize Goch in the evening. The ruins of the town has been defended for six days by units of the German 7th Parachute Division and the 84th Infantry Division.  
 
South-east of Kleve the village of Moyland is captured after the German 6th Parachute Division has repelled all Canadian attacks for several days. The German defenders were supported by the Panzer Lehr Division. The following morning, Canadian troops also occupy Moyland Castle. 
 
From 2 PM, Xanten is targeted in series of airraids. Including the fatalities from previous attacks the total number of civilian casualties in Xanten is 122. 
 
60 US bombers attack Geldern. 
 
Friday, February 23rd 
Four divisions of the US Ninth Army cross the Roer after previous flooding has receded. This American attack codenamed “Operation Grenade” is launched 13 days late. American units capture Jülich and advance northeast towards Erkelenz the following day. Another advance leads north towards Venlo, which is still occupied by the Germans. 
 
Saturday, February 24th
British troops attack from the Goch area in the direction of Weeze, where German armoured units and paratroopers put up stiff resistance.   
 
British medium bombers attack Geldern. 
 
In Rees, railway lines near the railway station are bombed. 18 civilians are killed.  
 
 70 US heavy bombers attack the Wesel railway bridge but fail to destroy it. 
 
Sunday, February 25th 
In the afternoon, Xanten is again attacked from the air; the attack is mainly aimed at German observation posts on the Fürstenberg elevation.  
 
US aircraft attack Rheinberg, which is considered a transportation hub in the rear of the German frontline. Many residents have left the town in November 1944 to be taken to Württemberg or the Magdeburg area. 
 
Monday, February 26th 
“Operation Blockbuster” is launched: Two Canadian armoured divisions and two infantry divisions are to attack the German defensive line between Kalkar and Uedem. The “Hochwald” forest situated on a ridge west of Xanten is a natural obstacle that the Germans use to bolster their defence. The battle for the “Hochwald Gap” will be extremely costly for the attacking forces, with around 100 Canadian armoured vehicles being destroyed. The German defenders still want to prevent the two Rhine bridges at Wesel from falling into the enemy's hands. 

Tuesday, February 27th
25 American bombers attack Sonsbeck, 14 people are killed. Eleven US bombers attack Marienbaum. Canadian units capture Uedem.

Wednesday, February 28th
Twelve British bombers attack Rheinberg. With this and two previous attacks the total number of civilian deaths amounts to 43.

Winnekendonk is bombed by fighter-bombers and largely destroyed.

In the battle for the “Hochwald Gap”, German troops withstand a number of Canadian attacks and prevent the attackers from breaking through towards Xanten.

Thursday, March 1st
American troops liberate Venlo and Roermond. 

Kevelaer is bombed.

Friday, March 2nd
From Venlo, units of Ninth US Army attack via Straelen in a north-easterly direction - their objective are the two bridges at Wesel. The German defenders on the western bank of the Lower Rhine are now squeezed into the “Wesel pocket”. To the north, they are defending against the British and Canadians while being attacked by the Americans from the south-west.

Saturday, March 3rd
Near Geldern, American troops who advanced from Venlo encounter British units approaching from the north. This meeting of the British and American armies marks a symbolic success for the Allies and their offensive in the Lower Rhine region. It also poses a threat to the German defenders, who are now confronted with a unified front of their opponents in the so-called “Wesel pocket”.

British troops move into Kevelaer. 

Sunday, March 4th
US troops capture Kamp-Lintfort. 

Canadian troops occupy the Hochwald forest feature west of Xanten.

Seven bombers attack Bocholt, their bombs hit the area around Josefskirche and Hohenzollernstraße. 28 civilians are killed and 34 are seriously injured.

Monday, March 5th
The advance of a mobile US battle group, consisting of tanks and armoured infantry units, towards Wesel is stopped by the Germans near Rheinberg, the Americans lose 39 armoured vehicles. 

Tuesday, March 6th
US troops capture Rheinberg.

Canadian troops capture Sonsbeck.

48 British light “Mosquito” bombers attack Wesel targeting German troop movements and columns. In the night of March 7th, the British continue these attacks, 87 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force bomb Wesel, then another 51 light “Mosquito” bombers are in action over Wesel.

Wednesday, March 7th
US troops reach the Solvay industrial plant at Ossenberg near Rheinberg and advance via Grünthal in the direction of Büderich. 

The largely intact Ludendorff Bridge near Remagen is seized by American troops. No advance across the Rhine was actually planned here, as the hilly Westerwald region was viewed as unsuitable for an avenue of attack. However, the Americans take up the opportunity and establish a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Rhine. They now have to defend it against German counterattacks. The bridge is under constant fire from the Germans - after ten days it will collapse.

Thursday, March 8th
Canadian troops capture Xanten. British units reach Alpen, having previously occupied the Bönninghardt ridge. The Wehrmacht has its back to the Rhine in the Büderich area and continues to fend off Allie attacks. However, the German “Wesel pocket” has shrunk considerably and can no longer be held. Some German units withdraw over the Wesel railway bridge to the eastern bank of the Rhine 

Saturday, March 10th
At 7 AM German sappers blow up the Wesel railway bridge. US units take Büderich in the afternoon, an American patrol reaches Fort Blücher. The entire western bank of the Lower Rhine region is now occupied by Allied troops, the Rhine marks the new front line. Almost 24,000 German soldiers were taken prisoner during the fighting since February 8th. 

Sunday, March 11th
The Allied build-up on the western bank of the Lower Rhine begins. Over the next twelve days the Americans will bring in a total of 138,000 tons of supplies. The British set up depots with 30,000 tons of material for the construction of pontoon bridges, plus depots with 60,000 tons of ammunition. 36 British navy landing craft are transported overland to the Rhine. 32,000 vehicles, including amphibious tanks, are concentrated in the area. On the Meuse, infantry units and amphibious transport vehicles practise river crossings under combat conditions. Numerous artillery units are brought into position. Their guns fire single shots and salvos toward the other side of the Rhine for range-finding purposes. Both Germans and Allies send night patrols across the river to gather information about the enemy. Staging areas for the Allied infantry and armoured units are designated, as are routes of approach to the Rhine. 250,000 combat troops are standing by, medical units set up their installations and chains of evacuation for casualties are worked out.  

The staging area west of the Rhine is evacuated. Around 28,000 German civilians have to make their way to an internment camp near the “Provinzial Heil- und Pflegeanstalt” (a psychiatric hospital) in Bedburg-Hau. They are accommodated in a tent city set up by the British. 

On the German side, around 70,000 men of Army Group “H” get ready east of the Rhine to oppose the Allied crossing of the Rhine. They set up defensive positions. Wesel is declared a “fortress city”. The Germans can still field 800 guns and almost 250 armoured vehicles, including a few battle tanks and a large number of self-propelled guns. 30,000 men are available as reserves in the German-Dutch border area north of Bocholt. All Wehrmacht units are under constant threat from strafing by Allied fighter-bombers, which dominate the skies over the operational area. They also carry out attacks on civilian horse-drawn carriages and farmers working in the fields.

Wednesday, March 14th
Bocholt is attacked from the air at around 5 PM, the Fildeken district is hit, 21 inhabitants are killed and 57 injured.

Thursday, March 15th
Along the entire front on the Lower Rhine, smoke generators are used by the Allies to create a screen covering all activities west of the Rhine. 

Sunday, March 18th
In the afternoon, Bocholt is bombed again, killing 19 civilians. The following day, many Bocholt residents leave the city to find shelter with relatives and friends in the surrounding rural area.

Monday, March 19th
British bombers attack Doetinchem, presumably because they mistake the Dutch town for nearby Anholt. The town centre is badly hit.

Tuesday, March 20th
The Wehrmacht mobilizes its last reserves under the code name “Aktion Leuthen”. This includes all units stationed in German garrisons in the Reich. They so far served as training units and for the reintegration of recovered wounded soldiers. None of these units are trained and equipped for combat operations, but are now to be deployed at the fronts. The 466th Division, also known as “Kampfgruppe Karst”, is deployed from Bielefeld and Herford to the Wesel area. It is to be used specifically as a reserve to counter an enemy airborne operation.

Wednesday, March 21st
Three British bombers attack Anholt Castle, which houses a Wehrmacht main dressing station. The adolescent son of the owner of the castle and three other boys die in the attack. The Dutch town of Doetinchem is hit again by British bombs, presumably because the town is again mistaken for Anholt. A total of 143 inhabitants of Doetinchem are killed in Allied airraids in March 1945.

Thursday, March 22nd
100 heavy RAF bombers attack Bocholt, killing 190 people. 

Eight bombers attack Rhede. The St. Vincent Hospital, which had previously served as a Wehrmacht reserve hospital, is destroyed. Around 100 people die in the hospital, mainly wounded Wehrmacht soldiers, but 21 civilians and eight nuns are also among the dead. 

In another bombing raid on Anholt, large parts of the town are destroyed and 21 people are killed.

American bombers attack Altschermbeck.

British aircraft bomb the headquarters of the German 84th Infantry Division at Weyershof in Brünen. Among the killed are eight civilians. In Dingden, bombs are dropped on the area around the railway station, killing ten civilians.

At Nierstein, about 330 kilometres upstream on the Rhine, American infantry units cross the Rhine in a surprise attack. This crossing of the Rhine under the command of General George S. Patton annoys British Field Marshal Montgomery, whose advance across the Rhine at Wesel was still to come. 

Friday, March 23rd
From 8.30 AM, “rolling” attacks on Dinslaken begin: until the evening, numerous formations of US medium bombers approach the town and drop their loads. Dinslaken is largely destroyed, 511 people lose their lives, including 40 foreign forced labourers. 

US bombers attack Schermbeck and destroy large parts of the town.

Churchill arrives by plane at the former German military airfield in Herongen near Venlo. He intends to observe the imminent major attack across the Rhine. First he is scheduled to visit Field Marshal Montgomery's headquarters near Straelen.

Eisenhower also lands in Herongen near Venlo to visit the front. He makes his way to the US headquarters in Kamp-Lintfort.

At 5 PM, 90 heavy RAF bombers attack the ruins of Wesel. At the same time, around 1,300 Allied guns open fire along the entire Rhine front between Wesel and Emmerich, shelling targets on the right bank of the Rhine.

At 9 PM units of the 51st Scottish Highland Division cross the Rhine at Rees in amphibious transport vehicles (Buffalos) under cover of their own artillery fire. Seven battalions will cross the river during the night, each battalion comprising around 600 to 800 men. They attempt to establish a bridgehead near Rees. Floating battle tanks (“Sherman DD tanks”) also cross the Rhine under their own power.

At 10 PM, 1800 British “Commandos” cross the Rhine at Wesel in Buffalo amphibious  personnel carriers and assemble on Grav Island downstream from Wesel. Half an hour later, another airraid against ruined city is carried out by 195 RAF bombers. The British “Commandos” then advance on Wesel. 

Saturday, March 24th
From 2.00 AM, seven battalions of the 15th Scottish Division cross the Rhine at Bislich in Buffalo amphibious personnel carriers. Amphibious “Sherman DD” (duplex drive) tanks also cross the river at Bislich under their own power.

At the same time, two battalions each of the American 30th and 79th Infantry Divisions attack across the Rhine at Wallach, Ossenberg, Rheinberg-Eversael and Orsoy. They cross the river in assault boats. 

The British bridgehead at Rees is continuously shelled by German artillery. Street and house-to-house fighting develops in the ruins of Rees, German paratroopers hold parts of the town. From the Bienen area, units of the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division launch a counterattack with armoured vehicles and tank destroyers in the direction of Esserden in an attempt to contain the expansion of the British bridgehead. From west of the Rhine British artillery puts down heavy concentrations of fire on the attackers, who are forced to retreat to the area around Bienen. 

Between 6 AM and 7 AM, 440 gliders loaded with 3383 soldiers, vehicles, guns and material of British 6th Airborne Division take off in Great Britain. From 7.00 AM, 322 American transport planes take off in Great Britain. On board are 3837 paratroopers of British 6th Airborne Division. 

From 7.25 AM, 298 American transport planes take off in the greater Paris area; they carry 4894 paratroopers of the American 17th Airborne Division into battle. From 7.45 AM, 906 American gliders loaded with 4810 soldiers as well as vehicles, guns and material of the US 17th Airborne Division take off from airfields near Paris. In total - including 2692 glider pilots - over 19,600 Allied airborne soldiers approach the Lower Rhine battle front. Their destination are the drop and landing zones in the area between Wesel, Hamminkeln and Mehrhoog. 

Bislich is already seized by Scottish troops in the early hours of the morning while fighting continues further downstream at the village of Mehr. The British use pontoon ferries to carry the first vehicles across the Rhine.

In the morning Wesel is under control of the British “Commando” force. More British troops cross the Rhine to reinforce them.

South of the Lippe river US infantry units advance on Möllen, Friedrichsfeld and Dinslaken. 

As the overture for “Operation Varsity” paratroopers of US 507th Parachute Regiment are dropped from 9.50 AM near Diersfordt and on their designated drop zone “W” near Flüren. From 9.51 AM the paratroopers of British 3rd Parachute Brigade jump on drop zone “A” between Bergerfurth and Mehrhoog, followed by the drop of the men of British 5th Parachute Brigade on drop zone “B”.  All drops are taking place under fire from the German defenders. 

From 10.08 AM, the men of US 513th Parachute Regiment are dropped near Hamminkeln – on landing zone “P” which was designated for British gliders rather than US paratroopers. 

At 10.11 AM, the first British gliders begin their landings on landing zones “O”, “R” and “U”. On the river Issel near Hamminkeln, units of British 6th Airborne Brigade are to seize and secure some bridges in coup-de-main attacks. British gliders carrying support troops, vehicles, guns and supplies land on landing zone “P” west of Hamminkeln. Numerous gliders are destroyed by crash landings and enemy fire. 

From 10.36 AM, the first American gliders come down on landing zone “S”, east of Wesel. The landings of gliders on landing zone “N” continue until shortly before 1 pm. Numerous American gliders are destroyed by enemy fire or crash landings. 

Winston Churchill observes the Allied airborne operation from the Fürstenberg elevation near Xanten. US General Eisenhower observes the operations from the roof of the “Jugendburg” youth club building on the Schmuhlsberg ridge near Alpen.

In the afternoon, German resistance on the landing zones is beginning to wane but the Germans hold on the area east of the Issel river and north of the track laid out for the planned motorway route - today's A 3 motorway. 

At 1 PM formations of 240 low flying American B-24 Liberator bombers approach the landing zones. They drop 600 tons of supplies. 17 of these bombers are hit by German anti-aircraft fire and crash or are destroyed in emergency landings. 

At 3.30 PM, British infantry and tanks coming from Bislich meet the British and Canadian paratroopers in the hamlet of Bergerfurth. In the “Auf dem Mars” area, located between Bislich and Flüren, Scottish infantry establish contact with a patrol of American airborne paratroopers. In the afternoon and evening, the Germans launch weak counterattacks on the edges of the landing zones but the Allied airborne troops successfully secure the areas they have conquered. Within a few hours the airborne operation has considerably deepened and strengthened the Bislich and Wesel bridgeheads.

In the bridgehead near Bislich, British sappers start the construction of three pontoon bridges over the Rhine.

South of the Lippe river, American units capture Möllen and Friedrichsfeld and advance towards Bruckhausen. Construction of an American pontoon bridge over the Rhine begins at Wallach. The bridge at Wallach is ready for use at 4 PM - making it the first Allied bridge on the Lower Rhine. However, a US landing craft driven off by the current crashes into the bridge, rendering it unusable for the time being. The opening of two other US bridges is also delayed by shelling or similar accidents. 

Around 5 PM, half of Dinslaken is under the control of American troops. Resistance in the completely destroyed town is extremely weak. In the Rhine bend near Rheinberg, US pioneers start to construct three pontoon bridges over the Rhine, which are to lead to Mehrum and Eppinghoven.

Sunday, March 25th
In the bridgehead near Rees, the construction of pontoon bridges over the Rhine is delayed. Construction of the first bridge began the day before but it cannot be completed as the sector is shelled by German artillery. German paratroopers continue to defend the ruins of  Rees, the attacking Scottish infantry make only incremental progress. At Bienen, German units, supported by self-propelled guns, also halt the advance of the Scots. Canadian infantry arrive to reinforce the Scots in the Bienen sector. A British tank battalion crosses the Rhine downstream from Rees on pontoon ferries to support the Canadian attacks. Canadian units are also engaged in the fighting at Speldrop. Groin, south of Rees of the Reichsstrasse 8 highway, is fiercely fought over.

British, Canadian and American airborne troops in the area between Mehrhoog, Hamminkeln and Wesel hold their positions, organize ranks and prepare for the breakout from the bridgehead. 

From Bergerfurth, a mobile battle group consisting of tanks and Scottish infantry advances eastwards through the Diersfordter Forest to force a crossing over the river Issel near Loikum. Meanwhile, Scottish troops attempt to conquer the village of Mehr against strong resistance.

In the morning Churchill and Montgomery arrive at the US headquarters in Kamp-Lintfort. They are received by General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. In the early afternoon, this group of prominent visitors is driven to Büderich to the “Wacht am Rhein” hotel. They watch the activities of American landing craft on the Rhine. After Eisenhower has taken his leave, Churchill, Montgomery and their entourage, accompanied by journalists, board a landing craft and make their way across the Rhine. At Spellen, Churchill takes a short walk on the eastern bank of the Rhine. 

In the Bislich bridgehead, the first British Bailey pontoon bridge is going into operation at 4.30 PM, leading from Xanten-Beek to Bislich. A British tank battalion is the first unit to cross this bridge. At the same time, ferries shuttle across the Rhine, taking another British tank battalion across the river in the evening.

In the evening two American battle groups of the 30th Infantry Division, supported by tanks, advance eastwards from the US bridgehead near Spellen. A battalion of the 8th US Armored Division crossed the Rhine on landing craft the day before. The task of the battle groups is to capture Dorsten. However, they encounter resistance from the German 116th Panzerdivision. Other US units have occupied Lohberg and have advanced as far as the track of the unfinished motorway route.

Monday, March 26th
The mobile battle group that advanced from Bergerfurth is involved in heavy fighting south of Loikum. Their objective is to cross the Issel, after which sappers are to build a Bailey bridge over the Issel. 

Units of the British 6th Airborne Division attack in the direction of Brünen. Units of the 52nd Scottish Infantry Division, which advanced from the Bislich bridgehead, attack Ringenberg and capture the village by the evening.

In the morning hours the fighting dies down in the ruins of Rees. The remaining defenders surrender. The village of Groin is also conquered. After heavy fighting, Canadian troops have captured Bienen and are now advancing towards Millingen.

East of Hünxe US troops of the 30th Infantry Division and the 8th Armored Division push back the remnants of the German 116th Panzerdivision as far as Gahlen.

In the Bislich bridgehead, a battalion of the 7th British Armoured Division crosses the Rhine over the pontoon bridge at Xanten-Beek during the night of March 27th.

Tuesday, March 27th
In the morning, the bridge over the Issel at Loikum is completed. Loikum is occupied. Units of the 53rd Welsh Infantry Division have meanwhile advanced from Bislich via Hamminkeln. Some of their units advance over the new Issel bridge in the direction of Bocholt. 

At Bislich, further tank battalions of the British 7th Armoured Division cross the Rhine and advance via Hamminkeln to Brünen, where the division's units are to assemble the following day. From Brünen they are to advance via Raesfeld to Borken.

Near Wesel, the 513th US Parachute Regiment joins up with the British 6th Guards Armoured Brigade to form a mobile battle group. In the afternoon this group makes its way along the Reichsstrasse 58 highway - the plan is to advance to Münster via Schermbeck, Haltern and Dülmen. The battle group reaches Schermbeck in the evening. 

South of Dinslaken, troops of the US 79th Infantry Division advance in the direction of Aldenrade, Wehofen, Holten and up to the Emscher Canal. 

At Rees, British 43rd Infantry Division crosses the Rhine and advances towards Isselburg via Empel. Meanwhile, Canadian 3rd Division has completely crossed the Rhine and is attacking along the Reichsstrasse 8 highway in the direction of Emmerich.

Wednesday, March 28th
Mounted on the tanks of the British 6th Guards Brigade the American 513th Parachute Regiment advances on the Reichsstrasse 58 highway to Haltern.

From the Dinslaken area, US troops of the 79th Division advance to Duisburg-Hamborn, Bruckhausen and Ruhrort.

The bridgehead at Rees is now firmly established. Troops of British 3rd Infantry Division occupy Haldern without a fight. Canadian troops begin their attack on Emmerich.

In Wesel, the first tank battalions of British 11th Armoured Division cross the Rhine on the night of March 29, using three pontoon bridges built by US Army engineers between the destroyed railway bridge and the collapsed road bridge. 

Thursday, March 29th
British 11th Armoured Division advances from Wesel via Brünen and Raesfeld in the direction of Borken.

In Wesel, US Army engineers start the construction of a single-track railway bridge that will rest on high wooden piers. It is built downstream directly next to the collapsed “Rheinbaben” road bridge. An access track is laid from the existing railway line to the new bridge. 

Canadian 2nd Infantry Division and 4th Armoured Division have crossed the Rhine at Rees. They are designated to advance from the Emmerich area into the Netherlands to liberate the northern provinces from the Germans.

In Bislich and Xanten-Beek, on both banks of the Rhine construction work begins to build a “semi-permanent” Bailey bridge. It is to span the Rhine on high wooden piers and will replace the pontoon bridges once it is completed. In the longer term, this bridge design will allow shipping traffic on the Rhine, for which pontoon bridges would be an obstacle.

US 8th Armored Division conquers Dorsten.

Friday, March 30th (Good Friday)
In Wesel, the British military administration appoints Jean Groos as mayor and his son Wilhelm Groos as deputy mayor. There are still about 3,500 inhabitants in Wesel, most of whom are holding out in the outlying districts. In addition, there are thousands of liberated forced labourers in the area. Dangerous conflicts arise between them and the inhabitants of the towns and villages in the region - there are raids on farms, accompanied by looting, theft, acts of revenge and numerous acts of violence and murder against German civilians.

Saturday, March 31st
In the early morning, all built up areas of Emmerich are under the control of Canadian units. In Emmerich, Canadian sappers now start the construction of three pontoon bridges.

In Wesel, US Army engineers start the construction of a highway bridge spanning the Rhine on wooden piers. It is built upstream directly next to the destroyed “Rheinbaben” road bridge. The Americans blow up large parts of Fort Blücher in order to use the rubble on the Büderich side to create an access road to the new bridge. 

Sunday, April 1st (Easter Sunday)
Coming from Emmerich, Canadian troops advance north to the Dutch village of S'Heerenberg near Doetinchem. 

Tuesday, April 3rd
In the Bedburg internment camp, the repatriation of German civilians to their home towns and villages begins after Easter - within three weeks, the Bedburg camp will be completely evacuated. As a result of poor hygienic conditions and illness - often pneumonia - 367 people died in the camp. 215 of them were over 60 years old. The total number also includes 57 children who died of diphtheria.

With the capture of Emmerich on March 31st, 1945, the conquest of the eastern bank of the Lower Rhine region was successfully completed. It took one week to connect the bridgeheads at Wesel, Bislich, Rees, Dinslaken and Spellen and to form a large staging area east of the Rhine. Along the river between Dinslaken and Emmerich, engineers built 20 pontoon bridges and erected further "semi-permanent" bridges. Allied troops were now able to cross the Rhine completely uncontested. From the Lower Rhine region the British advanced in easterly and northern directions. On April 15th, units of British 11th Armoured Division, which had crossed the Rhine near Bislich, liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. In the weeks that followed, Montgomery's troops conquered all of northwest Germany.  Ninth US Army advanced eastwards south of the Lippe - elements of this army were involved in encircling German Army Group “B” in the Ruhr industrial area. In the so-called "Ruhr Pocket" this German Army Group surrendered on April 17th.

Canadian 1st Army and the British troops under its command used the bridgehead east of  the Rhine as a staging area from which they advanced to liberate the northern provinces of the Netherlands. On April 13th, British troops seized Arnhem. The city had been under German occupation for almost seven months after the failed airborne operation in September 1944. The fighting to liberate the Netherlands continued until May 4th. On that day, Field Marshal Montgomery accepted the first partial surrender of the Wehrmacht on Lüneburg Heath - all German troops in northwest Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark surrendered. The unconditional surrender of all German Wehrmacht troops followed on May 7th at the Allied headquarters in Reims in France. It came into effect on May 8th. This act was repeated at the instigation of the Soviet Union in the late evening of May 8th, 1945, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst. This final German surrender marked the end of the Second World War in Europe.