"Their sacrifice ... so we may live in freedom'

HUNDREDS of paratroopers jumped into the fields outside the Dutch city of Arnhem yesterday in a poignant tribute to the allied soldiers who died 80 years ago.

- ANDY LINES

In September 1944, nearly 20,000 airborne troops, including 1,900 from 4th Parachute Brigade, parachuted into the occupied Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden.

The ill-fated campaign, which included a huge ground offensive, aimed to recapture bridges over the Rhine and open a route into Germany.

Immortalised in the phrase "a bridge too far", the failure to secure a final bridge at Arnhem was the result of strong German resistance, logistical setbacks and tactical decisions.