Footsteps of WWII · The Netherlands

Old Church and Kate ter Horst house, Oosterbeek

Battlefield · 19–25 Sep 1944

The story

The Old Church (Oude Kerk) on the Benedendorpsweg stood at the south-eastern corner of the Oosterbeek perimeter, held by the mixed 'Lonsdale Force' of survivors from the battalions that had failed to reach the bridge. Next door, the old rectory of Jan and Kate ter Horst became a regimental aid post. Over eight days some 250 wounded men lay in its rooms while the house was repeatedly hit. Kate ter Horst, a mother of five, helped the doctors, sat with the dying and in the evenings read psalms to the wounded from an English Bible; the soldiers called her 'the Angel of Arnhem'. The church was left in ruins and reopened in 1949.

What to look for

A small restored church with a memorial stone by the entrance ending 'Not one shall be forgotten', and nearby a bench and Battle Marker for Lonsdale Force. The ter Horst house next door is a private home: view it from the road only. The Rhine meadows where the evacuation took place lie just south.

Plan your visit

Churchyard and memorials free and open at all times; church interior opening varies, so check locally. The ter Horst house (Benedendorpsweg 136) is private. Walk on to the riverbank to see the evacuation crossing point.

Nearby sites

• Airborne Museum Hartenstein, Oosterbeek · 1 km
• Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery · 2 km
• John Frost Bridge, Arnhem · 5 km
• Ginkel Heath drop zone, Ede · 10 km
• Waal crossing memorial (De Oversteek), Nijmegen · 13 km
• Grebbeberg battlefield and military cemetery · 16 km

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