LIBERATORS

the Autumn of 1944, after their successful breakout from the beachheads in Normandy and with German forces making a fighting retreat east, the Allied armies continued their advance, liberating villages, towns and cities. However their progress was far from smooth – the Germans proved tenacious in their defence, digging into strong positions in a bid to slow and halt their enemy. After the failure of Operation Market Garden, SHAEF turned its attention to Antwerp, the huge port city that would be essential in shortening already stretched supply lines. Though the Dutch hoped their liberation had been delivered in the swift strike from the air, it would now have to be achieved through a long, attritional campaign.