Miss Market Garden
This was my entry for PIMA ( Perfection In Miniature Awards) 2022. This will be held during the fair in Kensington.
Operation Market Garden, top and skirt
Market Garden
I knitted this set in memory of Operation Market Garden, 1944.
During the Second World War, Operation Market Garden was conceived to liberate The Netherlands. This was a joint action by the Brittish, Americans and Poles. British troops would advance from Belgium and capture all bridges they encountered. Within 3 days they would reach Arnhem.
This failed, however, because the advance stopped at the bridge in NIjmegen.
On September 17, 1944, paratroopers landed in Oosterbeek to capture the bridge in Arnhem. The troops they would reinforce, however, were still fighting for the bridge in Nijmegen. It was not until September 20 that this bridge was taken.
Operation Market Garden had failed and it would take until May 1945 before the whole of The Netherlands was liberated.
A well-known film about Operation Market Garden is "A bridge too far".
To prepare this design, I read many articles and went to the Airborne museum in Oosterbeek.
TOP AND SKIRT
I knitted this set with antique silk yarn. The silk refers to the parachutes that were made of silk, I thought the antique was a nice idea because this event took place 77 years ago.
The model of the skirt, which consists of 4 parts, refers to the liberation skirts that were made of parachute silk and had the same model.
THE TOP
At the top you can see the landing of the parachutes in Oosterbeek ( near Arnhem). They landed there on the purple moors that were in bloom in September. The moors are bordered by woodland
THE SKIRT
The skirt consists of 4 parts. Each part features images that were important to Operation Market Garden.
This is the John Frost bridge in Arnhem. This bridge should have been captured so that the troops could advance further north.
Unfortunately the troops were still in Nijmegen when the paratroopers landed.
This is the part with the track and road map that the British troops have traveled.
The villages and towns are marked in red; the bridges in black.
The rivers are blue.
Villa Hartenstein is depicted on this part. This was the headquaters at the time of Market Garden.
Above it are the flags of England, America and Poland. The Polish army was stationed at Driel, on the other side of the Rhine.
Villa Hartenstein is now the Airborne museum, A nice museum entirely dedicated to Operation Market Garden.
The last skirt part shows a number of images that were very important to the soldiers.
At the top is the ID tag of a German soldier.
Below that is the ID tag of a Brittish soldier.
In the middle the Market Garden medal of honour.
At the bottom a millitary cemetry.
1800 Brittish and Polish soldiers were killed during this Operation.
Operation Market Garden is commemorated every year.
