Netherlands Airborne walking tour token 2024 in coincard

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Netherlands Airborne walking tour token 2024 in coincard

Heritage takes many forms. In 2023 and 2022 we celebrated festive issues, marking 10 years of King's Day and Rotterdam's Summer Carnival, respectively. This year we are issuing a special issue with an important message that should not be forgotten. The Royal Dutch Mint is launching an exclusive coincard on the occasion of the Airborne March, to commemorate the Allied soldiers and their sacrifices during the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. This Airborne March medal in coincard is part of the series 'Intangible Heritage in the Netherlands'.

Airborne Walking Tour

Heavy fighting raged in and around Arnhem from Sept. 17 to 25, 1944. These actions were part of Operation Market Garden. On Sept. 17, more than 5,000 troops landed by parachute and glider near Wolfheze and north of Heelsum. A day later, another 1,900 paratroopers landed on the Ginkelse Heide near Ede, while gliders carrying troops and equipment came down near Renkum and Wolfheze. Despite heavy fighting, the Allies did not manage to hold the Arnhem bridge. During the night of Sept. 25-26, some 2,400 soldiers were able to reach a safe zone by crossing the Rhine near Oosterbeek. About 6,500 soldiers were captured and would not be liberated until April or May 1945.

To keep alive the memory of the sacrifices of these allied soldiers, the Police Sports Association Renkum organized the first Airborne March in 1947, a memorial march in honor of those who fought for the liberation of the Netherlands in 1944. Some 2,000 people marched in this first march. Since then, thousands of people participate in the Airborne March, choosing from four distances: 10, 15, 25 and 40 kilometers. The routes pass historical sites from the decisive week in September 1944. Members of the Police Sports Association Renkum and hundreds of volunteers annually dedicate themselves to making the march an unforgettable day.

Design

The Airborne Walking Tour medal is a tribute to Allied soldiers. The obverse of the medal shows a group of soldiers, with parachutes descending in the background. In the center is the text 'Lest we forget' and at the top the words 'Airborne March - Police Sports Association Renkum'. The words 'Intangible Heritage' have been added at the bottom. On the reverse of the medal is the logo of the Intangible Heritage Inventory.

The front of the coincard shows the John Frost Bridge, also known as the Old Bridge, which played a crucial role during Operation Market Garden. The back of the coincard shows a map, on which the walking routes of the Airborne March are marked with red dotted lines.

See scans for more details.
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