British Royal Marines in Holland during World War II. Burning and rubbled buildings and houses in an area. British Marines advance. German prisoners at work under British guard, and wounded being carried on stretchers. A German prisoner acting as a litter bearer with three British Marines. Medics bandaging a wounded British soldier with a wounded upper leg. The Germans, under armed British guard, carry salvage material.
U.S. paratroopers in Holland during World War II Operation Market Garden. Paratroopers advance across a field. A jeep drives across a bridge. M-4 tanks and troops cross the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal and enter town of Son. Natives cheer. A little girl waves the American flag. German prisoners lined up against a building. Trucks and jeeps loaded with troops drive past cheering crowds.
German newsreel shows a map with Arnhem and Nijmegen and other nearby cities in Holland region. British aircraft flying overhead during Operation Market Garden (British 1st Airborne Division) as German troops fire at them from the ground during World War II. Sky is filled with Allied aircraft and parachuting British troops. British planes, gliders, and parachutes descend and some aircraft explode on impact after being hit by German rifle, machine gun, and artillery fire. German soldiers view wreckage and some burning British aircraft through binoculars and up close. British Horsa Invasion gliders burning on an open field. Scattered Allied equipment, dead bodies and gliders are seen. A group of British prisoners of war is seen gathered together on a roadside.
As film begins, it shows three American paratroopers with a map, kneeling in a farm field, in Holland, during world War 2. They are consulting two local women kneeling beside them, who point it two directions. They all look up, aware of the camera. A Waco CG-4 glider is in the background, with its front hatch opened. Several paratroopers stand near it. Momentary glimpse of several troopers walking across the field toward their glider. Scene jumps back to the troopers and women, and then back, again, to troopers walking toward the glider. A local man ducks under the camera as it records the troopers crossing the field. Closer view of troopers gathered around the glider (its front hatch is closed), along with several local people, including the three women seen earlier. Soon, local people, including many youth gather around a trooper in a jeep that got stuck in a ditch. They try to free it. Several troopers ride in a horse-drawn cart. A formation of B-24 Liberator bombers is seen inflight overhead. Scene shifts back to troopers in the horse-drawn cart. Local youth with bicycles stand watching them. Remainder of the film shows various views of supplies and equipment being dropped by parachutes from the B-24s. (Likely during Operation Market Garden.)
U.S. Army C-47 aircraft fly low as U.S. Army paratroopers jump. Many paratroopers jump from the planes. A soldier opens bag. The sky filled with parachutes from C-47s in flight with men and supplies coming down to a field during Operation Market Garden. (World War II period)
An american glider lands in a field area during Operation Market Garden. Another glider lands and crashes at far distance. View of another glider crash. Distant view of smoke rising from ground as glider crashes. United States airborne soldiers can be seen in field area. A plane in flames falls to the earth. (World War II period).