| Original caption: “Major General Roy Urquhart, Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Bar, General Officer Commanding First Airborne Division, in defiance to enemy mortar, shell and machine gun fire, sticks the airborne flag outside his Headquarters, the last strongpoint in the area.” Major General Robert E. “Roy” Urquhart (November 28, 1901 – December 13, 1988), commanding United Kingdom Royal Army 1st Airborne Infantry Division, with the Pegasus airborne pennant in the grounds outside his headquarters at the Hartenstein Hotel in Oosterbeek. A former villa, the hotel was used as the headquarters of 1st Airborne Division as they attempted to seize and hold the bridge at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. The hotel was the scene of fierce fighting as the German forces slowly closed in. Although 700 men reached the bridge, the majority of 1st Airborne could not link up with them, and were trapped in Oosterbeek. Major General Urquhart, 1st Airborne’s commander, established his headquarters at the hotel as they waited for British reinforcements to arrive. This was supposed to be 2-to-3 days, but 1st Airborne ended up holding out for 9. In May 1978, Urquhart opened the Airborne Museum, commemorating the Battle of Arnhem, at the hotel. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0539.jpg |
| Image Size | 232.75 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1175 x 1130 |
| Photographer | Dennis M. Smith |
| Photographer Title | Number Five United Kingdom Royal Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 22, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Oosterbeek |
| State or Province | Gelderland |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | BU 1136 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database