Operation Market Garden Charity Cycle 17th - 20th Sept

Hi,

Im Conor and myself and a small team from the Household Cavalry are completing a 370 mile cycle from Hyde Park Barracks in London to John Forrest Bridge in Arnhem, Netherlands, in three days to raise money for the Household Cavalry Foundation.

The cycle is planned to co-inside with the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, to honour and remember the members of 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment that lost their lives during the 2nd army's attempt to liberate Holland during the advance through Europe during the second world war.

Operation Market Garden was the allied mission to liberate Nazi occupied Holland. The operation was broken down into two parts. Market, this was the code name for the Airbourne assault on Arnhem. And Garden, which was the code name for the ground offence from Antwerp, through Nijmegen. The plan was for the two assaulting forces rendezvous in Arnhem, creating a northern path for the allied advance into Germany. However, despite the best efforts of the second army. The Germans launched a defensive that stopped the movement of ground troops by a day. This would be the unravelling of Operation Market Garden, as by the time the second army reached Arnhem, the Airborne forces that launched the assault on Arnhem, were on their knees.

This operation has a special part in the heart of the Household Cavalry, as it was the Guards Armoured Division that spearheaded the ground assault for the operation. With 2 HCR planning a critical part in the reconnaissance as part of the offensive.

The money raised from the charity event will be going to the Household Cavalry Foundation, which is the regiments family charity created to support currently serving, veterans, family and friends and horses of the regiment. Whether that be rehabilitation from injury post war or supporting the families of lost servicemen that died while serving for the regiment and country. The Foundations unwavering support for the Household Cavalry family shows now bounds.