Soon after the start of the advance to Arnhem, British tanks of the XXXth Corps drove into an ambush. A hastily-formed German combat unit, the Kampfgruppe Walther, was waiting for them. The Germans set a number of British tanks on fire. These tanks then blocked the road and fierce fighting broke out. The advance came to a halt. The British only gained the upper hand through air support from Typhoon fighter-bombers.

But precious time had been lost. Eindhoven, the target of this day, was not reached. The aim of the operation was to launch a fast attack in order to reach Arnhem within 2 to 4 days. The first delay had taken place.

A week earlier, a dramatic event took place here. The Germans captured four residents of Borkel and Schaft. After they were “released”, they were fired upon. Two of them did not survive.