Country Netherlands Population 4,205 (1 Jan 2008) Province Gelderland | Time zone CET (UTC+1) Local time Tuesday 2:18 AM Municipality Overbetuwe | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind W at 6 km/h, 94% Humidity | ||
Driel is a town in the municipality of Overbetuwe, approximately four kilometers southwest of Arnhem on the south bank of the Rhine, in the Netherlands.
Contents
Map of Driel, Netherlands
History
On 21 September 1944, Driel was the drop zone of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade which participated in Operation Market Garden. The brigade was under the command of Major General Sosabowski. After World War II, in the 1960s, the Polish monument was placed at the 'Polish Square' (Dutch: Polenplein, Polish: Plac Polski). A nearby plaque commemorates the ninety-four Polish soldiers who fell nearby. There are several other plaques, including one in honour of the 1st Airborne Division, along the dike between Heteren, Driel and Arnhem.
On 19 September 2009 the Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende and the Polish premier Donald Tusk visited Driel to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Operation Market Garden.