#Story
The Story of August Bakhuis Roozeboom
On September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden began, an audacious military operation aimed at capturing strategic bridges in the Netherlands. This operation, orchestrated by the Allies, sought to capture the bridges around Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem to achieve a breakthrough into Germany. A crucial component of this operation was the involvement of the Dutch commandos from No.2 (Dutch) Troop, the predecessors of the current Korps Commandotroepen. They were attached to the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and the 1st British Airborne Division.
Among these brave fighters was August Ferdinand Marie Bakhuis Roozeboom, one of the first commandos to give his life since the establishment of No.2 Dutch Troop. On the evening of September 19, 1944, Bakhuis Roozeboom departed from Hotel ‘Hartenstein’ with British paratroopers and Dutch resistance fighter H. Beekhuizen in a Jeep. Their mission was to make contact with the parachute battalion at the Rhine Bridge in Arnhem. Despite their determination, their attempt failed, and they had to retreat towards Oosterbeek. During their retreat, they managed to capture a German Red Cross vehicle, which unexpectedly turned out to be filled with weapons.
It was en route, near the overpass west of Arnhem, that the Jeep came under heavy fire. Bakhuis Roozeboom, standing between the driver and the passenger, bravely defended his comrades with a Tommy gun and grenades. But at that critical moment, he was struck and fell mortally wounded. The remaining members of the group succeeded in bringing the Jeep back to Oosterbeek, where Bakhuis Roozeboom was buried in the garden of Hotel ‘Hartenstein’.
After the war, Bakhuis Roozeboom was buried as ‘Known unto God’ at the War Cemetery in Oosterbeek. It wasn’t until 1996 that his exact burial site could be located. On May 5, 1997, in the presence of fellow fighters from No.2 Dutch Troop, tribute was paid to Bakhuis Roozeboom. His grave was visited with great respect and reverence, and on that day, his comrades and the public said goodbye to a brave hero.
As a lasting tribute to his courage and sacrifice, the training camp where all commandos receive their basic training is named after August Bakhuis Roozeboom. For more information on the rich history of the Korps Commandotroepen, please visit the website: www.korpscommandotroepen.nl.