Lieutenant Colonel John Frost, for whom the bridge is named, led the Allied forces that attempted to occupy and hold the bridge over the Rhine during the Battle of Arnhem. This bridge was strategically important to the Allies, who wanted to advance further into Germany via the bridge. The occupation of the John Frost Bridge was part of Operation Market Garden, a major offensive in which the Allies sought to capture a bridgehead across the great rivers in the Netherlands from Belgium.
Three full airborne divisions were deployed in this daring operation. The 101st American Airborne Division landed at Son and Veghel, the 82nd at Grave and Groesbeek, and the 1st British Airborne Division west of Oosterbeek. The Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade followed shortly thereafter, landing at Driel. Meanwhile, the British 30th Corps would advance from Belgium through the captured bridges to the IJsselmeer.
The operation began successfully for the American troops, who captured several bridges, including the one over the Maas and Maas-Waal Canal near Heumen, as well as, after fierce fighting, the Waal Bridge near Nijmegen. Around Eindhoven, most of the bridges also came into the hands of the American paratroopers.
However, the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem proved impregnable, but under the leadership of John Frost, the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Parachute Brigade still managed to occupy the northern ramp of the bridge and defend it for days. Eventually the British paratroopers at the bridge and in Oosterbeek were overrun by German armored troops, leading to heavy losses and a forced surrender. Arnhem ultimately proved to be a bridge too far.
At the bridge is a memorial; the text on the bronze plaque reads:
'JOHN FROST BRIDGE
THIS IS THE BRIDGE THAT JOHN D. FROST FOUGHT OVER
AT 'HEAD OF HIS STUBBORN SOLDIERS
UNTIL THE MARCH WHERE FREEDOM HESITANTLY SURGED
FOUND A BRIDGE TOO FAR AND WAS TO NO AVAIL
NOW THE BRIDGE BEARS A NAME NAMED AFTER HIS NAMES.
THIS BRIDGE FOR WHICH JOHN D. FROST FOUGHT
LEADING HIS SOLDIERS PERSISTENT AND BRAVE
IN AN ADVANCE WHERE FREEDOM IS SOUGHT
WENT A BRIDGE TOO FAR WHICH THEY TRIED TO SAVE
THE BRIDGE IS NOW WITH HIS NAME PROUDLY WROUGHT.'
