Speech during the 81st Commemoration of the contribution of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade to Operation Market Garden by the Minister of Defence, Ruben Brekelmans, on 20 September 2025 in Driel.

Please note: Only the spoken word is valid!

Dear All,

General Sosabowski vividly recounts in his memoirs the moment he jumped over Driel. He writes:

“The man in front pushed a bundle of folding bicycles out and then jumped into the open air himself. Number two, three, four and the others followed, each with a gentle nudge from the American standing at the door. And then it was my turn. I leaned forward, grabbed the doorposts, and stepped into nothingness with my left foot. With hunched shoulders and bent legs, I fell like a ripe autumn apple. Now I was about to reap what I had sown. In a flash, I wondered: Have I done my work well? Could I expect a good harvest?”

The harvest did not come in the form he had hoped for. The bridge at Arnhem remained in German hands. The losses were heavy. But there was indeed a harvest: courage, loyalty, solidarity — and the deep appreciation of the people of Driel and Oosterbeek.

Today, here in Driel, we witness a historic moment. The British government is granting the Polish paratroopers the recognition they deserve. In doing so, justice is finally being done to the men who jumped here on Sunday, 21 September 1944.

The Netherlands already took an important step in 2006. Queen Beatrix awarded the Military Order of William to the Polish brigade, and posthumously the Bronze Lion to General Sosabowski. In doing so, a mistake from the past was corrected – because dedication to freedom always deserves recognition.

British veterans have always offered that recognition as well. On their own initiative, they funded a monument and plaque at the Polenplein, here in Driel. They knew: the arrival of the Poles gave us hope. They understood that the efforts of the Polish brigade saved many lives.

Formal recognition brings this story full circle. And it shows that recognition is more than just an award or a ceremony. Recognition is appreciation. Recognition is attention. And recognition is also motivation: a message that resonates through future generations.

The history of Driel has forever connected Poland and the Netherlands. It is a bond that still endures. And today, that bond is more important than ever. Dutch Patriots and F-35s are working alongside the Poles to defend NATO’s eastern flank. Recently, we intercepted Russian drones over Poland. This shows: the threat is real.

Time and again, Russia reveals itself as the aggressor, committing war crimes on a daily basis. Ukraine has every right to defend itself. And we have a duty to support them. Together with our Polish and other allies, we are working to keep the Russian threat as far from us as possible.

In doing so, we must continually ask ourselves the same question that General Sosabowski asked here in Driel: “Have I done my work well? Am I doing enough?”

That is the question every NATO ally must ask. Are we doing enough to protect one another? Are we doing enough to safeguard freedom and security for the next generation?

The men who jumped here in 1944 gave their answer not in words, but in deeds. They understood the meaning of sacrifice. They fought not only for their own homeland, but also for another people.

Today, we are prepared to do the same: for one another, for our freedom, and for our shared security.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The questions General Sosabowski once asked still echo here: “Have I done my work well? Could I expect a good harvest?”

The answer is visible today. Their work was good. Their harvest is the contribution to our freedom. Their harvest is the enduring bond between Poland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Their harvest is recognition — here, today, by all of us.

Thank you.