Market Garden, Bridge too Far, Battle of Arnhem, Airbornemuseum!

John Frost’s hunting horn back at the Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’.

The hunting horn used by John Frost during the battle of Arnhem was returned to the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek last weekend. In 1940 J.D. Frost served as a captain in Iraq. He was presented with the hunting horn by the members of the ‘Exodus Hunt’.

Frost landed near Wolfheze on 17 September 1944 as Commanding Officer of the 2nd Parachute Battalion. He used his horn to rally his troops who had to capture the Rhine bridge, now named John Frost Bridge. During the fighting at the bridge Frost was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans. He lost the hunting horn.

It was found in July 1945 in the ruins near the bridge by Mr E.R. Oosterwijk who supervised the clearing of the rubble. In September 1997 he gave the horn to the Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’ at Oosterbeek.

The horn was stolen on 14 August 1998. An inhabitant of Arnhem traced the horn after two years. Thanks to his intermediation the horn is finally back at the Museum.