Airborne forces

He chose a difficult road early and kept moving toward higher standards.

After the Parachute Regiment came the Pathfinder Platoon, a reconnaissance element associated with Britain's Airborne Forces, eventually came United Kingdom Special Forces selection.

A later British High Court case confirms something particularly important about that journey.

Craighead was selected for 22 SAS on his third attempt.

I am your host, Michael Wyers.

In part one, we followed the planning of the three airborne divisions, and the Polish brigade tasked with seizing the bridges and high ground from Eindhoven to Arnhem, and the sharp private doubts that plan draws from officers among the airborne forces themselves.

We now turn to Operation Garden, the ground component of the plan.

Lt. Gen. Horrocks' XXX Corps, spearheaded by the Guards Armored Division, is tasked with breaking out from the bridgehead already won at Joe's Bridge and advancing up a single road through Eindhoven, Wegel, Greve and Nijmegen to reach the airborne forces at Arnhem on a strict timetable.

From there, we follow the final days of preparation across airfields in England, the last briefings, the cancelled leave and the aircrews and airborne troops making ready.

We follow the opening night's bombing campaign against German airfields and defences along the route into Holland.

This includes 175 Shermans, with 37 equipped as Fireflies, 40 Stuarts, 58 Cromwells and 3 Challengers.

The operation requires the Corps to break out from the bridgehead over the Meuse-Escort Canal, known locally as the Maass-Schelt Canal, advancing through Joe's Bridge at Lommel, immediately west of Neerpelt.