Team building in the Netherlands
Monday 18th of August 2008 at 08.00 the bus with participants left for the Netherlands to execute the SHIRBRIG “Team building - Deeper integration” project. Aim of the project was to learn more about one of our participating countries and work together during some special physical activities.
On the first evening a dinner was hosted by Colonel Jan van den Elsen, the new Dutch (non permanent) Deputy Commander SHIRBRIG, in Campanile hotel in Zwolle. As a token of welcome Commander SHIRBRIG, Brigadier General Torben Lund, presented the 2008 Team Building polo-shirt to him.
Colonel Jan van den Elsen receives his new polo-shirt
The second day started with a guided tour through the medieval centre of Zwolle, followed by a trip to the Bourtange fortress, where we learned how the Dutch used water for defense purposes, starting from the 15th century.
The “punishing horse” for bad conducting soldiers in Bourtange
The day ended with a 2 hours game of “farmer’s golf” with wooden shoes on a stick, on a beautiful course in Holsloot.
A perfect swing in a beautiful landscape
Wednesday it was all teambuilding where physical challenges were met, such as biking with a bicycle train, rowing on the Regge-river, archery, rifle-shooting and quad-racing.
Still dry…………..
On Thursday the topic was World War 2 operation Market Garden and the team started with a guided tour through the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, the former HQ of Major General Robert (Roy) Elliott Urquhart, Commander British 1st Airborne Division. The mansion was and still is called Hartenstein.
Airborne Museum “Hartenstein” in Oosterbeek
After lunch, our guide Wybo Boersma took us in a battlefield tour to landing-zones, crossing points and the Arnhem Bridge to see all the important sites related to the battle of Arnhem. Especially the high view from the Westerbouwing restaurant terrace over the river towards Arnhem was very impressive. This was the spot where the men of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade Group landed on the South bank of the Rhine and tried to make it over the river.
Westerbouwing height, overlooking the river Rhine
The end of the comprehensive battle field tour was a visit to the Oosterbeek War Cemetery (also known as Airborne Cemetery) where the SHIRBRIG team paid respect to the fallen soldiers by laying floral tributes on the memorial monument.
To honour and respect
The day ended in the Dutch veterans’ care facility Bronbeek, which is home to many former soldiers who hail from the former Dutch East Indies. After an interesting guided tour the team enjoyed a genuine Indonesian rice table in the Kumpulan restaurant.
On Friday the 18th the Team building - Deeper integration tour ended with a 14 hour bus-trip back to Denmark, where the team arrived back in Høvelte in a tired but satisfied humour.