How spies and betrayal doomed Operation Market Garden

New book reveals how double agents sabotaged the Allied war effort.

Paratroopers and gliders participate in Operation Market-Garden, where the Allies deployed nearly 9,000 paratroopers behind German lines. Photo by Corbis/Getty Images

By Hayu Andini and Adila Ghina

The Traitor of Arnhem: The Untold Story of WWII's Greatest Betrayal and the Moment that Changed History Forever, by Robert Verkaik

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On September 17, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden, a daring offensive designed to accelerate the end of World War II. The plan involved American and British paratroopers securing key bridges in the Netherlands while British ground forces advanced rapidly to cross the Rhine and push toward Berlin. If successful, the war could have ended by Christmas.

However, the operation fell short. While American troops captured their designated bridges, British airborne forces faced unexpected resistance at Arnhem, where German reinforcements slowed the advance. The delay proved critical, as it allowed the Germans to regroup and counterattack. A new book, The Traitor of Arnhem by Robert Verkaik, reveals that the failure of Market Garden may not have been due to strategic miscalculations alone. Instead, espionage and betrayal may have played a decisive role.

The high-stakes gamble of Operation Market Garden

British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery convinced Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower to take a bold risk. Rather than fighting through Germany’s fortified Siegfried Line, Montgomery proposed a rapid advance through the Netherlands, securing key bridges that would allow a direct route into Germany. The plan required speed and coordination:

25,000 American paratroopers would capture bridges from Eindhoven to Nijmegen.
10,000 British airborne troops would land at Arnhem to seize the Rhine crossing.
British XXX Corps would advance 64 miles along a narrow corridor to reinforce the paratroopers within 48 hours.

If successful, the operation would open a path to Berlin and potentially end the war within months.

Initially, Market Garden showed promise. American forces secured their objectives, and a British battalion reached the northern end of the Arnhem bridge. However, resistance stiffened as German reinforcements—including two SS divisions—counterattacked. Delays, logistical issues, and bad weather hindered the British advance. The paratroopers, expecting to hold Arnhem for two days, fought for four before running out of ammunition and supplies. By the time XXX Corps reached the final bridge, it was too late.

The consequences were severe. The Allies suffered 17,000 casualties, and the Netherlands endured a devastating famine that killed 20,000 civilians. The war dragged on for another eight months, with the Soviets ultimately capturing Berlin and reshaping postwar Europe. But why did the Germans seem so prepared?

The betrayal that cost the Allies victory

According to Verkaik, the Germans had critical intelligence about the Allied plans—possibly from multiple sources. One of the most damaging figures was Dutch double agent Christiaan Lindemans, known as “King Kong” due to his towering stature and flamboyant lifestyle.

Lindemans had initially worked for the Dutch Resistance, smuggling Allied airmen and Jewish refugees to safety. However, his loyalties became suspect after he was arrested by the Germans in 1943. To save his wife and brother from imprisonment, he agreed to work for the German intelligence officer Hermann Giskes. Over time, Lindemans provided the Germans with hundreds of names of resistance members and Allied contacts.

As the Allies prepared Market Garden, Lindemans infiltrated British intelligence. On September 15, 1944, he crossed enemy lines and informed the Germans that the Allies planned to seize the bridges at Nijmegen and Arnhem. This intelligence allowed German forces to strengthen their defenses, delaying the British advance by 10 to 15 hours—just enough to turn the tide of battle.

A second betrayal from inside British intelligence

While Lindemans provided critical tactical intelligence, Verkaik suggests that an even greater act of espionage came from within British intelligence itself. He identifies a mysterious figure known as "Agent Josephine"—a high-level informant who leaked sensitive information to the Germans via their contacts in neutral Sweden.

The book presents evidence that “Josephine” was actually Anthony Blunt, a Soviet spy embedded deep within British intelligence. Blunt, a member of the infamous Cambridge Five, had access to the highest levels of Allied strategy. In the months leading up to D-Day, he was instrumental in Operation Fortitude, the deception campaign that misled the Germans about the invasion of Normandy. However, Verkaik argues that Blunt’s actions may have been more complex.

Blunt had access to both Operation Fortitude and Market Garden plans. While he helped ensure the success of D-Day, he may have deliberately weakened Market Garden intelligence to serve Soviet interests. Stalin wanted the Allies to struggle, ensuring that the Red Army would reach Berlin first and control postwar Eastern Europe.

Verkaik points to circumstantial but compelling evidence:

Blunt had access to critical Market Garden intelligence.
The Germans received detailed reports through Stockholm, from a source at the highest levels of Allied command.
The sabotage of Market Garden aligned with Soviet strategic goals.

Incredibly, Blunt later played a key role in investigations into British intelligence leaks—effectively covering up his own involvement.

The cost of betrayal

The revelations in The Traitor of Arnhem suggest that Operation Market Garden was not merely a failed gamble, but a battle compromised by espionage. If the British advance had not been delayed, if the paratroopers at Arnhem had been reinforced sooner, the Allies might have crossed the Rhine and driven into Germany months earlier. Instead, the war dragged on, leading to hundreds of thousands of additional deaths.

The book paints a chilling picture of how intelligence failures—whether through treachery, miscalculations, or Soviet interference—can alter the course of history. It also raises questions about how many other wartime operations were compromised by hidden forces within Allied ranks.

A gripping account of wartime espionage

Verkaik’s work is more than just a retelling of Market Garden’s failure. It delves into the murky world of double agents, secret betrayals, and the long-term consequences of intelligence leaks. His fast-paced narrative reads like a spy thriller, yet it is rooted in meticulous historical research.

The stories of Lindemans and Blunt reveal that war is not just fought on battlefields but also in the shadows—where a single act of betrayal can change history. The Traitor of Arnhem is a must-read for those interested in World War II, intelligence operations, and the hidden forces that shape global conflicts.

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