In August 1944, American Lieutenant General Lewis Brereton was given command over the 1st Allied Airborne Corps. The Corps was set up because Eisenhower believed the parachutists and airborne groups would be of greater value under one command. So Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway’s 18th U.S. Airborne Corps and Lieutenant General Frederick A.M. Browning’s 1st British Airborne Corps were combined into one army. Browning was appointed as Brereton's deputy. This was done for two reasons: first, Browning was from the land forces and could give Brereton, an air force man, valuable advice, and second, with Browning as deputy, the whole command was an American-British combination. The glider troops of the Allied airborne army also consisted of British and American elements. Later, Polish Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski’s 1st Parachute Brigade was added to the Allied Airborne Army. His group had never seen action, but his men were eager for battle. So were the men of the 1st British Airborne Corps. They hadn’t been in combat since operations in Italy in 1943. Since June 1944, they almost saw action 15 times, but 15 times it was called off. Finally on 10 September 1944 Operation Market Garden got the green light from General Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) and preparations began.

Major General Robert 'Roy' Urquhart was Commander of the British Airborne Division. Urquhart was Scottish and had proven to be a fine brigade commander during the battles in the Mediterranean area. He succeeded Eric Down as division commander of the 1st Airborne Division. Not an easy task for Urquhart. He was too old for parachute training and suffered from airsickness.

The 18th U.S. Airborne Corps was made up of two Airborne Divisions: Major General James Gavin’s 82nd 'All American' Division and Major General Maxwell Taylor’s 101st 'Screaming Eagle' Division. Gavin was the youngest American division commander (37 years old) during the whole war. In 1941, he was one of the first men who entered the parachute training at Fort Benning, Georgia. In 1943, he was a regimental commander in the 82nd. During the invasion of Sicily Gavin had an executive function. When Ridgway, former commander of the 82nd, got promoted, Gavin was took his place. Maxwell Taylor also had a lot of experience. In Sicily, he commanded the 82nd Division’s artillery. When General Lee of the 101st couldn't continue in command due to poor health, Taylor become its new commander.

Major General Stanislas Sosabowski, commander of the Polish 1st Parachute Brigade was much older than his colleagues. A veteran of the campaign against Russia during the 1920's, he had fought the Germans in 1939 when they invaded Poland. This may have been short a battle, but no less horrible. He and his men really wanted to fight and teach the Germans a lesson.

Click here for the order of battle of the Allied units of Market Garden

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