The British 6th Airborne Division which the 52nd Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry were part of, the 52nd not knowing their target until the last hours, had trained for a Glider Landing at Pegasus Bridge. The British Sector was mainly targeting the canals Orne River/ Caen. The strategic purpose was to secure river crossings for the beach break-out and to reduce enemy defences. At 00:16 hrs on 6th June, consisting of D Company the 52nd Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, landed by gliders east of the River Orne and the Caen Canal. This small force of 181 men was commanded by Major John Howard and joined with a detachment of Royal Engineers who landed at Ranville-Benouville in six 28-men Horsa gliders. Having taken off from Dorset, the gliders were towed across the Channel by Halifax Bombers. With perfect navigation and piloting skill, the gliders landed on time and on target within few yards of each other. Major Howard’s glider landed within a few feet of Pegasus Bridge. The bridge was captured after a fierce ten minute fire fight, the action all over by 00:26 hrs, a full six hours before the beach landings. So, just 90 minutes after taking off from RAF Tarrant Rushton in England, Major Howard was able to send the code words “Ham and Jam”, indicating that both bridges had been captured. In this early action of D-Day, the first house on French soil was liberated, and the first British soldier of the Normandy Invasion was killed in action: Lieutenant Don Brotheridge. It was No. 1 Platoon which knocked out a machine gun position firing from the bridge and rushed across to capture the far side, firing from the hip and lobbing grenades during the charge. Lt. Brotheridge was mortally wounded by gunfire as he made a grenade attack on a second machine gun position. The bridge had been prepared by the enemy for demolition, although the Royal Engineers removed the unset charges.
5 | Volume 6 Issue 1
E-Zine 2014
