PLACES TO VISIT
Pegasus Bridge, Normandy Pegasus Bridge straddles the Caen Canal in Normandy and was a strategic bridge to capture in the Allied Armies D Day invasion. GEORGE BACKSHALL LRPS
The original Pegasus bridge now a war memorial.
P
egasus Bridge straddles the Caen Canal in Normandy and was a strategic bridge to capture in the Allied Armies D Day invasion of 6th June 1944 during WWII. There are many Wikipedia articles and books written about the D Day invasion of France and The Battle for Normandy. I had the opportunity to visit here a couple of years ago. In the early hours of 6th June, a force of 181 men led by Major John Howard landed in six Horsa Gliders to spearhead The Allied Armies of Liberation. The closest landing 47 yards from the bridge at 00:16 on 6th June, securing the bridge and liberating the Pegasus Bridge Café, Café Gondrée on the far side, and is probably among the first French places liberated on D Day. In front of the modern bridge is a bust of Major Howard and memorial marking the spot where the closest glider landed by the bridge. Apart from guessing what a scary surprise for the defending German soldiers; my first reaction on the seeing this there was some incredible flying in the dark to reach, capture the bridge complete and that any closer landing they would have demolished it! The current bridge replaced the original in 1994, a “Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge” design was built in1934 and named the Bénouville Bridge. The original was moved 100 yards, is now a war memorial and centre piece of the Pegasus Memorial museum which was opened in June 2000 with numerous exhibits also on display.
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Major John Howard.
The Bénouville Bridge was renamed Pegasus Bridge later in 1944 in honour of the operation. The name is derived from the shoulder emblem worn by the British Parachute Regiment which depicts Bellerophon riding the flying horse Pegasus.
