Pegasus Bridge

Roughly 5km south of Ouistreham, the main road towards Caen passes close by the site now known as Pegasus Bridge. On the night before D-Day, the twin bridges here that cross the Caen canal and the River Orne were the target of a daring glider assault just before midnight. Capturing them intact was a crucial objective for the Allied forces, because it enabled the invaders to advance east along the coast and blocked Germans from sending reinforcements. Three of the six Horsa gliders launched from the Halifax, six miles offshore, landed close enough for what was then Bénouville Bridge to be captured within half an hour, although Lieutenant Brotheridge, leading the charge, became the first British casualty of D-Day in the process.

excerpt from
The Rough Guide to Brittany & Normandy

03 July 2004

Mémorial Pegasus
Shelly, and a smiling Nyah	replica Horsa glider
	original glider
temporary bridge section
shapnel damage on the bridge facade
replacement bridge

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