Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge by Carl Shilleto

Author:Carl Shilleto
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783830206
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-08-20T16:00:00+00:00

The original Pegasus Bridge now forms the centrepiece to the Memorial Pegasus Museum Park (See Ch. 6, B24). Pegasus Bridge gains its name in honour of the British 6th Airborne Division, and the name and sign was adopted from the divisional flash of the British airborne forces in the 1940s. Chosen by Lieutenant General Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning in 1941, when he was appointed to raise the airborne forces, the flash was later designed, in May 1942, by Major Edward Seago. The flash was to be worn on the upper arm of all airborne troops. Sadly, the distinctive flash was withdrawn from the airborne forces on 1 September 1999, after a reorganisation of the British armed forces in a strategic defence review in which 16 Air Assault Brigade was formed. This was contrary to the feelings of most veterans and serving troops of The Parachute Regiment who wished to retain the emblem; along with the tradition and pride that helps maintain the esprit de Corps of fighting units. Today, The Parachute Regiment still holds onto the tradition of Pegasus as the name for their regimental journal and their regimental mascot, a Shetland pony.

Pegasus Bridge was originally referred to, back in 1944, as Bénouville Bridge or the Caen Canal Bridge and was the first bridge captured on D-Day. This was by the men of B and D Coy of 2 Oxf Bucks, a detachment of Royal Engineers from 249 Fd Coy and the men of the Glider Pilot Regiment. Also situated on the south-west bank of the Caen Canal, just to the right of where you now stand is the:

2) Café Gondrée. Situated on the south-west bank of the Caen Canal near the new Pegasus Bridge, it was the first house to be liberated in France and above the entrance you will see a large white marble plaque:

3) First Liberated House in France Plaque. You will also notice that the sign reads that the house was liberated in the last hour of 5 June. This suggests that the local time was not adjusted for summer time and, as the Allied forces used double British Summer Time (BST) for their operations in Normandy; French time was thus one hour behind British time. Hence Allied records show the first landings taking place in the first hour of 6 June and French records show them taking place in the last hour of 5 June.

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