Short extracts on YouTube for you: Pegasus Bridge youtu.be/-bCrca8Xe0c 6th Airborne's First Contact at Pegasus Bridge, Vital for D-Day Success | WW2 Walking The Ground Join WWII historian James Holland and writer and comedian Al Murray on their battlefield tour of Normandy for their on-the-ground perspective on the vital seizure of Pegasus Bridge by British Airborne forces on D-Day, 6th June 1944. Episode Notes... In the small hours of 6th June 1944, ahead of the main seaborne landing force that would hit the coast of Normandy, members of D Company, 2nd (Airborne) Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, were tasked with landing their Horsa gliders as close to Benouville Bridge as they could. Spanning the Caen Canal, the bridge was a vital part of the D-Day invasion strategy. If the airborne forces could take the bridge quickly and hold it, the main invasion force would have an immediate advantage, stopping any counter attack that the Germans might launch from the east. The mission was a coup-de-main operation led by Major John Howard. Speed and surprise were key, and as James Holland and Al Murray discover, the operation, one of the first of D-Day, was brilliantly executed. Benouville Bridge was later renamed Pegasus Bridge in honour of the operation. The name comes from the Pegasus shoulder emblem that was worn by British airborne forces. Ranville Church youtu.be/hrIeNGCSDyA The first paratroopers to land on D-Day were those 22nd Independent Company of the British 6th Airborne Division, the legendary Pathfinders. In this episode, James Holland and Al Murray share historical insights and surprising facts as they follow in the footsteps of the Pathfinders sent to the Normandy village of Ranville, near Drop Zone N. They explore the evidence of fierce fighting that remains on and around Ranville Church and the experiences of Sergeant Herb Fussell, who had an interesting encounter with a German soldier, the results of which can still be seen to this day. They also search for the grave of Lieutenant Brotheridge, the first Allied soldier to be fatally wounded on D-Day. They take time to reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought during the Allied invasion of Normandy invasion and pay their respects to the fallen at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. Breville Ridge youtu.be/i4IRmTNnCnI With his special interest in British airborne operations during World War II, Al Murray is excited to be heading out with his friend James Holland to the historic Breville Ridge, which was a key objective for the British 6th Airborne Division on D-Day, June 6, 1944. This significant ridge runs roughly North-South, strategically positioned between the Caen Canal and River Orne to the West and the River Dives Valley to the East, making it a crucial location for military operations during the war. As Al and James investigate this important site, they engage in an enlightening discussion about how German Field Marshal Rommel himself visited the very spot just before D-Day, clearly recognising its vital importance for the success of the German defence in France. On D-Day and in the days that followed, bitter and intense battles were fought along this ridge line, which was fiercely held by British paratroopers until the very end of the campaign, showcasing the bravery and determination of the soldiers involved. Also, Arromanches... youtu.be/p-_KqB9iKgw Al Murray and James Holland head to Arromanches where following D-Day, the British built the Mulberry B harbour -- a concrete megastructure constructed in pieces in the UK and then, incredibly, floated across the English Channel and anchored in Normandy to deliver 550,000 tons of allied supplies. The remnants of Mulbery Harbour are visible today. Al and James take in the sheer scale of this military engineering and logistics endeavour on a steep walk from the beach to the top of the cliff and pause to overlook and reflect on this magnificent reminder of the allied efforts involved in Operation Overlord.

Good luck and thank you for what you all do

Fantastic Nicholas, and uncle David Thorp would have absolutely Loved Bing's wonderful story, Bing's honour, and also the plaque. David had and loved a great number of Alsatians and German Shepherd dogs. They're truly wonderful and remarkable dogs. I'm so very sorry I will miss seeing you, and everyone at Musée Pegasus this time. My thoughts and heart are with you all. Jeremy ❤️

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