Phil&Jill

The Memorial Pegasus at Ranville-Benouville is dedicated to the men of the British 6th Airborne Division who were the first liberators to arrive in Normandy on the night of 5th-6th June, 1944. Benouville bridge was the first bridge to be liberated in 1944. On the night of 5th to 6th June,1944 Operation "Pegasus Bridge" (in homage to the British paratroopers, whose emblem was the winged horse Pegasus) of Operation "Coup de main" , enabled the Allies to regain control of the bridges that had fallen into German hands. A noiseless glider landing, the speed of the soldiers and the late hour were a real surprise. Ranville and Benouville bridges were taken in the early hours of the night, enabling the liberation of the city of Caen.

Our appetite to see this museum had been sparked by the enthusiasm of our neighbour Tom, who had visited the Normandy Beaches and Pegasus Bridge a few years ago. His emotional account had left a great effect on us to see it for real. The bridge is some 14kms away from Caen. Nothing I hear you say!! Well although we tried many sources we couldn't get an accurate time of departure by bus. There were three buses given and the most likely seemed No 61 from the Gare Routiere (bus station) just a short walk away. We happily set off thinking we had it all sorted when the lady at the ticket station said the next bus was in 2 hours time. Nothing for it but to get a taxi and off we set on the motorway.

Benouville was tiny just a couple of cafes and a beautiful chateau. We were thrilled at the sight of the bridge when we crossed the current bridge which replaced the old bridge in 1994 and then turned around the corner to the Memorial.

We spotted some old American jeeps and some men in original uniforms. We got talking to some - Brits, Scots and Americans. All ex military and some who make a regular pilgrimage to honour the fallen and others who habe come because of the 75th Anniversary. They had mostly been staying in camps along the coast. They commented that the celebrations had been successful but the roads and cafes were struggling to keep up with the large number of visitors.

img=https://photos.travellerspoint.com/978846/20190611_111518.jpg]

On entering the building you are shown a short film introduced by Prince Charles re the battles which took place, the accuracy of the gliders and parachuters, the struggles of those airmen who went off course and the hardships suffered by civilians.

A vital part in the success of D-day was to capture the nearby bridges before the Germans blew them up. Then all of the thousands of troops who landed that day could cross the canals easily. The success of the bridge operation at Pegasus was due to the silent arrival of 3 gliders in the night. The German soldiers guarding the bridge were caught by surprise and quickly overcome. What courage for the pilots and troops to risk landing these planes in enemy
territory without engines.

Many personalised stories of soldiers were shown including their kit, their uniforms, their battles and their medals.

One was of particular interest to me and that was of Major John Howard DSO, a glider pilot who has chronicled his war time experiences. Tom, our kindly neighbour lent me a copy of this book to read before we left home. His experiences mean more to me now having visited the museum.

20190611_123931

20190611_114326

Other strategies that were used were aluminum foil to confuse the German radar and dummy parachuters which in the dark looked real. Thus making the number of patachuters look more.

The outside gardens were peaceful and beautiful which had the old bridge, a reconstructed glider and more pavilions on Horsa gliders. They were towed by a Hallifax bomber. Floral wreaths marked the 75th Anniversary.

20190611_143558

We thought that the Pegasus museum brought the event alive for all visitors even though they may not have heard the story before. For example there were many school children there learning about this story for the first time. We certainly learned a lot. Great day!!