DZ CHARLIE

Footsteps of WWII · Normandy

Pegasus Bridge and Memorial Pegasus

Bridge · 6 Jun 1944

GuideFootsteps of WWII
AreaNormandy
CountryFrance
TypeBridge
Time to allow1 h 30 min
LocationExact spot known
GPS49.24222, -0.27444
Open the free field guideDirections (Google Maps)

The story

Just after midnight on 6 June 1944, about sixteen minutes past twelve, three Horsa gliders carrying D Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, with Royal Engineers, landed beside the bridge over the Caen Canal at Bénouville. Two more came down near the Orne river bridge. Led by Major John Howard, the men took both bridges within about ten minutes. Holding them kept the only crossings open between the beaches and the 6th Airborne Division's landing zones east of the Orne. Paratroopers of the 7th Parachute Battalion reinforced them before dawn, and Lord Lovat's commandos arrived from Sword Beach around midday. The canal bridge was named Pegasus Bridge after the airborne emblem.

Where sources disagree: Lieutenant Den Brotheridge, killed crossing the canal bridge, is often called the first Allied soldier killed by enemy fire on D-Day; other airborne men died at about the same time, so the claim cannot be proved. The Café Gondrée's claim to be the first house liberated in France is similarly a tradition.

What to look for

The 1994 replacement bridge carries the road; the original 1934 bridge stands in the grounds of Memorial Pegasus at Ranville, on the east bank, with a full-size replica Horsa glider. Markers show where the gliders landed. The Café Gondrée, beside the bridge, still trades.

Plan your visit

The bridge and landing-zone markers are always accessible and free. Memorial Pegasus (adult about €10.50) is closed from October 2026 until May 2027 for extension and renovation; it is due to reopen in June 2027. Check the website before you go.

Official website: memorial-pegasus.com

Things change, so check opening times before you travel.

Nearby sites

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Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945

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