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Friday, 3 May 2013

France - Normandy Day 3 - Pegasus Bridge

The Benouville Bridge was a strategic point to be held as all the other incoming bridges were to be destroyed to prevent speedy German reinforcements on D-Day. The task fell to the British 6th airborne division. Their orders were to parachute in prior to the landings and hold the bridge until relieved. It was renamed Pegasus bridge in 1944 after the unit crest to honor the men who held it.
This house and cafe, owned by the Gondree's, is considered to be the first building liberated in Normandy. Before D-Day the Gondree's passed information through the resistance on German intelligence as one of the owners knew German and the other English. The unaware German soldiers did not know this and spoke freely. Inside is a cacophony of military patches and stickers.
Here is a glider, like the ones used for this mission.

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