Bénouville (Pegasus) Bridge 5–6 June 1944

The bridges crossing the Caen Canal/River Orne were a vital objective that needed to be secured in order for the forces landing at Sword Beach to be able to push east. The Bénouville Bridge, which was later renamed Pegasus Bridge after the British Airborne Forces badge, was the westernmost and least defended of the two objectives. The first three platoons arrived by glider at 00:16 and moved to take out the two guards on duty who had quickly managed to alert other German forces. After a brief exchange with machine gun positions, two platoons crossed the bridge and secured the western side in preparation for reinforcements, however all three platoons were now without their leaders who were either dead or injured. Shortly after the explosives rigged to sabotage the bridge had been removed, two more platoons arrived to take the eastern bridge and set up markers for the parachute drops.