Normandy Trip - Pegasus Bridge Memorial

After we left Honfleur, we drove about an hour to the Pegasus Bridge Memorial, which lies near Benouville village.  The area near the bridge was part of Operation Deadstick, which was a major objective in the opening minutes of the invasion of Normandy.

With Operation Deadstick, commander Major John Howard of the gliderborne unit of the British 6th Airborne Division, landed there on on 6 June 1944 to take the bridges from the Germans.  The most famous of those bridges  is now known as the Pegasus Bridge.

The bridge was renamed afterwards in honor of the shoulder emblem that was worn by the British airborne forces, the flying horse, Pegasus.

The bridge is unique as it is a subtype of a bascule bridge design, due to it not pivoting on a hinge point when becoming movable to allow for ships to pass through.  The engineering of this bridge allows the bridge to actually roll back on the curved tread plates attached to the girders of the main span, allowing for a wider clearance.  

We did not have enough time to visit the actual museum, but a walk around the Caen Canal had some lovely memorials.

In addition, there is a little cafe named the Pegasus Bridge and Gondrée Shop, to pick up souvenirs or a snack.  The cafe was actually was the first house that was liberated from the Germans.  Arlette Gondrée, who is the owner, was a small child living in the home when it was liberated.

Below are some extra photos of the memorials. Major John Howard's bust is in the center.