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Normandy - Pegasus Bridge and Gondre Cafe |
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Veteran. I recently was privileged to meet a D-Day
Veteran by the name of John. He landed at Arromanches with the
Service Corps and ran supplies from the beach to the advancing
troops. Location. He had visited Normandy many times
since the war and when we went to the Cafe Gondre he was
recognised immediately and given his usual Brandy. Notes.
It was so humbling to be in his company and for him to share
his memories from the landings. He wore his medals under his
overcoat and would only show them to people who asked. Peter
Prescott, Lancs.
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Veteran. My father, Richard Dyke (centre), 14706649 of
the Royal Engineers attached to the Ox and Bucks when they took
Pegasus bridge on D-day. Location. In front of the
original Pegasus Bridge in 2005. Notes. Richard met
Arlette Gondree who owns the cafe near the bridge and whom he
first saw as a little girl on D-Day. They were relieved by Lord
Lovat's Commandos and sent to high ground overlooking the
Normandy area. I'd like to hear from anyone who may have served
with my father. Best wishes, Howard.
Click here to
reply.
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Veterans. The Ox and Bucks vets in the picture are from
left to right, Nobby Clarke, Tich Rayner, Tom Packwood and Geoff
Barkway glider pilot in the wheelchair. Location - Ranville
churchyard. Notes - Taken in June 2005 close to Den Brotheridge's grave.
(See below for more information on the daring action they were
involved in.) [Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.]
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Veteran. Colonel Tillet.
Location.
Ranville churchyard.
Notes. Photo taken
after the ceremony for Den Brotheridge, who took over from Major
Howard when he crashed his jeep. Pegasus Bridge was the
objective of 6th (Airborne) Division's 'coup de main' force on the
night of 5th/6th June 1944. Despite difficult conditions their
three gliders landed on target, the road bridge across the Caen
canal. Inside were men from Oxs and Bucks Light Infantry Airborne,
under the command of Major John Howard. The advance party, under
Lieutenant Den Brotheridge, stormed the defences. Brotheridge was
killed on the other side of the bridge, just short of the nearby
Gondre Cafe. With this bridge, and the one across the Orne,
secured by another party from the Oxs and Bucks, Howard had
achieved his objectives in ten minutes. His signal to HQ 'Ham and
Jam,' to indicate that both positions had been taken intact must
have been welcome news of the highest importance. [Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.] |
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Veterans. First row
from left to right is Wally Parr, Tom Packwood, David Wood and
Billy Gray. Behind is Peter (Rocky) Bright, returning for the
first time in 60 years, and also Nobby Clark. The two veterans
flanking them are presently unknown,
but the one on the left is the
only surviving RE of the coup de main,
Location.
Notes. 'Coup de main' march past.[Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.] |
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Veteran. Richard
Todd. Location. Outside Gondre. Notes.
Photo taken just before midnight after watching the fireworks
display. Richard Todd starred in many post war films and
played the role of Major Howard in the film The Longest Day.
[Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.]
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Veterans. Two Royal
Artillery veterans. Location. Colleville, Montgomery Plage
(Sword beach). Notes. Names presently unknown.
[Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.] |
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Veterans. David Wood
(right) and Major Freddie Scott (left). Location.
Notes. David Wood
is the only officer left of the, coup de main, party and who landed
in the second glider and Major Scott also served with the Ox and
Bucks. [Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.] |
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Veteran. Bob Ham of
the Ox and Bucks. Location. The
original Pegasus Bridge now preserved for future generations in a
nearby park. Notes. He took part in the follow up
action. [Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.]
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Veteran. Wally
Harris MM. Location. Colleville, Montgomery. Notes.
The NVA march past. Wally is holding a photograph of himself from
the war years. [Photo courtesy of Andrew Bystram.]
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Veterans. Members of the
7th Btn. Parachute Regt. As you look at the photo (L-R); Gordon Tucker, Bill
Law, then I believe Gordon Elliott and (?) Gould. My father was Eric Truman, a
member of the 7th Btn. and a great friend of Bill Law. My father travelled to Normandy
every year from the 70s onwards until his death in 1995. My husband and I travel
to Normandy every June now and meet up with members of the 7th. [Frances
McClory (nee Truman)] Location. The photo was
taken on June 6th 2004 outside the 'Cafe Gondre'. Notes. The
veterans had just marched over
Pegasus Bridge, then joined by Madame Gondre, walked up the high
street to the remembrance ceremony at the monument on
the corner. |
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Veterans. Presently
unknown. Location.
Notes. Taking a breather. [Photo
courtesy of Andrew Bystram.] |
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Veteran.
Jack 'taffy' Bennett is represented here by his great grandsons
Ross Morgan & Scott Thompson. Location. Cafe Gondre
close to Pegasus Bridge with
Arllete Gondre
whose
family owned the cafe in 1944. Notes. Jack Bennett was in No 3 Commando who,
amongst many other achievements, helped secure the bridge which had earlier been
captured by British troops flown in by Horsa gliders.
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Veteran. Fred Walker of No. 3
Commando is to the right of centre. Roy, last name unknown, is on
the far left and to the right of Roy a veteran who fought in
Yugoslavia. Location. The photo was
taken at Cafe Gondree, Pegasus Bridge.
Notes.
For a close up of the plaque
click here and scroll down the
screen. |
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Normandy Other |
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Veterans of No 3 Commando stand in remembrance of their
lost colleagues in front of new commemorative plaque at the
location of the Merville Battery.
Location - in Normandy near the village of Merville-Franceville
on the D514. Notes - for more information and photos
click here and
scroll down the page. (Photos taken on 61st Anniversary
of the action courtesy of Bern and
Fay Robins). |
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Veteran. LAC Karl Work of the Royal
Canadian Air Force attached to the RAF. Location. Juno
Beach. Notes. Served on Fighter Direction Tender 217off the Normandy beaches.
The FDTs provided radar cover, intelligence gathering and fighter
direction until land based mobile radar and communications units
established themselves in Normandy. Click here
for the full story of FDT 217 and her sister vessels FDTs 13 and
216. |
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Veteran.
Kenneth G. Wood, President of the London Area Branch of The Naval
Officer's Association of Canada. Location. Canadian
cemetery,
Beny-sur-Mer (NW of Caen). Notes. Entered the Navy at the
age of 15 (lied about his age). In 1940 he was torpedoed and
captured by the Japanese en route to Hong Kong. Escaped with 6
others and made their way to Pearl Harbour. On D-Day he may have been
the first Canadian ashore since he landed to confer with a British
Commander about enemy positions for naval bombardment in advance
of the main landings.
After D-Day Wood's ship
helped protect the invasion fleet from E-boat attacks. |
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As above in front of the
Canadian
cemetery,
Beny-sur-Mer (NW of Caen). |
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Veteran. "Duck" seated
(in red blazer & cap) in front row to the right of President Bush.
Location. The American Cemetery, Omaha Beach. Notes.
'Duck' was in the first wave of landings on Omaha when 26 of the 32
troops aboard the landing craft were killed. Later in the
hedgerows behind the beaches he accounted for a dozen Germans before
being seriously injured by machine gun fire to his head. He spent
3 years in hospital. |
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Veteran. Petty Officer Motor Mechanic Alan
Haworth. Location. Standing
by the memorial at Ouistreham. Notes. He was with the Mk4 LCT 1025 of the 48th LCT
Flotilla assigned to Sword beach. |
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Walcheran |
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Commemoration event at Westkapelle, Walcheren - 48 Commando RM. |
