Model Armour

Pegasus Ranville-Benouville Memorial

The bridges over Caen and the river Orne were the first objectives of the entire Normandy invasion. They were strategically important as they were the only crossings of the waterways between Caen and the sea. Their capture by glider-borne assault was brilliantly achieved in the first 30 minutes of D-Day by D Company, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, commanded by Major John Howard.

The six Horsa Gliders carrying the coup-de-main assault troops were cast off from Halifax tug aircraft over the coast, six miles from their targets. Three gliders landed with extreme precision and courage very close to the canal bridge. The pilots, of the Glider Pilot Regiment, were later said to have performed one of the finest feats of airmanship of the war.

The coup-de-main troops were then hard pressed by counter attacks from the west, but managed to hold them off until reinforced, as planned, by parachute troops who dropped at Ranville.

In addition to the photographs shown, the museum has many glass cabinets full of uniforms, weapons, and personal affects etc.