Explore the heroic glider landing of British troops on D-Day to secure vital bridges in Normandy, the meticulous planning and risks of the D-Day landings, the swift capture of Pegasus Bridge, heroes and sacrifices on D-Day, and the crucial turning point at Pegasus Bridge during the assault.
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insights INSIGHT
Daring Airborne Assault on D-Day
British airborne infantry executed a daring, surprise glider assault to capture key bridges on D-Day.
Their success was vital to prevent Allied forces from being cut off and vulnerable to German counterattack.
insights INSIGHT
Scale and Coordination of D-Day
D-Day involved an immense operation to transport 130,000 men and thousands of ships and aircraft.
Precise coordination among naval, air, and land forces was crucial for the invasion's success.
insights INSIGHT
Airborne Troops’ Tactical Edge
Airborne troops offered a tactical advantage by capturing key positions from above with swift surprise assaults.
This capability was essential to ease the invasion force’s passage and sow confusion in German defenses.
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Just after midnight on the 6th of June, 1944, 181 British glider-borne infantry crashed to earth in the Normandy countryside. They clambered out of their gliders and rushed towards their objectives; two German-held bridges near the D-Day landing zones. This was the opening salvo of D-Day, and their mission was vital - if they failed, their comrades would be trapped on the beaches, unable to move off the sand and vulnerable to counterattack.
To mark the 80th anniversary of this assault, Dan is joined by Neil Barber. Neil has been interviewing veterans of the British 6th Airborne Division in Normandy for almost 30 years. He is the author of ‘Pegasus Bridge - The Capture, Defence and Relief of the Caen Canal and River Orne Bridges on D-Day’. Remembered in the words of the people who were there, Dan and Neil retrace this vital chapter of the D-Day story.
This episode uses AI-generated voices for the excerpts of veteran testimony.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
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