大象传媒

This story was told by Harry Barnsley to Christine Pearce of Neath Port Talbot Library Service and added to the site with his permission.

Taking of the Troarn Bridge in Normandy.

I was in the Royal Air Force Engineers and our instructions were to blow the Troarn Bridge in Normandy. We were first dropped 5 miles away which meant a longer march but what we didn鈥檛 realise was that the Germans had flooded the area and we were up to our waists in water. After 30 minutes the gliders came in and a jeep and trailer came out of the mist. The Officer in Charge stopped the driver who was a medic. and confiscated the jeep and trailer. The medical supplies were thrown out and explosives put in with 8 men. The only dry road through the village was occupied by the Germans so we stopped and a sergeant went to the first house where a German squaddie was on a bike with a rifle. The sergeant shot the German which blew our cover whereupon the Officer put his foot down and drove through the village like a bullet with one Sapper with a Bren gun on the back of the trailer firing like mad. The trailer was bouncing all over the place with the rough roads and unfortunately the Sapper fell off. Many years later I saw his name on the Regimental Register. Only one man was lost as were drove through the village without any airborne cover. The original plan allowed us one and a half hours to set the charges in the bridge but because of the lack of cover we finished in 20 mins. We then had to make our way back on foot through the deep irrigation ditches.

There is now a stone pillar alongside the bridge with a brass plaque commemorating the blowing up of the bridge by the 3rd Squadron.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.