大象传媒

This is a story by a son of Cpl Ted "Ham and Jam" Tappenden.
Dad was a member of the elite " Coup de Main" force sent to Normandy on the eve of D Day.
He was the company clerk, not a sit on your hands job, but a mamber of the sixth airborne division, ox and bucks light infantry. An elite company of men, lead by major John Howard, whose job was the capture "intact" the two canal bridges over the river Orne. A very daring and dangerous operation. 6 Horsa Gilders, 3 to each bridge were loaded with men and equipment to the maximum. Dad was major Howards radio operater and had to ensure that he was at the majors side at all times.
My father was in no 1 glider piloted by sgt Walwark, whose aviation skills enabled him to land a few meters from the bridge with air crafts nose pushed up against the barred wire. The time was 00.06am 6th June 1944, -- the invasion force was still five hours away at sea. The Stealth and Secrecy of the operation ensured that the German guards were unaware of the landing. So much so that there was little resistance until the first grenades exploded in the pill box. Lt Botheridge lead his men across the bridge firing and screaming (I'm told that this effect would put fear into anyone)at the entrenched Germans. Lt Brotherdge suffered a fatal gunshot and it is believed that he was the first man to die from enemy action on D-Day. The Detachment of royal engineers swung under the bridge and found no explosives. The Major was pleased with the result and remembering his orders, "Hold until relieved", at this point turned to my father and ordered him to send the code to the paratroopers that the bridges were captured intact. The code was "Ham and Jam", and dad sent the messege:"Hello Four Dog, Ham & Jam, Ham & Jam". He transmitted for some considerable time unaware that the radio operator he was sending to had been killed when his chute failed to open. After much frustration of not receiving a reply, dad is well remembered for:"Hello 4 Dog, Hello 4 Dog, Ham & Jam, Ham & bloody jam, where the hell are you".
My family and i have had the pleasure and honour of taking some of the veterans back to Normandy every year for the past 16 years. We would sit with them at Pegasus Bridge listening in awe to their stories - sad, comical, boastful and heroic. The Coup de Main force was made up of ordinary "London" lads, who were trained, coaxed and encouraged and who performed one of the most successful operation in WWII.

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