The daring, glider borne assault to capture the two bridges that controlled access to the eastern flank of Sword beach was a vital element in the success of the British amphibious landings on D-Day. Without access to the Bénouville bridge (later named Pegasus bridge) over the Caen Canal and nearby Ranville bridge over the River Orne, German panzers and infantry reinforcements would be denied access to the beachhead where, in a few hours’ time, troops of the British 3rd Division would be storming ashore.

‘The finest feat of airmanship of the entire war’ - Air Chief Marshal Leigh- Mallory on the capture of Pegasus bridge

To remember this outstanding feat of arms, one of the most audacious assaults of World War II, Richard Taylor has created a highly detailed drawing recalling the moment when, shortly after midnight on the morning of 6 June 1944, Major John Howard leads men from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, part of the British 6th Airborne Division, and sappers from the Royal Engineers in their dash towards the Bénouville bridge. In a feat of supreme airmanship, the pilots of their three Horsa gliders had landed within yards of the bridge and, taking the German defenders by complete surprise, after a brief fire-fight the bridge was captured, as was the Ranville bridge captured by a second group.

Soon reinforced by paratroops of the British 6th Airborne Division dropped slightly to the east, the Germans were held at bay to await the arrival of Lord Lovat and the commandos of his 1st Special Service Brigade from Sword beach in the early afternoon.