RANVILLE BRIDGE ('HORSA BRIDGE')

Operation 'Coup-de-Main' - Operation 'Tonga' - 6th Airborne Division

   
Richard N. Gale
John Howard		    
 
On the night of 5 June 1944, a force of 181 men ('Operation Tonga'), led by Major John HOWARD, took off from RAF Tarrant Rushton in Dorset, southern England in six Horsa to capture 'Bénouville Bridge', and also 'Ranville Bridge', a few hundred yards to the east, over the Orne River.
The force was composed of D Company (reinforced with two platoons of B Company), 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry; 20 sappers of the Royal Engineers of 249 (Airborne) Field Company; and men of the Glider Pilot Regiment. The object of this action was to prevent German armour from crossing the bridges and attacking the eastern flank of the landings at Sword Beach.
Five of the Ox and Bucks's gliders landed as close as 47 yards from their objectives from 16 minutes past midnight. The attackers poured out of their battered gliders, completely surprising the German defenders, and took the bridges within 10 minutes. They lost two men in the process, Lieutenant Denaham M. BROTHERIDGE and Lance Corporal Fred GREENHALGH.
Greenhalgh drowned in a nearby pond when his glider landed. Lieutenant Den BROTHERIDGE was mortally wounded crossing the bridge in the first minutes of the assault.
One glider, assigned to the capture of the river bridge, landed at the bridge over the River Dives, some 7 miles off. Most of the soldiers in this glider moved through German lines towards the village of Ranville where they eventually re-joined the British forces. The Ox and Bucks were reinforced at 03.00hrs by Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffroy PINE-COFFIN’s 7th Parachute Battalion, and linked up with the beach landing forces with the arrival of Lord LOVAT's Commandos.
 
      
 
Commander: Major General Richard N. Gale  [voir le dossier]
  6th Airlanding Brigade: Brigadier The Honourable Hugh Kindersley  [voir le dossier]
    2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Inf.: Lt. Colonel Michael Roberts  [voir le dossier]
      D Company: Major John Howard  [voir le dossier]
 
Glider #4 (Glider Chalk No. 94)
  Staff Sergeant Anthony Lawrence  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Pilot)
  Staff Sergeant Harry Shorter  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Co-Pilot)
  Captain B C Priday  [voir le dossier]: Headquarters, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Lambley  [voir le dossier]: Headquarters, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lieutenant Charles A. Hooper  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Sergeant Christopher C. Barwick  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Ambrose  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Bateman  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Goodsir  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Hunt  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Rayner  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Allwood  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Clive  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Erick J. Everett  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Frank Gardener  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Hammond  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private William P. Hedges  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Jeffrey  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Johnson  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Lathbury  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private St. Clair  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Timms  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Waite  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Whitford  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Wilson  [voir le dossier]: No. 22 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Sergeant Brown  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Deighton  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Guest  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Paget  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Roberts  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
   
Glider #5 (Glider Chalk No. 95)
  Staff Sergeant Stan Pearson  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Pilot)
  Staff Sergeant Leonard Guthrie  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Co-Pilot)
  Lieutenant Henry J. "Tod" Sweeney  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Sergeant Gooch  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Howard  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Jennings  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Murton  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Porter  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Lawrence Stacey  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Allen  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Bleach  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Percy W. Bowden  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Bright  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Buller  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Clark  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Galbraith  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Jackson  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Read  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Roach  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Roberts  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Tibbett  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Wilcox  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Wixon  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Wood  [voir le dossier]: No. 23 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lieutenant MacDonald  [voir le dossier]: 7th Parachute Battalion (Liaision Officer)
  Corporal Straw  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Bradford  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Carter  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Field  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Wilkinson  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
   
Glider #6 (Glider Chalk No. 96)
  Staff Sergeant Roy A. Howard  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Pilot)
  Staff Sergeant Frederick W. Baacke  [voir le dossier]: Glider Pilot Regiment (Co-Pilot)
  Lieutenant Dennis Fox  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Sergeant Charles Thornton  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Burns  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Lally  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Corporal Reynolds  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Loveday  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Annetts  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Clare  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Collett  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Hubbert  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Lawton  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private O'Shaughnessy  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Peverill  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Pope  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Rudge  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Storr  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Arthur A L. Summersby  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Ward  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Whitbread  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Whitehouse  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Eric Woods  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Private Wyatt  [voir le dossier]: No. 17 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck.
  Lance Corporal Lawson  [voir le dossier]: Headquarters, D Company, 2nd Bn. Oxf. & Buck. (Medic)
  Lieutenant Bence  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Burns  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper C. H. Larkin  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper C. W. Larkin  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company
  Sapper Maxted  [voir le dossier]: 249th (Airborne) Field Company