The Daredevils of D-Day - Part 2

[MUSIC PLAYING] In the early hours of June 6, 1944, a banging on the door woke the German major. Grabbing his clothes, he swung open the window and shouted down into the darkness below. Man, what is that? A German motorbike rider called up, "Major Schmidt, the bridges under attack." There is nothing more perplexing, confusing and chaotic than being on the receiving end of a surprise attack. It's one thing expecting an assault or a raid where you can consider your options and your courses of action. But it's quite another when you're unprepared. This is a time for a call, but a decisive head. Otherwise, a consequence can be dire. Curseing, the major hurriedly grabbed his clothes. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] And ignoring his girlfriend's protestations, ran down the stairs to join his men in the German half-track below. The men at the bridge knew that a German counterattack would definitely happen. There were miles in land totally surrounded and cut off at this point, and knew that the Germans would throw absolutely everything at them. Some of them must have realized that they would never see home again. It would have been terrifying. The next 12 hours would prove to be decisive for the entire Allied landings at Normandy. None more so than for the group of men hanging onto a small but vital couple of bridges deep in the French countryside. They knew that the odds were against them, and many of them were unlikely to make it home. They were the daredevils of D-Day. I'm Bruce Crompton, History lover, military antique collector, and ex-paratrooper. You're listening to the second part of our amazing war story, The Daredevils of D-Day, which sees a group of heroic soldiers from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment take a German hell bridge behind enemy lines at the beginning of D-Day. We join the action after Major Howard and his men have scored the first goal and won an early victory. However, they knew that peace wouldn't last long. Back at the bridges, Major Howard took stock of his situation. He knew the counterattack was coming. At the Benuville end of the bridge, there was a crossroads. There, either side of the road, opposite the bridge was the Galville Café and a few other buildings, including residential houses and a church. To the south was a hospital which overlooked the bridge in a water tower. The Major was concerned that those buildings could be used as a place for artillery spotters or worse snipers. He wasn't so concerned about assaults coming from the rear, as hopefully the parachute regiment should be in place to defend any attacks from the east. It was his bridge that was most exposed, however, and he had very few heavy armaments in which to defend his position. Each company carried a pier anti-tank gun, but these were very hit and miss with their accuracy. And they also had some gamma bombs. But again, against tigers, these would likely have very little effect. However, he did have one small piece of luck. A 71 mil anti-tank gun had been captured intact at the east side of the bridge. The Germans had installed it there presumably to hold off any Allied tanks that had made it this far. Getting onto the radio, Howard ordered Lieutenant Fox to come and reinforce him. He needed more manpower if the Germans were going to make an attack. But that moment, as if to confirm his worst fears, Wally Parr arrived at his command bunker. Enemy tanks have been heard, sir. The private stated, I'm off to get the pier. Don't forget the gamma bombs, Parr, the major shouted after him. D company's commander was nervous. Tanks would easily sweep his company off the bridge. He wondered how long it would take Fox to gather his men and cover the quarter mile to reinforce him. Chris Freddie Croyer is an ex-British parrots with ties to the airborne forces going back 30 years. He has been on tour in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where in 2006, his company were cut off behind enemy lines for almost three months during the siege of Musaqala. German tanks were considered to have the strongest armor in the Second World War, and they were often better designed than most of the Allied tanks. Although the larger ones, such as Panthers and Tigers, did have some flaws, such as a ridiculously bad fuel consumption, they were devastating adversaries when pitched against Allied armor. The Tiger II, that armor up to 18.5 cm thick, making it almost impenetrable to the weapons and infantry soldier would have available. Weapons like a pier and the gamma bomb, officially known as number 82 grenade. The gamma had been developed by Captain Gammon of the First Parachute Regiment for use of going soldiers and tanks. It was primarily used by special and airborne forces. When placed in a bag of explosives, it became exceptionally effective, especially if you could get it under a tank, where the armor is the weakest. But that is easier said than done. At 10 to 1 on the 6th of June, another noise brought hope to men on the bridge, the sound of bombers. This would only mean one thing, paratroopers. Soon the air was lit up with German searchlights and the sand a gunfire. Every so often a beam would catch the canopy of a parachute. Back up was at last coming. The noise of the planes overhead was strangely comforting. The men felt they weren't alone. But that momentary feeling of comfort wasn't to last long. The private par returned with bad news. The pier was broken in the crash and the Gammon bombs were nowhere to be seen. Lieutenant Fox's men had just arrived, however, and Sergeant Wagger Thornton had seen to it that these platoon had brought their pier. So all was not lost. At least one pier is better than no pier at the major thought, but not everyone would agree with that assessment. The pier was one of the most hated weapons in the British Army. It stood for projector, infantry, anti-tank. The British answer to the American bazooka, it was a shoulder-mounted device which fired a projector by means of a giant internal spring. Its effective range was supposedly 100 meters, but many soldiers would attest to it being around about a third of that. It was very hard to cock, and as a result, would often miss fire. Reloading took so long that often the vehicle would be at a range by the time you were ready again. At that moment, at the River Bridge, a quarter of a mile away, a motorcycle and a German half-track suddenly arrived on the scene. The members of D Company, who were placed all along the bridge, opened fire on the vehicles. The arrival of Germans had caught the men by surprise, and before they knew it, boat was speeding along the bridge, running the gauntlet of British machine gun fire. The motorcyclist, who was following behind, was shot through, losing control of his bike, which then smashed into the bridge's walkway, catapulting through the air into the river below. But the armoured half-track, containing Major Schmidt, made it completely across the bridge. However, a well-placed grenade thrown by corporal Jennings saw the vehicle start to weave and then slide off the side of the road into a ditch. Unbelievably, the German Major was still alive, although his leg had been badly mangled by the grenade. He was taken to the medic station, all the while screaming at the men that his furor would throw them all back into the scene. Some people wonder why you would help save the life of someone who, moments before, have been trying to kill you. The answer is simple, you're not out to murder anyone. You're simply trying to prevent them from doing harm to you or someone else. If they are killed in battle, that is an unfortunate, but conceivable outcome in war. If you're able to save them all well and good, they may be gratefully enough to divulge some useful intelligence. And if the enemy see that you treat them well and with respect, you'd like to think they would be able to do the same for you. Back at the canal bridge, leftendant Fox and Wagger Thornton were taking up positions in buildings opposite the bridge. Fox and his sergeant were in the churchyard, and soon they heard the ominous, unmistakable rumbling of tanks. Major Howard told his men to get ready. Get ready, man. If the tanks made it onto the bridge, it was going to be curtains for them all. Back at the churchyard, Wagger readyed his peer, pulling back the spring and loading the charge. Hiding behind a wall, he waited for the tanks to come closer. Private Billy Gray was watching in horror from his gun pit as the enemy tanks made their way towards them. This was it, Ethan. And it took every fiber of his nerve not to open fire with his brain. His coolness and training told him not to. They had to lure the Germans in, even if he had opened up. LMG rounds were powerful enough to penetrate the thick German armor. All that would happen would be his instant death as he would be taken out by its huge gun. As the tanks drew ever closer, Sara Thornton Cooley stood up and waited one more moment until the vehicle had reached the centre of the crossroads. He had a single shot, one round to try and stop. Arguably one of the most successful tanks in the German armory, fired from a weapon that was hugely inadequate. If he missed, then everyone on the bridges were surely doomed and the mission would be a total failure. Everyone watching held their breath. Time slowed down as Wagger aimed the pier. The clink of the trigger releasing the projectile loud in his ears. The spring clanked and the bomb seemed to fly in slow motion towards the lead tank, then an almighty explosion. Whether from luck or extraordinary skill, Wagger Thornton had managed to fortunately breach the weakest part of the tank. The missile hit the magazine supply and the resulting explosion was heard over a mile away. The two other enemy vehicles immediately stopped. In the darkness, the commanders assumed that they were facing a huge, well-armed force with overwhelming firepower. It had to be the case. There weren't many handheld weapons that could take out a tank in a single shot. It had to have been a field gun. With more and more munitions exploding from the German tanks magazine, the cacophony was immense, with bright flashes and tracer flying everywhere. This gave the impression to the remaining Panzer drivers that they were under a coordinated attack and so they quickly withdrew from the area. This single shot is one of the most remarkable moments for the entire action. Little did the Germans know. Had they continued their advance at that point, they would have easily overwhelmed how its forces on the bridge. But for Ross at year the attack on the lead vehicle caused them to withdraw in shock and gave the soldiers of the oxen bucks a bit more time. Time they desperately needed for the reinforcements to arrive. The time was now 130 AM and the night was still young. The tank stood burning at the centre of the crossroads, firing off its ammunition sporadically into the night sky. The British paratroopers were now less than a mile away, but only at one third strength as the others had been lost in the darkness. They too heard the explosion and the continued firing and thought a major battle was underway. Major Taylor urging his men to run at the double with three and a half hours to go until dawn, Major Howard knew even with the parachutists they would have a job to hold the bridge if the Germans knew what was really there. Daylight was not their friend and if there were German spotters in the surrounding area, the game would surely be up. As they would be able to tell, there were no field guns or heavy armament defending the bridge, just a bunch of rag tag infantry soldiers. Things were looking more and more desperate by the minute. By 2 AM, Major Taylor and around 100 of his men from the seventh parachute battalion had finally arrived, taking up positions around the end of the bridge. Their reinforcement allowed Major Howard to draw back his troops to form a relief force between the two crossings. Private Wollipard decided to explore the defenses a little more closely and jumping into the anti-tank gun in placement near where the gliders had landed. He discovered a door which led to a labyrinth of tunnels underneath. Grabbing a torch and another soldier for backup, he decided to go down to explore. Within minutes, they discovered a barracks room and their shivering on a bed was a young German soldier who had been hiding. Grabbing the man, they brought him up for questioning, telling the other soldiers to search for any other Germans that might be hiding in secret rooms beneath the trenches. Suddenly, another engine noise broke the silence. It was another motorbike traveling at speed. It could only mean one thing, a German dispatch rider. The big BMW came into view and the parrots eager for battle let rip from every side. The rider was hit and fell off the giant bike, which landed on him. Unfortunately, the bike was still in gear and the throttle jammed open, meaning the giant machine's rear wheel kept bouncing up off the ground whenever the spinning tyre made contact. One of the paratroopers ran forward to try and get the bike off the German and switch it off, but the bike sprang up and landed on top of him. He became the third British soldier to die at the bridge. Back at the German command in Khan, a burst von look slammed his phone down. The situation was intolerable, he thought. High command stated he wasn't allowed to make any significant counterattack until they were sure this was the really vision and not some kind of diversionary raid. Only Hitler himself could give the order to move and no one would wake him despite the unfolding crisis. Not only that, there were wildly conflicting reports of paratroopers and heavy resistance everywhere, especially at the river crossings, including a report of a bridge being blown at the river deaves by a jeep full of deranged British men. Calling up an orderly, he gave a new order. If I can't send tanks, then I damn well send men, he thought. Mobilise the eighth heavy grenadier battalion he shouted. Tell them to take those bridges back. From my own personal experience of operating behind enemy lines, there's always that thing at the back of your mind, an anxious feeling about whether or not your main force is ever going to be able to reach her. I'm certain that Major Howard on that bridge in the early hours of June 6 had exactly the same thoughts. Airborne forces are originally formed to be dropped behind enemy defenses and fortifications, and with the element of surprise, be able to speedily take and hold positions until they can be reached by friendly ground forces. This would all be in vain, however, if they're too deep in enemy territory and cannot be reinforced, resupplied or relieved. The secret to their success is not being dropped too far behind enemy lines. In my own experience, the realisation that you are cut off and beyond the reach of your own forces would limit its support or surrounded by the enemy is an unpleasant one. I can assure you. Back at the Benaville Bridge, dawn started to break and looking up at the sky, the airborne officers at the temporary HQ wondered how long it would be until they were relieved by the forces coming in from the beaches. There was the terrific noise of battle coming from the west and the men could only imagine what hell was being faced at the landing beaches. But daylight also brought a new danger to the men's stranded deep behind enemy lines, snipers. Over at the temporary medic station, a shot was heard and dust flew up nearby 24 platoons, Lieutenant David Woods' head as he lay on a stretcher. Then another rang out and an orderly who had just finished tending to Lieutenant Smith's arm was hit in the chest. He flew back shouting, "Get the grenades off me! Get the grenades off me!" Men dragged him back to a trench to treat him. Luckily, he survived. The sniper threat was severe. They had to neutralise them, otherwise, all of them would be cut down slowly but surely. The trouble was nobody knew where they were. Wally Parr, however, had a strong suspicion and grabbing some mates he ran back over to the anti-tank gun. He had never used a piece of field artillery before, but he and his mates, Gardner, Graham Bailey, soon worked it out. Bringing up some shells, they began bombarding the roof of the chateau across the river. Parr was certain that's where the snipers were positioned. Major Howard was shot by the noise of a gun and went running across the road. Parr, what the hell do you think you're doing? I'm shelling the snipers of that building, sir. What? It's a bloody maternity hospital. Are you sure they're there? Chasand, Wally Parr promised he wouldn't fire at the building again and set about cleaning up the shell casings. At eight o'clock in the morning, two spitfires flew over the bridge, checking that it was still held by Howard's men. The planes made several passes and wagged their wings at the troops. The men waved and cheered at them and one of the pilots seemed to drop a package from his cockpit as he flew by. The major ordered one of his men to retrieve it. It was copies of British papers, all of which broke the news of D-Day. It's amazing to think our very different communications were in 1944, compared to today. There's no messaging apps, text or mobile phones. Most owns didn't even have a telephone until the '60s and televisions were not a thing until the '70s. So a newspaper, even a couple of days old, would have been well regarded by the men, who up until this point would have known hardly anything about the landings other than the details of the mission they were on. There was an abnormal choir. The officers didn't like it. Silence, they felt superstitiously, often foretold, and all mighty storm was coming. Sure enough, an hour later, their next test arrived. The Kriegsmarine, the German Navy, had sent two gunboats upstream from Weestraham a few miles downstream. The town was currently under attack from Lord Love It's Commandos, and so they felt it was best if they had a go at the captured bridges from the water. The first gunboat at the canal was already at a tax speed and opened up with its 20-meal cannon. Wally Parr, desperate for any excuse to use the 75-mill anti-tank gun again, spun it round to face the boat. Frustratingly for him, he couldn't get a shot of because the bridge girders were in the way. Instead, Corporal Godbolt rang to the canal bank with a peer and major Howard who had climbed up to the bridge, shouted at his men not to fire until the boats were in range. However, his instruction either wasn't heard or wasn't heeded by some of the paras on the West Bank, and they immediately opened up. Any advantage Godbolt thought he might have had was definitely lost, and he fired his peer right at the edge of its operational range. Annoyed, the major watched the projectile fly through the air, surely it would miss the speeding target. But unbelievably, it landed right in the middle of the boat just behind the wheelhouse. The boat spun to its right. It's bare smashing into the bank in front of the paras, the stern against the eastern side. The river was totally blocked. The other boat had nowhere to go, and so had to make a retreat. The men on board filed off under gunpoint, the captain, truckulently shouting at all the paras. Major Taylor had the young man gagged and marched off to Romville, where the Brigadier poet and general gale had set up temporary command. Maybe they will glean some good intelligence from him, he thought. Over in Khan, Oberst von Luke was at boiling point. The Allies bombardment was greater than anything he had ever experienced, even though his HQ had escaped a direct hit. Every so often, another shell would go off nearby, and dust and plaster would fall from his ceiling. The situation was intolerantly thought. Hitler was still asleep, and as he had direct oversight of the Panzer divisions, there was no way that von Luke would be able to get his tanks anywhere near the beaches now, especially as the Allies clearly had reconnaissance planes directing the naval barrage. There was only one thing for it. The bridges must be blown if he was to contain the British advance. Shouting for an orderly, he told them to call the airfield and send a plane to blow up the bridge. And send Frogmen to, he shouted after him, "Send everything we had." At the bridges, the men were now playing a waiting game. It was 10 AM, and Major Howard wondered what else the Germans could throw at them. They'd had tanks, boats, snipers, the only thing that was missing was planes. If the devil had been listening to his thoughts, he would have smiled, because at that very moment, the sound of a plane filled the air. Looking up, he saw a focker wolf 190 come screaming out the sun towards them. Men began to scatter, diving behind whatever cover they could find. The plane leveled out, and skimming along the height of the trees, the pilot zeroed his sights on the bridge. At the last minute, he pulled the bomb release lever and pulled up. The projectile sailing directly towards the crossing. The Major closed his eyes. He knew it was going to be a direct hit. The past 10 hours had all been for nothing. But nothing happened. The plane flew straight past. There was no explosion. Did you see that, sir? Shattered part. Been the bomb bounce off the bloody bridge. The pilot had come in for his run so shallowly that when he released his deadly cargo, the side of the bomb hit the bridge tower and bounced off, spinning into the water of the canal. It was a direct hit, but the glancing blow failed to activate the explosive. As you can imagine, pilot in a plane takes great skill, more so in combat and more at low level. This bomb drop was right up there. It was an incredible shot. Who may never know why that bomb didn't detonate. Maybe if the pilot had dived on the target instead, the bomb would have landed correctly. Instead of glancing off the girder and exploded either destroying or at least damaging the bridge. However, they weren't out of the woods yet. The Germans were now firing only minis at the bridge, the name given to their advanced naval verfa battlefield rocketry, keeping them pinned down. The men started to give up hope. It didn't seem like they could hold out much longer. Word came back from Taylor's men who were fighting off the panzer grenadiers in Benaville. They only had 30 men left. Most of them, including the major, were injured. Power added to the cacophony. Once again, firing the 75 mil gun at the water tower, nearby the hospital on the far bank, where he was convinced the Germans were directing fire. The major didn't stop him this time. It was amusing for the men to watch he thought, and at least it felt like they were fighting back. The private also had a go at two other patrol boats that had been sent down from coal, hitting one in the bow. Yes, got it! Both turned back. The time was now 1pm. The relief in the form of the commando should have arrived by midday at the latest they'd been told. To the men sheltering around the bridges, it seemed like they were marooned, surrounded, running out of ammo, and luck. Two German frogmen were spotted in the river, but were dealt with by the paras. But even these successes were overshadowed by a sense of impending doom. Many thought they would all be soon spending the rest of the war in a POW camp. Suddenly, Major Howard turned to his radio operator. Wait, stop! Did you hear that? Listen! Above Wally-Pars firing, and the missiles raining sporadically down upon them, there was another noise. Sergeant Thornton and Lieutenant Foxx, both heard it too. Bagpipes! The Major climbed out of his trench and looked over the bridge. The site was unbelievable. There really were bagpipes being played. Down the road came Lord Lovey, the commanding officer of the Commando's, with his men smartly marching along as if they were on an exercise, being followed by a Churchill tank. The men of D Company threw down their weapons and started cheering, hugging each other with joy. They were saved! Monsier Gondray came out of his cafe with a tray of champagne, and Lord Lovey marched to the edge of the bridge, where he met with Major Howard. Both men saluted and Lovey simply said, "Today history's been made." Howard couldn't have agreed more. I was lucky enough to meet John Howard at a yearly wreath lane event at Pegasus Bridge. He was a kind man, and I treasured the picture that I had taken with this hero, for his part on the taking of Pegasus Bridge. Field Marshal Montgomery himself decorated Howard with a DSO, the second highest award after the Victoria Cross. His war was cut short after a terrible car crash in November of that year, but he soldiered on and took great care in ensuring that the memories of those that served at D-Day were never forgotten. He even became friends with Hans von Look, the German commander. He lived to a ripe old age of 86. Sergeant Charles Wagger Thornton received a military cross for his actions on the bridge, and fought on through the war, incredibly ending up fighting on another famous bridge in Arnhem. But that's another story. However, it was he shot with the Peac Gun at Pegasus Bridge that became legendary, and some called it the shot that saved D-Day. After Normandy, Wagger transferred from the Oxenbucks and joined the parachute regiment, where he ended up next to another legend, Lieutenant Colonel John Frost in Operation Market Garden. This time, however, they weren't able to be rescued, and they were both captured. For Thornton, it really was a bridge too far. However, he did survive the war, and often attended Remembrance Services at Pegasus Bridge. He died in 2000. A final word from Freddie. The shot that Sergeant Wagger Thornton took undoubtedly saved the day. The drivers of the other vehicles retreated back to Benaville, where they reported that the British must have six-pounder anti-tank guns. The only thing that they believe could possibly take out an armored vehicle in a single shot. The commanders then decided they had to wait until daylight to assess the situation. This hesitation to counterattack at that time, I believe, allowed us to keep hold of the bridges. However, this moment in time had significance that went far beyond the battle of the bridges. Some historians believe that this single moment potentially saved countless lives on D-Day. Certainly, Obas' Von Look, the Panzer Group commander, who survived the war, felt that had he been able to take those bridges, he would have been able to reach the beaches, where the outcome of the British landings and the Normandy invasion could have been vastly different. Wally Par, perhaps the biggest character of the entire assault, survived the war, but didn't escape completely unharmed, becoming injured by shrapnel later in Normandy. On the side of his glider, chalk 91, he had written Lady Irene, after the love of his life, his wife, who sadly pre-deceased him in 1986. After the war, Wally became a window cleaner until 1991, when aged 69, he decided he had enough and moved to France. He was heavily involved in making the bridge a permanent memorial and attended every D-Day event he could until his death in 2005 aged 83. Henry Wittington, archivist at the Army Flyer Museum, thinks this mission was perhaps the most pivotal moment during D-Day. Although gliders had of course been around before D-Day, it was here that they really showed their true potential. However good the mechanism you have for delivering troops, whether it's helicopter or glider, you have to have a brilliant pilot at the controls in order to get the men into position safely. Army pilots are often the unsung heroes in stories like this, but if it wasn't for the brilliance of those men, the mission couldn't have possibly succeeded. Afterwards, air chief Marshal Lee Mallory, the commander-in-chief of the Allied Air Forces on D-Day, called their flying, and I quote, "the greatest feat of flying in the Second World War." We would love you to find out more and to come and visit our fabulous museum in Hampshire. It's a great day out and you can see all the types of gliders that were involved, as Lord Loveett said, in making history. Lieutenant Hooper and the men from Chalk 94 never did make it to the bridge. Instead, they got involved in fighting Germans with other Canadian paratroopers and even a downed RAF pilot. This operation was perhaps one of the most extraordinary stories ever to emerge from D-Day, although let me tell you, there are many. Even though Lord Loveett's commandos came to the relief of the Paris and the men of the Oxen Bucks, fighting continued long into the day and they too paid a heavy price. Sniper's continued to pick off men throughout the day at the bridges and sadly many men lost their lives. But for me, what makes this story really special is that it highlights just what remarkable people, these men who fought on D-Day were. The men of the Oxen Bucks, the Paras, the Commandos, and the Glider pilots, they were in it together, fighting as one. We owe them all a huge debt of gratitude and it's important we remember their sacrifice. One way of doing so is to make sure you visit their respective museums. As well as the Oxen Bucks Museum, there's also the Fantastic Army Fly Museum where you can see the gliders that were used on D-Day. Not only that, they have just received an Apache helicopter, the only place in the country you can see one, so do go along. If you fancy a trip to France to see the bridges, there is also a full-size replica of a horse at the amazing Pegasus Museum in Roanville, Normandy. It's worth a visit and is definitely one of my favourite places to go on the continent. I really hope you enjoyed this D-Day story, but why not go for the amazing war stories D-Day Grand Slam and listen to our other episodes about this special day. The demolition men of D-Day and the cliff ranges of Calvados are two of my favourite stories and if you haven't heard them yet, well you're missing out in my opinion. Please visit our website amazingwarstories.com to find out more about our initiative and discover other great content. A link is in our show notes. Whilst you're there, you can also sign up to our newsletter which will give you the heads up of new content and incredible exclusive discounts, including for our magazine and items from our shop. This episode of amazing war stories was researched, written and produced by Ed Sayer. The associate producer is Lois Crompton. Sound design and 3D mastering is by Valdville Sound and the music is by Extreme Music.