DEMOLITION OF PEGASUS BRIDGE, NORMANDY 1994 ACTOR RICHARD TODD INTERVIEWED
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 01. 2009
- blew some dust off some old VHS tapes the other night and found this ITN news report which i recorded back in 1994..back then the fate of the bridge was uncertain..as we now know, it now features as part of an outdoor display a few metres from the new replacement bridge. Sadly actor Richard Todd who is interviewed passed away 3 December 2009 aged 90 years.
You are a true historian who recognised that future generations should know about this.
thanks, im pleased I recorded it at the time..
Thank goodness someone saw sense and saved it for the brilliant museum that is now on site right next to the new bridge!!
Total respect for the heroism those guys showed! God Bless them and may they rest in peace!
Thank you for uploading this video (and for capturing it off the tv by video). Richard Todd was certainly a hero in every right: dynamic, loyal, brave; as those who knew him stated that he was the same man - an officer and a gentleman. -Mick. Lest We Forget.
I agree...he should have been knighted... He was there with Howard... ironically, Todd later played the part of Howard in the movie "The Longest Day"
Thankfully now it’s about 150m away from where it was in the museum dedicated to that day. It was sold to the museum for one Franc and reconstructed. It’s replacement is copy of the original bridge just a bit longer and wider. Still an awesome place to visit.
Have visited Pegasus Bridge on a number of occasions, and was pleased to see it had been preserved on the sight of the Pegasus Bridge Airborne Museum grounds, a stone’s throw from where it actually stood. A great historical preservation. And bless the memory, and heroic exploits of Richard Todd and his other Para brothers on June 6th at this location. Richard Todd was a great role model, as a brave and distinguished member of his generation. Nothing but the highest respect for all of them.
Ham and Jam yes! My Dad was in the film 'The Longest Day', he had a VERY small speaking part, 10 words in fact which were dubbed I believe!! My 'Uncle' Bill Bailey was in no 1 glider with Major John Howard on the actual night, sadly my Dads glider tow broke so he didn't make it on the night!! 43rd and 52nd heroes!!
The bridge was saved in the end and now it's part of the Airborne museum at the same sight.
And that's one of the top places to visit.
PS. The replacement bridge doesn't look dissimilar to the original.
It was saved from the start the French did not want anymore damage to it by the constant 44 ton trucks rolling over it so they dismantled it note if it was scrap as they took it down it would have been broken up and made into razor blades but they did not they took it down carefully and reassembled it to preserve it this was just ITN bullshit
Thanks Mr Cambell for saving this bit of history. I had the luck to visit Pegasus Bridge long after the bullets stopped flying, but before the old madame at the cafe died.
+Oldgittom thanks for your comment and interest.
Typical ignorant ITN captioning. Richard Todd "Actor". You mean Richard Todd who actually was on the bridge with Major John Howard as part of the paras who took it just after midnight on 6th June and held it for 12 hours before being relieved. The man was a national treasure and war hero. How on Earth he didn't qualify for a knighthood is beyond me...
So true malcsO. Thank you for knowing that. 'The Longest Day' is one of my favorite movies of WW2. Pegasus Bridge was my favorite part as a boy and it was years later i found out Richard Todd had dropped in to help defend the bridge. A true hero
Major John Howard D company 2nd Bn ox and bucks light infantry the oldest light infantry regiment in the British army and as such senior are not para’s they where 6 airborne division Lt Richard Todd was in 7th para who reinforced the ox and bucks later until relieved by lord lovat commandos as for the bridge itn is full of shit the french moved the bridge and made it a permanent memorial at benouville the french may dislike Britain but they honour British soldiers who fell in both world wars more than the British do
Beats me why the bravest of the brave never got the true recognition they deserved. If your a millionaire actor, sports person or political figure, you get hit with knighthoods, OBE`s and all sort. These men were hit with bullets and artillery but carried on to achieve their objective, many never to see British shores again. Thanks C J for this wonderful reminder of the past.
thanks for your comment,true they never got the recognition they deserved
@@historicmilitaria1944 Your welcome, like the SS Gerry cans video. Like myself, you seem to have an interest in German WW2 history and items. Its fascinating stuff, I get to travel from Inverness to Germany a few times each year as my Son lives in Berlin, love it.
The bridge is still there in a museum. There is also a new bridge just like the old one but wider for two way traffic.
no prob, thanks for your comment..i kindof thought I was video taping a piece of history back then, which has proven to be of use to future youtubers.
god bless those who laid down their lives that day, allies and axis, the youth of today could learn a lot if they could only stop to think about from where their freedom comes
enjoyed watching this news clip, can remember watching this when it was originally on tv. Nice to see this as I visited pegasus bridge last weekend.
its good that it wasn't scrapped
Richard Todd, what a great man! A consistently reliable and excellent actor, plus a genuine war hero! I fully agree that it should have been 'Sir' Richard Todd. I find myself disagreeing with the late owner of the Cafe, had the original bridge been sent to the UK it would have been lost in irrelevancy; that was not the place for it. Of course, then, she didn't know that the original bridge would be the centrepiece of a magnificent museum on a site close to the new bridge. RIP to all those who paid for Pegasus Bridge with their young lives. BH
true, if it had been brought back to the uk it would have been out of place and out of context to its original position, so its nice they eventually retained it near its original spot, also if it had been in the uk,it would have probably been cut up and scrapped by now!!!
Yes she did she was just another anti French muppet that’s why they dismantled it carefully instead of just scraping it cost cost them a large fortune to do fyi remember they kept a original glider I would guess according to her rhetoric they where keeping to use as firewood for a lorry load of lambs from the Uk
This is a wonderful video thanks for all videos Sir
Just wish to point out that the Glider force consisted of D Company 2nd Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (43rd & 52nd) Light Infantry reinforced by an additional 2 Platoons from the same Battalion. Plus a small party of Royal Engineers of 249 Forward Company RE, who are seldom mentioned as being there. And, of course members of the Glider Pilot Regiment. These Troops were NOT Paras. They were a Light Infantry Battalion converted to Glider Bourne troops. 7th Para arrived a little later after the bridge was captured. Unfortunately, Lt Den Brotheridge was killed during the original storming of the bridge. He is often thought to be the first Soldier killed in action on D Day.
Wonderful video thank you for posting!
Glad they kept the bridge in the museum next to it.
agree, pleased it wasn't all scrapped....or buried as suggested at the time.
i ran last year from the airfield in Dorset to pegasus bridge on the 65th anniversary, in full 44 airborne gear! hardest thing i ever undertook, but i felt very worthwhile , i met some fine people in doing so too.
nice vid thanks.
@ pegasusbridge1944 i shall be in touch soon as a secret project may require your expertise!!
ham and jam
You know there is a great thing about Todd, he took part in the raid and in the 1962 epic "The Longest Day" along with being an adviser also played his commander Major John Howard.
TheGroundedAviator nope. He wasn’t under Howard at all.
@@alex1975uk He was in commend of the bridge and in the scene after they take it Todd remarks "here I am with another man playing me next too me".
TheGroundedAviator Todd was acting Adjutant of 7 Para on D Day (same unit my grandad) Howard was Ox and Bucks. I think it’s fair to say he overplayed any encounter with Howard, that’s if you’ve spoken to many veterans from 7 Para that is.
@@alex1975uk Fair enough.
"Sweeney" Todd had a colleague called Lieutenant Tod Sweeney also
I love her Cafe! I felt so proud to be British when I was there. I'm joining either the Royal Marines or the Red Devils when I'm older so I can serve my country too. I just finished reading Pegasus Bridge by Stephen Ambrose and his other books, they're fantastic, I'm very interested in World War 2!
Gregory Ellis Pegasus bridge great book I have read it myself
But neither captured Pegasus bridge today there called the 2nd Bn The Rifles formally the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry later to be known as 1st Bn Royal Green Jackets but now 2nd Bn rifles who are not Red Devil’s or boot necks
"Hold, until relieved."
I have been thay myself it's very emotional interesting and special. Best place I have been to
nice, pleased you had a good visit
When I first visited The Bridge as a school boy in the 80’s, am I right in remembering that the museum was on the other side of the canal, tucked behind the Gondree cafe?
i believe so, and the cafe was stuffed full of items..tho i dont know if any have been moved into the current bridge museum
God bless our veterans- I worked at MILITARY ORDER PURPLE Heart- Sepulveda ( North Hills Cal))
My father took a small part in the D Day operation (not the first day.) He was a naval gunner, attached to merchant ships on that day and throughout the war.
Before embarkation, all naval and merchant shipping ratings of that floatillor were assembled and addressed by a senior American officer. According to my dad, the essence of his message was that if anybody wanted to steal any of the supplies which they were taking to Normandy, they should steal the entire case.
(It seems that the standard practice was to open the case, take half the contents, and make up the weight with bags of sand.)
The officer's concern was that when the case finally made it to the front line, this subterfuge would be discovered upon the case's opening, and would have a devastating effect on the front line boy's morale.
They were putting their necks on the line and back home the 'non-combatants' were coining it - at their expense.
I first heard this as a child. In subsequent years, I have come to realise that such was the thoroughness of the organisation of D Day, that even criminality was taken into account.
thanks for sharing his story.
Surely, if they wanted to, they could have somehow re-routed a portion if the canal itself around the original bridge to keep it in situ. Yup, would have been very expensive but I am sure no one would bother visiting that area except for the role in played in the liberation. That bridge is the main attraction there and efforts should have been made to preserve it in situ!
I think the problem was also to do with the bridge not being wide enough for the modern trucks heading for the port ,but I get what you're saying.
A little misleading though perhaps they don’t know at the time that the new bridge looks much the same (only bigger and more useful) and the old one (which lay alongside the canal edge for a year or two) is magnificently displayed in the excellent museum nearby
Good capture for posterity still poignant 14 yrs on.
I'm glad I recorded it,a piece of social history
2nd Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on the gliders, "Up the Ox and Bucks".
I'm Glad I saw in in situ a few times, with all its bullet and shell scars
I think it loses some historical context in it's current position
..but most are sold on it...
...difficult to put across in a way of the 40’s...
That actually explains Garbo capture in the film “Carved her name in Pride”
Violette Szabo in Carve Her Name with Pride
...being an ex soldier..from post war...
Carve her name in pride is a wonderful film...but one must see it in the logic that the enemy did the same..and sent beautiful women HERE to try and make things happen....
Please anyone that goes there now...ASK.......
Does any one know which airfield the gliders took off from ?
"Tarrant Rushton Airfield" UK (Horsa/Halifax)
How much..do you hear about THAT?
...the civilians....OUR...civilians....surrendered..inclusive of the French and put Marshall Petan (incidently under a small virtue) Hero of Verdun....and was in control of the South of France until the Normandy invasion ....please read this up before passing comment...
And perhaps read Max Hastings book
Dad Reich
Tarrant...then the towing Halifaxes went on to bomb Caen when the gliders cast off.
Kind of strange they replaced the original bridge with a similar design. Surely they could have repaired, upgraded and preserved the original bridge. Then again most people are ignorant and don't fathom such things hold alot of stories and history.
The same look not design they already had extended it but they thought I guess correctly better to save what was left of the original than carry out major re strengthening meaning more of the original bridge would be cut away and scrapped to make way for the new supports as such would that have been good ???
Go on....ask them...I dare you to ask more....
@2491tj wtf did they do with the bridge?! i hope they didnt blow it up or something! O__O
They moved it to a museum they built nearby the original site.
The new bridge looks very similar, but is wider and stronger than the original.
Of them what?
...”..Who were the Malice?....
Milice were French Vichy sort of Police very nasty, traitors to France.
For french who lived through occupation, this is heartless, but current history between the French and UK it’s hardly surprising. They seems completely ungrateful. Hope they don’t need our help again.
They moved it to stop trucks damaging it ,it’s 100 yards from the new one with a museum you don’t have to believe me go look for yourself it’s there as a permanent monument