In real life, Richard Todd had been one of the commandos that came up to relieve the airborne troops in the gliders after they took the bridge, so he was there but not as part of the first wave. Here playing Major Howard, who he actually met during this action.
Richard Todd, who took part in the action at the bridge at Benouville (later renamed Pegasus Bridge), was offered the chance to play himself, but joked, "I don't think at this stage of my acting career I could accept a part 'that' small." He was cast as the commander of the bridge assault, Major John Howard, instead. In a strange twist of fate, in one scene of the battle for the bridge, a soldier runs up to Todd, playing Major Howard, and relays information about the battle to him. During the actual real battle, Todd actually did run up to Howard to relay information to him. Therefore, the film actually did show a soldier playing Todd running up to Todd playing Howard and relaying information the real Todd gave to the real Howard.
My God! to think he really did all that in real life, upon reading about his exploits it's a bloody miracle he survived the war he had several near misses, and to think he lived to ninety wonderfully brave man.
I've been there - I was there last year, 2019 - and I've seen the markers where those three gliders landed by Pegasus Bridge. My god, that was brilliant flying, at night, with gliders. Pinpoint.
On Wednesday March 6th 2019, I attended the funeral of a great man; my uncle (fathers brother)... Harold "commando" Williams who Passed away tragically in a house fire on Friday February 15th 2019 aged 97. Im so very proud of my uncle Harold as a member of the Commando unit tasked with defending the taking Pegasus Bridge codename Operation Deadstick on 6 June 1944 as part of the Normandy landings . During that time he was shot twice in the leg, one of the wounds stayed open to his final day. In 2017 he was awarded the Legion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit, for his involvement in the liberation of France.
Nick Godwin except major Howard (Richard Todd) who was part of the assault in real life. At the end of that clip he was talking to an actor who was portraying him. How surreal. What an effort by our British cousins !
They were part of the 6th British Airborne Infantry. Curiously, Richard Todd, the actor who performs the caracter of mayor John Howard, took part in these events actually.
Amazing that Jim Wallwork managed to land that Horsa at all, what with the weight of 30 pairs of massive balls weighing down the glider, including his own. Same with the other five gliders.
Those words are in the Operational Order, but it becoming a mantra is mere Hollywood. Major Frost didn't give it another thought, as he'd written the plan himself, and practised the assault many times in Britain. Realistic training counts for a lot where success is concerned.
@@stevetheduck1425 Major Frost??? I think you mean Major Reginald John Howard DSO, commanding officer of "D" Company Second Battalion, Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry - "Up the Ox's and Bucks".
Makes me proud to be British watching this movie and also a great way to remember what brave men like them did for Britain and hope they are always remembered and honoured
I served with the Brits over the years and their isn't a group I have more respect for. Great tactics and great lads. I've never laughed harder then I have just bullshitting with them
British have some of the best forces IMO, expessily special forces. Though as an American, I think ours is a little better. LOL! I know, a little biased there. Though in truth, I think it would be preaty even on who was better.
Britain is not a country it is a landmass and there is no such nationality as 'British'. What is worth remembering is that while this engagement was being fought to free France and Europe, Scotland was and still is occupied by a foreign country, you call it Britain but we know that it is really England. The day you stand up and admit you have been no better than the Germans in your treatment and abuse of those smaller countries you have occupied and still occupy then we might believe your pride. Until then you have nothing to be proud about.
Love the scene at :52 . He is a paratrooper, thus his courage is without question, but at that moment, his hands aren't as courageous as the rest of him. His mate doesn't give him a hard time, he just helps get his helmet secured, so they can get on with it. Great scene about the camaraderie of war.
Man for a glider to land in a secure LZ but to actually be the first guy who'd crash his behind enemy lines on D Day and park it next to a MG nest. Took massive balls.
And in complete night-time darkness! The skill of those British glider pilots that night was praised as one of the greatest feats of flying during WWII.
The pilot of that lead glider was Jim woolwark, 3 came in that particular bridge. Another three next to it to take the adjacent bridge. There is a river and a canal that runs parallel close together.
Staff Sergeant Jim Wallwork of The Glider Pilot Regiment, was the 1st pilot of the first Horsa glider to land. He and his colleagues who flew the gliders performed as infantry soldiers once on the ground.
There is a Cafe Gondree house, and cafe, very close to this bridge. This is alleged to be the very first French house, and family, liberated by British troops on D Day, just after midnight June 6, 1944. The owner had buried many champagne bottles to keep them away from the Germans. When he heard that the British had secured the bridge, and liberated himself and his family, he was so happy, that he told those troops where to dig up all the bottles, and gave them away free of charge to all the soldiers. To this very day, this tradition of champagne toasts continues at that cafe every June 6th.
Mike12522 ive talked with the owner of the house, its stil the same family that owns the café, and inside of the café there are beautifull pictures of the attack with paintings and stuff really interesting
@@roblewa6766 - There are many ' sacred ground ' places in Normandy, and Europe. I have visited Dachau. It is sobering, sad, and terrible to think that such a place even existed. Should I be able, I would want to visit many WW2 places in Europe. Including the cemeteries. And the Beaches. And Cafe Gondree. It would be an honor to be there.
It was the first building liberated but anyone from the the ox and bucks (the regiment that took the bridge) isn't allowed there anymore after major Howard had a disagreement with the owner
Richard Todd who played Maj Howard was actually there during D Day. The troops involved were nether Royal Marines or Parachute Rgt but the Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry of 2 Airlanding Brigade.
The Combined Ox and Bucks Company and & para were relieved by Lord Lovatts Special Service Brigade not RM Commandos! To make it even funnier in the Film Sir Sean Connery (A Scotsman) of 007 fame played an Irishman in the unit, typical Hollywood!!
@@brianives4809, Connery is an Irish name, his grandfather or great grandfather was Irish, also he lived in Ireland for a while, I know the house he stayed in!
The Ox and Bucks was an English County Regiment split into a number of different battalions. These battalions served in different theatres. The 1st and 2nd were in Normandy, the 6th in the far East, and the seventh, in which my Father was a Company Commander, was in Italy.
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Battalions of different regiments were often 'brigaded' together, to create an all-arms unit suitable for the purpose. My father's unit the Rifle Brigade had a battalion in Italy which acted as the night reconnaissance force for the Brigade, until suddenly thrown into a major hilltop town heavy infantry assault against a mixed German force stiffened with Fallschirmjager at Tossignano. Completely unlike any of their training or expertise, the attack of course failed with many casualties, my father amongst them, fortunately only wounded in an arm, bone broken and nerves damaged. He was out of the fighting until his regiment arrived in Austria, among the first troops into the Third Reich, almost ignored by the newspapers at the time, and almost ignored by historians ever since.
The actor playing major Howard was actually at that bridge on DDay as a Lt. in 7th regiment holding the high ground around the bridge they jumped by parachute
7th Battalion held Benouville and Le Port, the two villages on the western side of the Caen Canal on the western approach to the bridge and cutting the Ouistreham (& Sword Beach) to Caen road. It’s not high ground, it’s just acting as a forward line of a defence in depth, so any approach to the bridges from the west have to get through 7th Battalion first. You might be referring to the Bavent ridge, held by 3rd Para Bde.
The actor was Richard Todd. There is a later scene when Major Howard (played by Mr Todd) talks to a young Lt (played by a teenage actor) who is playing the part of Lt Todd.
The German "garrison" at the bridge was four men stationed in the Cafe Gondree. There was a larger platoon sized group not far from the bridge, but they didn't react until well after Howard and his men had seized the bridge. There was a brief firefight, in which Den Brotheridge, Howard's second in command, was killed. He was arguably the first Allied casualty on D-Day.
If I remember correctly they offered him the chance to play himself but he refused because A) he didn’t do anything crazy and B) he thought it wouldn’t have been a respectful tribute
He's in the film, as one of the guys standing next to the character he's playing... my head hurts. Something similar happens in 'Sink the Bismark', as well.
I have watched this scene many times in "The Longest Day." Only very recently, I saw a documentary detailing the raid and how it evolved. And you wouldn't believe it... As superhuman as this film fragment makes it appear, in reality, it was much, much harder to complete this mission. Even though, rewatching this scene and seeing how those 'commandoes' slide under the bridge in all their gear, just hanging by their hands, all the while trying to remove charges... Very impressive.
Those 'commando's' were 30 members of 249 Field Company Royal Engineers and their task was to remove the demolition charges from below the bridge. The methods to remove the charges were a work of film drama. Once the firing ring main is removed the charges are in effect safe and can be removed once the fighting has reduced/stopped.
As rows10 said. The removal was indeed film drama. In reality there were not even charges. The German commander removed them every night as the charges on bridges were regulary stolen by the French resistance! Although the Brits did not knew this. They would not send men in full kit to hang under the bridge. Just cut the wires first.
@@MikeLacey52 Poor Greenhalgh wasn't exactly 'killed' in the accepted sense. Yes, probably he was the first allied soldier to die, either in the glider crash or being thrown out and drowned in a ditch. Lt Den 'Danny' Brotheridge was the first allied soldier to be killed by enemy action, while leading the charge across the bridge.
@@MikeLacey52 In the interests of history, it does really matter. One man died accidentally during the landings, the other has the dubious honour of being the first killed by the enemy on D-Day.
@@renard801 Stop now. Stop trying to look smart, stop trying to look clever. the poster said Lt Brotheridge ( note correct spelling) was the first allied soldier killed on D Day. the simple fact was, he was not.
Correct: Almost unique in film, as a actor Richard Todd acts the part of Maj Howard. In the film he, as Maj Howard speaks to a paratroop officer, one of the reinforcements dropped on 6th of June. That paratroop officer is acting the part that Richard Todd carried out on D Day.
Richard Todd was not part of the first 'coup de main' glider landings. He was, though, a paratrooper lieutenant who dropped soon afterwards with hundreds of others to link up with Major Howard's assault force. In the film, Todd plays Major Howard.
Richard todd parachuted in & reinforced the troops later that day .He was a leftenant in the parras. Some of his kit is on show at Madam Gondre cafe next to PEGASUS BRIDGE
@@zuperblue1 Richard todd was originally in the Yorkshire light infantry. Later the parachute regiment. On d day he parachuted in AFTER the glider assault & reinforced Major John Howard at PEGASUS BRIDGE. ...... look it up on WIKIPEDIA! !!!! I've been to PEGASUS BRIDGE & CAFE GONDRE, Where some of his kit is on show several times.
@@patrick88705 mm interesting i know the KOYLI cap badge it is distinct among the light infantry but its not the one worn in the movie, it is the ox n bucks badge he is wearing
@@zuperblue1 Todd wore the Ox and Bucks badge in the movie because he was playing the part of Major Howard, not Lieutenant Todd of the paras!! And yes, on D-Day Lt Todd was one of the paras who jumped nearby to relieve the glider troops. He was one of the very first paras to reach the bridge after moving cross country.
My grandfather told me a story of crash landing in a glider, the infantry/ranger officers were killed, he being an NCO suddenly found himself in charge of the survivors when the LT pilots said nope we only fly.
Yep, US Glider pilots were only there to fly. Once it hit the deck, their job was done. British Glider pilots fought as infantry with the unit they flew in with
The Longest Day shows Lovat's 1st Special Service Brigade relieving Major Howard's small assault force. In fact, by the time Lovat arrived from Sword Beach (around 1330 hours), Howard's men had been reinforced - as planned - by many paratroopers from 7 Para who jumped at about 0050. They included Lieutenant Richard Todd.
Chris Holland. That guy was a bloody hero! I read a funny story about him. When he was landing with his commandos in Normandy on D-Day he ordered his piper to play the bagpipe. The War Office had given orders that it wasn’t allowed to do that. When Bill Millin reminded him of these orders he said:”Ah, thats the English War Office, Bill. You and me are Scottish so it doesn’t apply to us!”
Quite right - the Airborne Bn. of the Ox & Bucks. light infantry. Also, bear in mind this was the day BEFORE the main allied invasion on 6th June 1944. Two bridges were secured, code named "ham" and "jam".
Richard Todd, the actor, playing his boss, Major John Howard in the movie. Todd, was actually on this raid as a Lieutenant in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
An interesting point in the film when the relieving forces arrive headed by a piper ( trooper playing bagpipes) the piper was played by the actual piper who was there on d day. When he and the officer he was with marched across the bridge they did so under the gaze of several German snipers. When asked afterwards why they hadn't shot them the germans all said they just thought they were a pair of nutters ( source:- max Hastings's book overlord)
Bill Millin did not appear in "The Longest Day" - his part was played by Pipe Major Leslie de Laspee of the London Scottish, another prominent figure in the bagpiping fraternity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_to_the_Queen_Mother The officer he walked across the bridge was presumably no less a figure than Brigadier Simon "Shimi" Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, as played in the film by Peter Lawford. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Fraser,_15th_Lord_Lovat
If one is to believe the Producers and Scriptwriters of "The Longest Day", this was virtually the only British contribution to D Day. Thank goodness we had all those Americans and Free (sic) French to do all the fighting.
No commandos involved, Para troops of the air landing brigade. As said elsewhere Richard Todd was there and in the film the Beret he wore was the one issued to him in 1943
Small correction, Michael Shore - the initial assault was not by paras but by glider-borne troops of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry. Paras dropped soon after to relieve them. Much later, at around 1330, Lord Lovat's commandos also arrived, having landed on Sword Beach.
@@johnmcdonald9304 and sometimes firing itself when you didn't want it to, but it was cheap. I read that the American Thomson cost $400 each which was too much for the British army, so they produced the Sten. Someone called the Sten the three half crown gun (37.5p) because they only cost that to produce. Probably an exaggeration, but it would be interesting to know what they did cost.
The thing which astonishes me the most is that the German defenders of Pegasus Bridge were taken by surprise at all. They should not have been. 50 German troops, with ten machine gun positions available, were at the two bridges in question. But only two sentries were on duty at Pegasus bridge. Neither one appeared to have immediately seen or heard the attack coming. I can't imagine how the Germans did not clearly see or hear 5 out of six gliders, containing about 150 men, crash land as close as 150 FEET, ( 47 or so yards ), from the bridge. Crash-landing gliders do make a pretty large amount of noise, right ? And yet it somehow did happen, and history was made ..................
if some one had to wake you from a slumber and you had to orient yourself how long would it take you to put on your cloths on , put on your kit on, grab your weapons assemble your squad, move to your defensive positions (not everyone slept next to the bridge). How long does it take to jump out of a glider fully kitted and attack a bridge. I'd bet the glider troops would move faster. not to mention two sentries who haven't heard anything in a couple years hearing something and debating what they have heard. ("you hear that", "yeah it sound like a car crash", "should we sound the alarm", "the allies are gonna invade up at the pas du calais i don't want to get in trouble by waking the boss up for nothing".) human uncertainty burns so much time.
@@soyentak5076 - I do agree with you. It takes time to get ready to fight. But I also feel that the Germans were very much caught by surprise. Almost caught napping, you might say. A bad oversight. They possibly did not have troops at every position at all, in shifts. And they were attacked by a force at least three times their size.
its actually known that the gliders were actually incredibly quiet even when hitting the ground plus if you have ever been a sentry its a fucking nerve racking job cause you think any noice is an enemy
Every man on board was knocked unconscious for several seconds when Major Howard's #1 glider landed. The bridge sentries obviously heard nothing. Having quickly and quietly organised his men, Howard silently moved towards the bridge, which is when one German in a trench fired at them. As trained, they then charged like madmen towards and over the bridge, cutting down the 18-year-old sentry as he ran away, and throwing grenades into defensive positions.
@@renard801 What I read somewhere is that there was so much activity that night, that several Allied bombers and fighters had been shot down and crashed all over the French countryside. That same discussion mentioned that the Germans may have though the landing gliders were aircraft that had been shot down. But I do agree, those gliders landed so close that the racket they made had to have been heard by the sentries unless they were asleep too!
The original bridge is still there although now in the grounds of the Museum. The modern bridge is similar but longer as the river has been widened since 1944.
richard todd was in fact in the paratroop force that reinforced the bridge.as howard he meets the extra who is playing him! todd quipped im the only actor ever to relieve myself onscreen! oddly todd due to his name was nicknamed sweeney! there was an officer in howards group called sweeney who was therefore nicknamed todd! it caused considerable humour and misunderstanding during the following days as both answered the call todd or sweeney whenever it was barked! he and sweeney became great friends and the guy appeared on todds this is your life with howard!
The senior Light Infantry Regiment, who went the Green Jacket way, instead of the LI, which looking back at their history was the correct way to go as the 43rd and 52nd were trained along with the 95th Rifles at Shornecliffe , by Sir John Moore, to form the famous light Division. Tthe Light Infantry came along later, and in fact some of the former Regiments of the LI were honorary titles bestowed on them, so a good decision by the OBLI to become Green Jackets. Not forgetting the Other famous Green Jacket Regiment the 60th Rifles later the KRRC
This was the action called Pegasus bridge. They pulled off the captire of the capture of the bridge with minimum casualties. I believe only one fatality. This movie shows several casuaties.
Two killed including Den Brotheridge. His wife gave birth to their daughter a few weeks later. I have been to his grave in Ranville Cemetery. Immensely moving.
Hello, my GGrandfater V.V.Crouch was in Verdun in WWII part of a Railroad Battalion. There was an incident where 60 glider pilots showed up and needed to get back to get more gliders. This was problematic due to sabotage of tracks, equipment and communication. Supply drops not getting through until a night glider mission was put together. Parts flow in. Train assembled, track cleared. Locomotive was fired and dawn and they got through without any authorization from HQ. Has anyone heard this? Can anyone add to this? I do have some documents, photos that confirm some of this.
Having been to Pegasus Bridge and seen how close the glider landed to the bridge and that if the machine gun post only a few yards away had been manned it would have been a very different outcome. (Why that machine gun post was not manned is I suspect something we will never know. (Personally with the café Gondré the other side of the bridge being close to being a Resistance HQ I have to ponder if that was not the reason for the unmanned machine gun post.)
No. Todd played Major Howard of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, who on D-Day commanded the 'coup de main' glider troops who took the bridges. Lieutenant Todd was one of the paras who dropped soon afterwards to relieve the glider troops.
Wikipedia says 180, but that is including the Orne Bridge, there were 3 gliders at Pegasus (Caen canal bridge as it was known during the war) and each glider held 30 men, so about 90 men in total. There were also people who didn't get out instantly, being injured after the landing, so probably less actually fought.
@@sgt.airborne3733 Upon reflection, your comment could be accurate! Major Howard's 'Deadstick' unit, although Ox and Bucks troops, were part of 6 Airborne Division.
Typical Para comment...it was Ox and bucks, look at cap badge(became RGJ, now Rifles) Parachute regiment was already formed and attacking Melville Battery.
As stated elsewhere, the paras emphatically did NOT take Pegasus Bridge. It was the Ox and Bucks infantry under Major Howard, landing in gliders. And Richard Todd did NOT 'play his own commanding officer'. Major Howard was not his CO. Lieutenant Todd was part of the follow-up force, who parachuted in and made their way to Pegasus to relieve Howard.
'Pegasus Bridge' was over the Caen Canal. 'Horsa Bridge' was nearby, over the Orne River. Both bridges were taken during the operation. But yes, a few miles from Ouistreham.
i asked roy cadman if he walked accross ,,,,,, he said "walk?.....i fucking run ,,, they where shooting at me "............it was his way of saying fucking that made me chuckle as he sipped on his i was honoured to buy him ,,
I don't think the original poster knows or understands the British Army's regimental system. Or how baroque the naming conventions can be. You can be '42 Commando' or in the 'Royal Marine Commandos' but you CANNOT be a 'Royal Commando'. Especially not as Pegasus Bridge was taken by the "Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry" of historical renown and not some johnny-come-lately like the Commandos.
- also objects on the ground could easily tear through the bottom of the glider, and bracing feet against the men opposite (and linking arms) resisted the shock of of the landing somewhat.
I read the book, “Pegasus Bridge” and, barely any of this actually happened, for e.g, it shows at least 3 British soldiers dying in the bridges assault, when in reality there was only one. And also, there was nowhere near as much resistance on the bridges as shown, there weren’t any sandbag bunkers. I don’t know if they interviewed actual Pegasus Bridge veterans, but either way, this scene is totally awesome
I wouldn't be looking to The Longest Day for realism, a good majority of it was sensationalised heroism, the Omaha Beach scenes are particularly laughable watching Robert Mitchum wandering casually up and down the beach when in reality it was a blood bath as Saving Private Ryan would later show.
@@MikeLacey52 All authorities agree that the first man killed by enemy action on D-Day was Lt Den Brotheridge, leading the charge across 'Pegasus Bridge'. Fred Greenhalgh died during his glider crash, either in the wreckage or thrown into a ditch / pond and drowned.
@@renard801 Why are you even debating this? I've not for a second said that Lt Brotheridge wasn't the first soldier to be killed by the enemy; I'm just point out that, unknown to the vast majority of people, he was not the first soldier to die.
@@MikeLacey52 And why are you so prickly? I am neither disputing nor arguing with what you said. I'm simply adding more information about the two deaths.
But that is how it was! The German sentries, not expecting an attack, were caught off guard when Major Howard's gliders swooped silently from the sky to land right alongside the bridge. His men had trained long and hard for this moment. They charged from the gliders and took the bridge. It was a brilliantly executed operation.
It was a 'coup de main' operation - a swift, violent attack. The assault force had trained to charge across the bridge, screaming and shouting to cause maximum fear and confusion. It was never intended as a silent raid.
They were gliders not planes, the only noise was when they slid on landing ripping through obstacles. It was so quiet that a few germans in the bunker at the end of the bridge were woken up by british pointing their guns at them laying in their bunks.
There was a an air raid on the nearby barracks outside the town to provide a distraction and noise to cover the landing. It actually was early, so that some of the guards had begun to go off duty. The Germans involved who survived later said that they'd also got so used to the idea of planes crashing in the distance that it wasn't reported any more.
Richard Todd reloading while talking at the end of the scene, you can tell the man never forgot his way around the Sten all those years later
"Shove Bash Cock" Done mostly without looking at the gun, either. "Muscle memory", I believe they call it nowadays.
In real life, Richard Todd had been one of the commandos that came up to relieve the airborne troops in the gliders after they took the bridge, so he was there but not as part of the first wave. Here playing Major Howard, who he actually met during this action.
@@Kevin-mx1vi he was a Paratrooper not a Commando.
@@Kevin-mx1vi Todd was a Paratrooper in 7 Battlion Parachute Regiment not a Commando
You are right. I stand corrected. My apologies.
Richard Todd, who took part in the action at the bridge at Benouville (later renamed Pegasus Bridge), was offered the chance to play himself, but joked, "I don't think at this stage of my acting career I could accept a part 'that' small." He was cast as the commander of the bridge assault, Major John Howard, instead. In a strange twist of fate, in one scene of the battle for the bridge, a soldier runs up to Todd, playing Major Howard, and relays information about the battle to him. During the actual real battle, Todd actually did run up to Howard to relay information to him. Therefore, the film actually did show a soldier playing Todd running up to Todd playing Howard and relaying information the real Todd gave to the real Howard.
I love how a Chinese person was so impressed to upload this.
My God! to think he really did all that in real life, upon reading about his exploits it's a bloody miracle he survived the war he had several near misses, and to think he lived to ninety wonderfully brave man.
I've been there - I was there last year, 2019 - and I've seen the markers where those three gliders landed by Pegasus Bridge. My god, that was brilliant flying, at night, with gliders. Pinpoint.
Yes, it was hailed as one of the greatest feats of flying during the war.
Their accuracy was incredible. There is no redo with a glider, you have to do it right the first time!
Perfectly executed. You could not have asked for a better result! Germans caught completely off guard with a bold plan and flawless execution!
Eisenhower called it the greatest coup de main of the war.
On Wednesday March 6th 2019, I attended the funeral of a great man; my uncle (fathers brother)...
Harold "commando" Williams who Passed away tragically in a house fire on Friday February 15th 2019 aged 97.
Im so very proud of my uncle Harold as a member of the Commando unit tasked with defending the taking Pegasus Bridge codename Operation Deadstick
on 6 June 1944 as part of the Normandy landings . During that time he was shot twice in the leg, one of the wounds stayed open to his final day.
In 2017 he was awarded the Legion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit, for his involvement in the liberation of France.
Britt humour.
"Hey Doc, what are you doing here, it's the german side ?"
The Doc:
"Every body can make a mistake, Sir !"
🇬🇧👍
Incorrect, Not commandos but Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Yes, glidermen.
Yes! D Company of the Oxford and Buckhinghamshire light infantry regiment. Well said Sir!
Not commandos or Light infantry, but British actors pretending to be commandos or Light infantry.
Good actors, great story.
Nick Godwin except major Howard (Richard Todd) who was part of the assault in real life. At the end of that clip he was talking to an actor who was portraying him. How surreal. What an effort by our British cousins !
They were part of the 6th British Airborne Infantry.
Curiously, Richard Todd, the actor who performs the caracter of mayor John Howard, took part in these events actually.
Amazing that Jim Wallwork managed to land that Horsa at all, what with the weight of 30 pairs of massive balls weighing down the glider, including his own. Same with the other five gliders.
Ham and jam! Good old wagger Thornton, Jim woolwark, wally Parr and civvies like the gondre family and the rest of the ox and bucks.
"Hold until relieved, hold until relieved..."
Those words are in the Operational Order, but it becoming a mantra is mere Hollywood.
Major Frost didn't give it another thought, as he'd written the plan himself, and practised the assault many times in Britain.
Realistic training counts for a lot where success is concerned.
Reminds me of my Prostate problem.
@@stevetheduck1425 Major Frost??? I think you mean Major Reginald John Howard DSO, commanding officer of "D" Company Second Battalion, Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry - "Up the Ox's and Bucks".
Makes me proud to be British watching this movie and also a great way to remember what brave men like them did for Britain and hope they are always remembered and honoured
I served with the Brits over the years and their isn't a group I have more respect for. Great tactics and great lads. I've never laughed harder then I have just bullshitting with them
@Mister Jorrox my original comment was about the people who fought and died for Britain which a lot weren't English but they fought with pride.
British airborne were awesome on D-Day. The best.
British have some of the best forces IMO, expessily special forces. Though as an American, I think ours is a little better. LOL! I know, a little biased there. Though in truth, I think it would be preaty even on who was better.
Britain is not a country it is a landmass and there is no such nationality as 'British'. What is worth remembering is that while this engagement was being fought to free France and Europe, Scotland was and still is occupied by a foreign country, you call it Britain but we know that it is really England. The day you stand up and admit you have been no better than the Germans in your treatment and abuse of those smaller countries you have occupied and still occupy then we might believe your pride. Until then you have nothing to be proud about.
Love the scene at :52 . He is a paratrooper, thus his courage is without question, but at that moment, his hands aren't as courageous as the rest of him. His mate doesn't give him a hard time, he just helps get his helmet secured, so they can get on with it. Great scene about the camaraderie of war.
Man for a glider to land in a secure LZ but to actually be the first guy who'd crash his behind enemy lines on D Day and park it next to a MG nest. Took massive balls.
And in complete night-time darkness! The skill of those British glider pilots that night was praised as one of the greatest feats of flying during WWII.
The pilot of that lead glider was Jim woolwark, 3 came in that particular bridge. Another three next to it to take the adjacent bridge. There is a river and a canal that runs parallel close together.
If I may be allowed to misquote Fleet Admiral Nimitz: "Among the men who fought on D-Day, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Staff Sergeant Jim Wallwork of The Glider Pilot Regiment, was the 1st pilot of the first Horsa glider to land. He and his colleagues who flew the gliders performed as infantry soldiers once on the ground.
@@briangoulden6687 the wings of pegasus by George Chatterton.
There is a Cafe Gondree house, and cafe, very close to this bridge.
This is alleged to be the very first French house, and family, liberated by British troops on D Day, just after midnight June 6, 1944.
The owner had buried many champagne bottles to keep them away from the Germans.
When he heard that the British had secured the bridge, and liberated himself and his family, he was so happy, that he told those troops where to dig up all the bottles, and gave them away free of charge to all the soldiers.
To this very day, this tradition of champagne toasts continues at that cafe every June 6th.
Mike12522 ive talked with the owner of the house, its stil the same family that owns the café, and inside of the café there are beautifull pictures of the attack with paintings and stuff really interesting
@@roblewa6766 - There are many ' sacred ground ' places in Normandy, and Europe.
I have visited Dachau. It is sobering, sad, and terrible to think that such a place even existed.
Should I be able, I would want to visit many WW2 places in Europe. Including the cemeteries. And the Beaches.
And Cafe Gondree. It would be an honor to be there.
Mike12522 you really should go to normandy its really incredible, you stil find alot of tracks of the battle on the beaches
It was the first building liberated but anyone from the the ox and bucks (the regiment that took the bridge) isn't allowed there anymore after major Howard had a disagreement with the owner
Richard Todd who played Maj Howard was actually there during D Day. The troops involved were nether Royal Marines or Parachute Rgt but the Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry of 2 Airlanding Brigade.
6th Airlanding Brigade.
The Combined Ox and Bucks Company and & para were relieved by Lord Lovatts Special Service Brigade not RM Commandos! To make it even funnier in the Film Sir Sean Connery (A Scotsman) of 007 fame played an Irishman in the unit, typical Hollywood!!
@@brianives4809, Connery is an Irish name, his grandfather or great grandfather was Irish, also he lived in Ireland for a while, I know the house he stayed in!
Richard Todd in real life at Pegasus bridge delivered a message to the real major Howard
The Ox and Bucks was an English County Regiment split into a number of different battalions. These battalions served in different theatres. The 1st and 2nd were in Normandy, the 6th in the far East, and the seventh, in which my Father was a Company Commander, was in Italy.
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Battalions of different regiments were often 'brigaded' together, to create an all-arms unit suitable for the purpose.
My father's unit the Rifle Brigade had a battalion in Italy which acted as the night reconnaissance force for the Brigade, until suddenly thrown into a major hilltop town heavy infantry assault against a mixed German force stiffened with Fallschirmjager at Tossignano.
Completely unlike any of their training or expertise, the attack of course failed with many casualties, my father amongst them, fortunately only wounded in an arm, bone broken and nerves damaged.
He was out of the fighting until his regiment arrived in Austria, among the first troops into the Third Reich, almost ignored by the newspapers at the time, and almost ignored by historians ever since.
The actor playing major Howard was actually at that bridge on DDay as a Lt. in 7th regiment holding the high ground around the bridge they jumped by parachute
*7th Para Battalion
7th Battalion held Benouville and Le Port, the two villages on the western side of the Caen Canal on the western approach to the bridge and cutting the Ouistreham (& Sword Beach) to Caen road. It’s not high ground, it’s just acting as a forward line of a defence in depth, so any approach to the bridges from the west have to get through 7th Battalion first.
You might be referring to the Bavent ridge, held by 3rd Para Bde.
The actor was Richard Todd. There is a later scene when Major Howard (played by Mr Todd) talks to a young Lt (played by a teenage actor) who is playing the part of Lt Todd.
The German "garrison" at the bridge was four men stationed in the Cafe Gondree. There was a larger platoon sized group not far from the bridge, but they didn't react until well after Howard and his men had seized the bridge. There was a brief firefight, in which Den Brotheridge, Howard's second in command, was killed. He was arguably the first Allied casualty on D-Day.
It’s amazing that Richard Todd got to play the commander of a raid he was actually apart of in WW2
If I remember correctly they offered him the chance to play himself but he refused because A) he didn’t do anything crazy and B) he thought it wouldn’t have been a respectful tribute
Richard Todd actually parachuted in on D Day for real!
He's in the film, as one of the guys standing next to the character he's playing... my head hurts.
Something similar happens in 'Sink the Bismark', as well.
I have watched this scene many times in "The Longest Day." Only very recently, I saw a documentary detailing the raid and how it evolved. And you wouldn't believe it... As superhuman as this film fragment makes it appear, in reality, it was much, much harder to complete this mission. Even though, rewatching this scene and seeing how those 'commandoes' slide under the bridge in all their gear, just hanging by their hands, all the while trying to remove charges... Very impressive.
BTW, LOL that German radio operator was so shocked that he started yelling in English: "Hello!? Hello!? Damn!"
Those 'commando's' were 30 members of 249 Field Company Royal Engineers and their task was to remove the demolition charges from below the bridge. The methods to remove the charges were a work of film drama. Once the firing ring main is removed the charges are in effect safe and can be removed once the fighting has reduced/stopped.
As rows10 said. The removal was indeed film drama. In reality there were not even charges. The German commander removed them every night as the charges on bridges were regulary stolen by the French resistance! Although the Brits did not knew this. They would not send men in full kit to hang under the bridge. Just cut the wires first.
Pegasus Bridge was where Lt Danny Botheridge was killed, the first allied soldier killed on D-Day.
He wasn't. The first guy to die was L/Cpl Fred Greenhalgh, a Bren gunner who was thrown out of his glider on landing, knocked out, and drowned. RIP.
@@MikeLacey52 Poor Greenhalgh wasn't exactly 'killed' in the accepted sense. Yes, probably he was the first allied soldier to die, either in the glider crash or being thrown out and drowned in a ditch.
Lt Den 'Danny' Brotheridge was the first allied soldier to be killed by enemy action, while leading the charge across the bridge.
@@renard801 he was killed. Doesn't really matter how, he died.
@@MikeLacey52 In the interests of history, it does really matter. One man died accidentally during the landings, the other has the dubious honour of being the first killed by the enemy on D-Day.
@@renard801 Stop now. Stop trying to look smart, stop trying to look clever. the poster said Lt Brotheridge ( note correct spelling) was the first allied soldier killed on D Day. the simple fact was, he was not.
Up the Ox's and Bucks !- Brilliant
Major Howard Played by (former Captain)Richard Todd - WHO WAS THERE
Correct: Almost unique in film, as a actor Richard Todd acts the part of Maj Howard. In the film he, as Maj Howard speaks to a paratroop officer, one of the reinforcements dropped on 6th of June. That paratroop officer is acting the part that Richard Todd carried out on D Day.
there were actually 2 Richard Todd in the movie... lol
A good majority of the actors had been in the real WW2 in 1962, it was only 20 years after the end of the war so it wasn't that extroadinary.
Richard Todd was not part of the first 'coup de main' glider landings. He was, though, a paratrooper lieutenant who dropped soon afterwards with hundreds of others to link up with Major Howard's assault force. In the film, Todd plays Major Howard.
The beret he wears in the film is the actual one that he wore on 6th June 1944. He changed the badge for accuracy in the film.
Richard todd parachuted in & reinforced the troops later that day .He was a leftenant in the parras. Some of his kit is on show at Madam Gondre cafe next to PEGASUS BRIDGE
he was flown in by glider his cap badge is the light infantry ox and bucks.
ime a ex lightinfantryman i know the bugal when i see it
@@zuperblue1 Richard todd was originally in the Yorkshire light infantry. Later the parachute regiment. On d day he parachuted in AFTER the glider assault & reinforced Major John Howard at PEGASUS BRIDGE. ...... look it up on WIKIPEDIA! !!!! I've been to PEGASUS BRIDGE & CAFE GONDRE, Where some of his kit is on show several times.
@@patrick88705 mm interesting i know the KOYLI cap badge it is distinct among the light infantry but its not the one worn in the movie, it is the ox n bucks badge he is wearing
@@zuperblue1 Todd wore the Ox and Bucks badge in the movie because he was playing the part of Major Howard, not Lieutenant Todd of the paras!! And yes, on D-Day Lt Todd was one of the paras who jumped nearby to relieve the glider troops. He was one of the very first paras to reach the bridge after moving cross country.
‘Anyone can make a mistake sir’ so British.
Stayed in campsite 300 meters away from the bridge a couple of years ago,can't imagine what these lads went through
74 years ago to the time and day i post this event was happening for real.
My grandfather told me a story of crash landing in a glider, the infantry/ranger officers were killed, he being an NCO suddenly found himself in charge of the survivors when the LT pilots said nope we only fly.
Yep, US Glider pilots were only there to fly. Once it hit the deck, their job was done. British Glider pilots fought as infantry with the unit they flew in with
Fore runners to my old regiment The Royal Green Jackets.....:)
Lord Lovett led the cammondos to relive Oxford and Buckinghamshire light infantry (airborne) troops at pegasus bridge."Hold until relived "👍🇬🇧
The Longest Day shows Lovat's 1st Special Service Brigade relieving Major Howard's small assault force. In fact, by the time Lovat arrived from Sword Beach (around 1330 hours), Howard's men had been reinforced - as planned - by many paratroopers from 7 Para who jumped at about 0050. They included Lieutenant Richard Todd.
Chris Holland. That’s Lord Lovat.
Correct. Known to family and friends as Shimi.
@@bertvdlast Thanks
Chris Holland. That guy was a bloody hero! I read a funny story about him. When he was landing with his commandos in Normandy on D-Day he ordered his piper to play the bagpipe. The War Office had given orders that it wasn’t allowed to do that. When Bill Millin reminded him of these orders he said:”Ah, thats the English War Office, Bill. You and me are Scottish so it doesn’t apply to us!”
Quite right - the Airborne Bn. of the Ox & Bucks. light infantry. Also, bear in mind this was the day BEFORE the main allied invasion on 6th June 1944. Two bridges were secured, code named "ham" and "jam".
It wasn't 'the day before'. The first glider landed at 0016 hrs on 6 June, D-Day.
Richard Todd, the actor, playing his boss, Major John Howard in the movie. Todd, was actually on this raid as a Lieutenant in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
He was actually a Lieutenant in the7th Battalion Parachute Regiment dropped nearby but not in D company Ox and Bucks.
Less a raid than a 'coup de main', but I get what you're saying.
An interesting point in the film when the relieving forces arrive headed by a piper ( trooper playing bagpipes) the piper was played by the actual piper who was there on d day. When he and the officer he was with marched across the bridge they did so under the gaze of several German snipers. When asked afterwards why they hadn't shot them the germans all said they just thought they were a pair of nutters ( source:- max Hastings's book overlord)
Bill Millin did not appear in "The Longest Day" - his part was played by Pipe Major Leslie de Laspee of the London Scottish, another prominent figure in the bagpiping fraternity.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_to_the_Queen_Mother
The officer he walked across the bridge was presumably no less a figure than Brigadier Simon "Shimi" Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, as played in the film by Peter Lawford.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Fraser,_15th_Lord_Lovat
Get it right !
These are not “ Royal Commandos”.
This is 2nd Battalion the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry .
“ Up the Ox and Bucks!”
What is amazing in the final few seconds of the clip. Major Howard(Richard Todd) is talking to talking to himself Captain Richard
Todd!!
Yes, it must have been surreal for him to be back on this ridge at night and in a battle again.
Hold, until relieved. Hold, until relieved. Hold, until relieved.
Fun fact: There was an Australian prime insider who shared the name as John Howard 😂
I imagine lots of people go by the name of John Howard.
If one is to believe the Producers and Scriptwriters of "The Longest Day", this was virtually the only British contribution to D Day. Thank goodness we had all those Americans and Free (sic) French to do all the fighting.
You did land a dog, who the shelling was very bad for 😅😅😅
This is an incredible scene... Richard Todd actually participated in this action...his commander... major John Howard... 😮
Surely this is my favorite scene from the movie
No commandos involved, Para troops of the air landing brigade. As said elsewhere Richard Todd was there and in the film the Beret he wore was the one issued to him in 1943
Small correction, Michael Shore - the initial assault was not by paras but by glider-borne troops of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry. Paras dropped soon after to relieve them. Much later, at around 1330, Lord Lovat's commandos also arrived, having landed on Sword Beach.
Running into a group of Sten guns like that would be like kicking a hornet's nest.
Alonzo Branson. The Sten was made by a British company that had previously made typewriters. It had a bad habit of jamming.
@@johnmcdonald9304 and sometimes firing itself when you didn't want it to, but it was cheap. I read that the American Thomson cost $400 each which was too much for the British army, so they produced the Sten. Someone called the Sten the three half crown gun (37.5p) because they only cost that to produce. Probably an exaggeration, but it would be interesting to know what they did cost.
Actor Richard Todd of the scene was a real British airborne soldier and jumped during D DAY.
What are ‘royal commandos’? ‘D’ Coy Ox and Bucks light infantry under the command of Major John Howard.
The thing which astonishes me the most is that the German defenders of Pegasus Bridge were taken by surprise at all. They should not have been.
50 German troops, with ten machine gun positions available, were at the two bridges in question.
But only two sentries were on duty at Pegasus bridge. Neither one appeared to have immediately seen or heard the attack coming.
I can't imagine how the Germans did not clearly see or hear 5 out of six gliders, containing about 150 men, crash land as close as 150 FEET, ( 47 or so yards ), from the bridge.
Crash-landing gliders do make a pretty large amount of noise, right ?
And yet it somehow did happen, and history was made ..................
if some one had to wake you from a slumber and you had to orient yourself how long would it take you to put on your cloths on , put on your kit on, grab your weapons assemble your squad, move to your defensive positions (not everyone slept next to the bridge). How long does it take to jump out of a glider fully kitted and attack a bridge. I'd bet the glider troops would move faster. not to mention two sentries who haven't heard anything in a couple years hearing something and debating what they have heard. ("you hear that", "yeah it sound like a car crash", "should we sound the alarm", "the allies are gonna invade up at the pas du calais i don't want to get in trouble by waking the boss up for nothing".) human uncertainty burns so much time.
@@soyentak5076 - I do agree with you. It takes time to get ready to fight.
But I also feel that the Germans were very much caught by surprise. Almost caught napping, you might say. A bad oversight.
They possibly did not have troops at every position at all, in shifts.
And they were attacked by a force at least three times their size.
its actually known that the gliders were actually incredibly quiet even when hitting the ground plus if you have ever been a sentry its a fucking nerve racking job cause you think any noice is an enemy
Every man on board was knocked unconscious for several seconds when Major Howard's #1 glider landed. The bridge sentries obviously heard nothing. Having quickly and quietly organised his men, Howard silently moved towards the bridge, which is when one German in a trench fired at them. As trained, they then charged like madmen towards and over the bridge, cutting down the 18-year-old sentry as he ran away, and throwing grenades into defensive positions.
@@renard801 What I read somewhere is that there was so much activity that night, that several Allied bombers and fighters had been shot down and crashed all over the French countryside. That same discussion mentioned that the Germans may have though the landing gliders were aircraft that had been shot down. But I do agree, those gliders landed so close that the racket they made had to have been heard by the sentries unless they were asleep too!
Pegasus bridge wasn't at Ouistreham. It was near the village of Ranville
Ah gee that's only about 3 miles
The original bridge is still there although now in the grounds of the Museum. The modern bridge is similar but longer as the river has been widened since 1944.
I thought it was at Benouville.
Benouville is on the west side of the bridge and Ranville on the east.
@@roberthayter157 2 bridges were captured one over the Canal the second over the River.
This wasn’t at Ouistreham…
Hoorah the ox and bucks cet et audaux
Could anyone tell me what the song airborne troopers were singing at the beginning is?
The Lambeth waltz...
kendog84. Correction: the Lambeth Walk.
They were not Royal Commandos. This was D Company of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire light infantry regiment.
Link arms and put up your feet?! Holy Sh*T
richard todd was in fact in the paratroop force that reinforced the bridge.as howard he meets the extra who is playing him! todd quipped im the only actor ever to relieve myself onscreen! oddly todd due to his name was nicknamed sweeney! there was an officer in howards group called sweeney who was therefore nicknamed todd! it caused considerable humour and misunderstanding during the following days as both answered the call todd or sweeney whenever it was barked! he and sweeney became great friends and the guy appeared on todds this is your life with howard!
Watching at 2316 hours UK time 89 years after they landed eactly with a tott of navy rrum. Hoofing effort
Light Infantry!
The senior Light Infantry Regiment, who went the Green Jacket way, instead of the LI, which looking back at their history was the correct way to go as the 43rd and 52nd were trained along with the 95th Rifles at Shornecliffe , by Sir John Moore, to form the famous light Division. Tthe Light Infantry came along later, and in fact some of the former Regiments of the LI were honorary titles bestowed on them, so a good decision by the OBLI to become Green Jackets. Not forgetting the Other famous Green Jacket Regiment the 60th Rifles later the KRRC
3:27 most british "not bothered" way of throwing a smoke grenade
Up the action Bux! Up the action Bux!
Up the OX and Bucks. Look it up.
This was the action called Pegasus bridge. They pulled off the captire of the capture of the bridge with minimum casualties. I believe only one fatality. This movie shows several casuaties.
Two killed including Den Brotheridge. His wife gave birth to their daughter a few weeks later. I have been to his grave in Ranville Cemetery. Immensely moving.
Hello, my GGrandfater V.V.Crouch was in Verdun in WWII part of a Railroad Battalion. There was an incident where 60 glider pilots showed up and needed to get back to get more gliders. This was problematic due to sabotage of tracks, equipment and communication. Supply drops not getting through until a night glider mission was put together. Parts flow in. Train assembled, track cleared. Locomotive was fired and dawn and they got through without any authorization from HQ. Has anyone heard this? Can anyone add to this? I do have some documents, photos that confirm some of this.
Gentlemen...
Don't forget to hold until relieved
3:32 , he could've thrown a fragmentation grenade into that mg nest. It was so close.
yep he could no problems doing so pull release count ad toss, modern types are pull and throw shorter fuses!!
Any time you're Lambeth way,
Any evening, any day,
You'll find them all
Doing the Lambeth Walk...oi!
Having been to Pegasus Bridge and seen how close the glider landed to the bridge and that if the machine gun post only a few yards away had been manned it would have been a very different outcome. (Why that machine gun post was not manned is I suspect something we will never know. (Personally with the café Gondré the other side of the bridge being close to being a Resistance HQ I have to ponder if that was not the reason for the unmanned machine gun post.)
was there a colour flim aswell?
yes
Actor Richard Todd was actually there...he played his commanding officer...
No. Todd played Major Howard of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, who on D-Day commanded the 'coup de main' glider troops who took the bridges. Lieutenant Todd was one of the paras who dropped soon afterwards to relieve the glider troops.
Can't believe it's 2024 and the Americans haven't made a film yet where they took this bridge.
Does anyone know how many British airborne troops were involved in this attack? Seems like very few.
Wikipedia says 180, but that is including the Orne Bridge, there were 3 gliders at Pegasus (Caen canal bridge as it was known during the war) and each glider held 30 men, so about 90 men in total. There were also people who didn't get out instantly, being injured after the landing, so probably less actually fought.
What about the pilots, did they also praticipate in the fight?
What song do they sing?
At least it was on target not six miles away
Love how those first paratroopers just yeet themselves onto the Germans
Is it not bridge at Orne?
Airborne, All The Way!!!
Pegasus Bridge wasn't 'airborne' in the accepted sense. It was glider-borne infantry from the Ox and Bucks, not paras.
Lol, I knew that already, but thanks for the correction. CJ.
@@sgt.airborne3733 Upon reflection, your comment could be accurate! Major Howard's 'Deadstick' unit, although Ox and Bucks troops, were part of 6 Airborne Division.
richard todd?? possibly the only actor who actualy, played action, a part in his real life
Audie Murphy
The sixth Airborn took Pegasus...Richard Todd played his own commanding officer...now known as the Parachute Regiment...
Typical Para comment...it was Ox and bucks, look at cap badge(became RGJ, now Rifles) Parachute regiment was already formed and attacking Melville Battery.
@@chomntaille8526 Indeed. The Parachutists did drop in support of D Coy, but they did not take either bridge.
As stated elsewhere, the paras emphatically did NOT take Pegasus Bridge. It was the Ox and Bucks infantry under Major Howard, landing in gliders.
And Richard Todd did NOT 'play his own commanding officer'. Major Howard was not his CO.
Lieutenant Todd was part of the follow-up force, who parachuted in and made their way to Pegasus to relieve Howard.
@@renard801 Oxf & Bucks, please.
@@MikeLacey52 Yes, OK, but usually known as the Ox and Bucks (easier to pronounce). See their regimental history, Facebook page etc etc.
It's the Orne river crossing not Ouistreham
'Pegasus Bridge' was over the Caen Canal. 'Horsa Bridge' was nearby, over the Orne River. Both bridges were taken during the operation. But yes, a few miles from Ouistreham.
My father dropped Para's and towed gliders on D-Day
The attack was done by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire light infantry
Not commandos
Brve young men rip lt Denholm brtheridge
i asked roy cadman if he walked accross ,,,,,, he said "walk?.....i fucking run ,,, they where shooting at me "............it was his way of saying fucking that made me chuckle as he sipped on his i was honoured to buy him ,,
meant to add beer he was sucking through his straw ,,, great man to chat with
Balls.
Two per man, and a mighty clang they make. ;-)
03:24 Lol, MOHAA Sten sound :D (Or MOHAA had TLD's Sten sound)
The glider pilot landed about 10 metres from the bridge I've heard it called one of the greatest aeronautical feats of the war.
No.the first glider landed 45 metres from the bridge
Todd was there for real
You need to change that title
I don't think the original poster knows or understands the British Army's regimental system. Or how baroque the naming conventions can be. You can be '42 Commando' or in the 'Royal Marine Commandos' but you CANNOT be a 'Royal Commando'. Especially not as Pegasus Bridge was taken by the "Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry" of historical renown and not some johnny-come-lately like the Commandos.
Why did they have to lift their feet up?
Reznov Nata because the impact on the ground could of broke their legs
- also objects on the ground could easily tear through the bottom of the glider, and bracing feet against the men opposite (and linking arms) resisted the shock of of the landing somewhat.
Ignorance will have us shooting each other.up the 6 para!.
🕸
I read the book, “Pegasus Bridge” and, barely any of this actually happened, for e.g, it shows at least 3 British soldiers dying in the bridges assault, when in reality there was only one. And also, there was nowhere near as much resistance on the bridges as shown, there weren’t any sandbag bunkers. I don’t know if they interviewed actual Pegasus Bridge veterans, but either way, this scene is totally awesome
I wouldn't be looking to The Longest Day for realism, a good majority of it was sensationalised heroism, the Omaha Beach scenes are particularly laughable watching Robert Mitchum wandering casually up and down the beach when in reality it was a blood bath as Saving Private Ryan would later show.
Being shot does not mean being killed. And two soldiers died, the first one being L/Cpl Fred Greenhalgh.
@@MikeLacey52 All authorities agree that the first man killed by enemy action on D-Day was Lt Den Brotheridge, leading the charge across 'Pegasus Bridge'.
Fred Greenhalgh died during his glider crash, either in the wreckage or thrown into a ditch / pond and drowned.
@@renard801 Why are you even debating this? I've not for a second said that Lt Brotheridge wasn't the first soldier to be killed by the enemy; I'm just point out that, unknown to the vast majority of people, he was not the first soldier to die.
@@MikeLacey52 And why are you so prickly? I am neither disputing nor arguing with what you said. I'm simply adding more information about the two deaths.
Lmao at 6:32
The amount of stiff upper lip in this should have been enough to hold the bridge up if the Germans tried to blow it
Uncle buck's?🙄
Jman
03:27, 03:46, 04:13, 05:18🔝
Crash a plane in the place then try to be quiet to not alert the enemy.
Odd
But that is how it was! The German sentries, not expecting an attack, were caught off guard when Major Howard's gliders swooped silently from the sky to land right alongside the bridge. His men had trained long and hard for this moment. They charged from the gliders and took the bridge.
It was a brilliantly executed operation.
It was a 'coup de main' operation - a swift, violent attack. The assault force had trained to charge across the bridge, screaming and shouting to cause maximum fear and confusion. It was never intended as a silent raid.
They were gliders not planes, the only noise was when they slid on landing ripping through obstacles. It was so quiet that a few germans in the bunker at the end of the bridge were woken up by british pointing their guns at them laying in their bunks.
There was a an air raid on the nearby barracks outside the town to provide a distraction and noise to cover the landing.
It actually was early, so that some of the guards had begun to go off duty.
The Germans involved who survived later said that they'd also got so used to the idea of planes crashing in the distance that it wasn't reported any more.
ah good old *R O Y A L C O M M A N D O S*
Queseacastellano
Title is wrong
Apparently Richard Todd wore his original beret in this scene that he wore on d day.
If so was he in the light infantry cos the bugal is the cap badge worn
@@zuperblue1 In the movie, Todd was playing the part of Major Howard of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, hence the badge.