The Tale of Two Bridges. This item is unavailable.The Tale of Two Bridges

The 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion, Commanded by Lt. Col. R.G. Pine-Coffin, DSO., MC., was part of the 6th Airborne Division in June 1944. Its task was to secure and hold an area east of the River Orne in Normandy. Vital to the success of the operation was the seizing of two bridges, one over the Caen Canal and the other over the River Orne. The 7th Battalion was selected for the task of holding the bridges themselves until such time as the seaborne troops closed the gap. Their secondary task was to contact the seaborne troops to inform them their way was clear to advance. The Coup De Main party which consisted of some one hundred and eighty made up from the2nd Battalion Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Royal Engineers, under the command of Major J. Howard, DSO., were to come under command as soon as the Battalion arrived from the drop zone. After the bridges were secured The 7th Battalion took over their defence against expected counter attacks by German forces who were stationed in and around the area. The part played by 7 Para is one of the previously untold stories of D-Day. Major General Gale commented: "This ended a great day for The 7th Parachute Battalion. They had fulfilled their task. They had held the Western Bridgehead and had had twenty-two hours of continuous and hard fighting. The men were tired but well satisfied and proud of their achievements. Casualties had amounted to sixty killed and wounded." Here in these pages are the words of Lt. Col. Pine-Coffin, and some of the men under his command, which gives an insight rarely seen outside the forces - of war and its consequences. The bravery, comradeship and total trust conveyed by both men and officers during this conflict was absolute.