An appeal has gone out to bring sponsors who will help the Allied Special Forces Association in making the Pegasus Bridge memorial a reality. The Association has raised £13,000 and is hoping to raise another £32,000 in time for June 6, 2017 – the completion date which marks the 73rd anniversary of the D-Day landing at Normandy.
The Pegasus Bridge action used three gliders to land beside the Orne River to capture it and another bridge at the Caen canal.
Only two people were killed in Operation Conga. The new memorial design portrays three silver gliders on a giant ‘S’ shape to symbolize the clandestine operation carried out with surprise, speed, and secrecy. The planes will have, respectively, wingspans of seven, five, and three feet.
Mike Colton, the secretary of the Allied Special Forces Association, explained the operation was fraught with danger. Soldiers trained for two years for this single operation. They descended in absolute darkness with only a stopwatch and a compass. There was no choice but to crash land and be severely cut because of glass. It was considered a suicide mission, Burton Mail reported.
It was a dangerous mission, and they trained for two years for this it. They were dropped in complete darkness with just a compass and a stopwatch. They had to crash land and were cut to ribbons because of glass. It was a suicide mission as the troops were not expected to survive. Had it failed, the entire D-Day event would have been jeopardized.
To make a donation to the project, click here. To find out more about the memorial grove, check out the website.
A replica of the memorial was made, designed for the National Memorial Arboretum to show its appearance. The model has been also made to demonstrate what it will look like once completed. The model will be available for sale once the memorial is completed.
The Allied Special Forces Association is a Registered Charity No. 1156925.