Battle of Normandy D-Day museum
Published Thursday, November 17, 2016 | 
The Pegasus Memorial Museum in Benouville
When we have a 2 or 3 day tour we can also go and see this museum or you can check it out on your own either way it’s a great museum and it shows the British side of things, but it’s a drive to get there because it’s on the eastern side of the landing beaches here in Normandy, near Sword Beach, in fact the plan was the capture of the bridge so that the forces getting off at Sword beach could link up with the gliderborne & airborne troops in Benouville thus creating a bridgehead as to get a foothold in Normandy.
British paratroopers had a single quick release mechanism for their chutes, which was quickly adapted by American airbone, after the D-Day fiasco of June 6th.
The museum was naugurated on June 4th 2000 by HRH the Prince of Wales. The Memorial Pegasus is dedicated to the men of 6th Airborne Division and their role during the Battle of Normandy from June to September 1944.
It was designed and constructed within a few months by the D-Day Commemoration Committee presided by Admiral Brac de la Perrière.
Guided visits, within a thematically laid out exhibition hall,
enabling the visitors to discover the different missions of the division.
Missions carried out before the seaborne landings on the beaches in June 1944.
It really was “The Longest Day”.
Hundreds of historical objects and photos of the era are presented in the museum.
The original Bénouville Bridge, renamed Pegasus Bridge after the liberation,
is on display in the park of the museum along with a Bailey bridge
and a full size copy of a wartime Horsa glider.
The collection is constantly increasing in size,
the historical relevancy to 6th Airborne Division
is carefully controlled by the British Airborne Assault Normandy Trust.
