| Bailey Bridges. Now there is a subject I can talk about in depth. Being in a Field Company Royal Engineers, (They serve at the Sharp end) I have, with my platoon mates built many Baileys, and other assault crossing bridges… most of them under direct fire. From Pegasus bridge, “Tidal Bailey” to Northern Holland.
The Bailey is probably the finest invention in military engineering, they have been put in place at bewildering speed. They come in all shapes and sizes from huge Rhine crossing, down to little ones across canals.
Building assault bridges under direct fire, is an “Education” Always it scared the crap out of me. I can talk at some length about bridging the river Orne, to back up Pegasus bridge. The Sappers were already there, before the Commandos arrived with their Piper!
My Company built the first Assault bridge over the Escaut canal, on the drive North on Market Garden drive to Arnhem. A fearsome night operation, never to be forgotten. “Dantes Inferno” had nothing on this.
Sapper. |