Newspaper drop at Pegasus Bridge

There were newspapers dropped at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day to the glider riders and paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division by an aircraft from the RAF.

It is claimed that at around 08.00 hrs spitfires came over the Caen Canal bridge and dropped a selection of newspapers, one in particular was the Daily Mirror newspaper and the men searching for Jane comic strip to see "the sight of Jane getting her kit off."

The problem is that I can't find any Spitfires operating in the Calvados area on the morning of 6th June 1944, does anybody know which Squadron dropped the newspapers to the paras or did this happen later in the day?

Brithm

 

It is reported that newspapers were dropped, but not D-Day, the next day, 7 June
I doubt it was from a Spitfire as they are not so equipped, probably with one of the re-supply drops

 

I was at Pegasus bridge at that time..... The very idea of papers being dropped? Where di that story come from///it was hardly a place to stop and read papers.

 

Was it a leaflet drop on the 7th warning local people of the alied advance? Where would the Spitfire hold its pay load?
I would be interested to know, as my father was there and he never mentioned any thing. Things must have been hectic and would the soldiers have have time to read a news paper. Just being curious

 

Newspapers were despatched on D Day and arrived on D+1. Apparently 56,000 papers were paid for by the NAAFI and reached some units on D+1 while forward units got theirs on D+2. It is not recorded whether they had time to read them.

There were instances of items being dropped by fighter aircraft using drop tanks. I do not think Spitfires carried them.

Mike

 

Thanks for the info Mike, curiousity answered. It interesting to know despite what was going on, they had news what was going on back home

 

It's one of those stories I guess? Still Captain John Howard in his accounts says it happened sometime in the morning of June 6th. The site won't let me upload a captured quote form Neil Barber's book "The Pegasus and Orne Bridges" at the moment so I'll add one from Will Fowler's "Pegasus Bidge".

"At about 0800hrs, two RAF Spitfires flew low over the bridges to check on their
condition, and on Howard’s order a ground signal was laid out to show they had been
secured. The pilots made several passes and a number of victory rolls, but before
they disappeared one of the pilots was seen to drop something from the cockpit.
Howard sent a section to investigate and they found that he had dropped a selection
of the early editions of that day’s newspapers. While there was nothing about D-Day,
they provided a most welcome distraction as they were passed around. For the men
of the coup de main force, Howard told the author, the real interest was the racy
cartoon strip in the Daily Mirror featuring the adventures of Jane, a scantily clad
young lady who in various roles took on the might of the Third Reich, defeating evil
agents, arrogant officers and other villains."

I think we should be concentrating more on Jane though ... :P

Regards ...

 

Thanks for the replies, I believe it did happen on D-Day as Major John Howard said it was dropped very close to the bridges and the 52 (Airborne) Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire LI Bn moved out after 22.00 hrs from the bridges east; here are two references to the incident on the 6th June 1944 from Major John Howard and Pte. Dennis Edwards.

 

The Spitfire squadrons were present throughout D Day, flying high level patrols. They did shoot down some German aircraft, Ju88s, in the afternoon. There should not have been any flying low level. Spitfire and Seafire spotter planes were also present all day. Again at altitude and operating singly. If this happened then best bet would be low level Tactical Reconnaissance Mustangs. They look much like a Spitfire and mis identification of aircraft by ground troops was common.

I have added it to a long list of mysteries.

Mike

 

L/Cpl. Thomas Packwood speaks in interview from IWM about the drop of the newspapers at Pegasus Bridge Reel 2 (13:15)

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024024

British NCO served with D Coy, 2nd Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945
refers to "...delivery of Daily Mirror and troop's interest in cartoon 'Jane'" in reel 2.

 

Found one aircraft that flew over Pegasus Bridge which was a Spitfire flown on the morning of 6th June, 1944 the pilot was Wing Commander G.F.H. 'Sandy' Webb No. 16 Squadron, No. 34 Wing, who flew a Photographic Reconnaissance Spitfire PA 929 from Northolt airfield, but no reference to morning papers being dropped.

 

Does anybody know the best way to locate aerial pictures in the National Archives? Is there a structure?

 

Re Post 11.

Very interesting. As is suggested this was an unusual role for a PR Spitfire. Normally a job for Tactical Reconnaissance Mustangs. I notice the pilot was very senior and presumably very experienced so was allocated this important task. Did he drop a newspaper? I do not suppose he would enter it in his log and he was senior enough to get away with an eccentric act.

Mike

 

Just a thought brithm, have you tried to contact RAF Northolt ? To see if any records they might have or if anyone can help ?

 

Depends what you want an aerial photo of. The National Archives is not always the best place to search.

 

But getting back to Jane for a moment ...

On the 50th anniversary of D-Day Jane visited Pegasus Bridge and met with John Howard who told her the story of the newspaper drop and the scramble by the troops to see what she had been up to in that day's strip. Apparently she was accompanied by a number of Typhoon pilots. Later she visited the Ranville Cemetery and was reminded how lucky she was that her Authur was able to return safely.



An interview of sorts with Jane's creator cartoonist Norman Pett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMsMQbgaLoc

 

Well, of battle area's in WWII. Veritable, Market Garden, Normady. Oblique, would be nice, of course.

 

Nijmegen,
Great resource for aerial reconnaissance photographs

http://ncap.org.uk/

Guy

 

Guy,
You are absolutely right. I had a description. But, they have only a fraction of what was shot. I presume archives include the more unknown and interesting pictures.

 

Here is Wing Commander Webb's report on his PR patrol over Pegasus Bridge from AIR 27/223 No. 16 Squadron Operations Record Book June 1944 where he dropped a map to some paratroopers in a jeep for direction to landing strips. The aerial photographs 'Sandy' Webb took, as well as the rest of his squadron, appear to be at Museum of Army Flying or this might just be the ones showing 6th Airborne Division's gliders and bridges.

Brithm