The Pegasus and Orne Bridges – D-Day Veterans Signed Edition

I have a limited number of paperback copies of The Pegasus and Orne Bridges that are bookplated, signed editions by four D-Day veterans, mostly of the 6th Airborne Division. These were obtained just after publication of the book and following the interviewing of each individual (although Bill Gladden does not feature in the book). These men are Bill Gray of the Pegasus Bridge Coup de Main party, 2nd Oxf and Bucks; Captain John Hoare, 71 Field Company RE; Captain David Tibbs MC, 225 Field (Para) Ambulance and 13th Parachute Battalion and Bill Gladden, 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. A fuller description of their backgrounds can be seen below. These books are £50 each plus P&P (UK). If interested please email me about payment (and overseas postage if required) at neil.barber1940@ntlworld.com.

Private Bill Gray, 25 Platoon, ‘D’ Company, 2nd Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Bill Gray flew in Glider 91 and was the second man, behind the Platoon Commander, Lieutenant Denham Brotheridge, to cross Pegasus Bridge. Shortly after, he took part in the repelling of the first German attack towards the bridge during which an armoured vehicle was destroyed by Sergeant ‘Wagger’ Thornton.

Captain David Tibbs MC, RAMC. 225 Field (Para) Ambulance & 13th Parachute Battalion. David Tibbs jumped onto DZ ‘N’ at Ranville on D-Day with the Field Ambulance. He spent much of the morning walking around the open DZ, looking for wounded. A week later, he was transferred to the 13th Battalion after their Medical Officer was killed, and served with them throughout the remainder of the war and later in Java.

Captain John Hoare, 2I/c, 71 Field Company RE. John Hoare landed on SWORD Beach and immediately headed towards Pegasus Bridge with around 150 engineers, reaching it during the afternoon amongst various Commandos of the 1st Special Service Brigade. Later that evening he witnessed the fighter-bomber attack on the bridge.

Trooper Bill Gladden, 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. Bill Gladden landed by Hamilcar glider on DZ ‘N’ at around 9pm on D-Day and was actually laying on top of a Tetrarch tank when the glider came to a halt. Bill, a despatch rider, was seriously wounded in the ankle during a tank attack on Ranville a couple of weeks later.