The story
I see Douglas Baines for many years at the Pegasus Bridge at the café of Arlette Gondrée.
This year Douglas told me a bit about his experience.
As a member of the 3rd battalion of the 6th Airborne Division he was dropped in the night of 5-6 June. Unfortunately he fell into the River Diver and it took him 3 hours to get out. He was captured by the Germans near Sallenelles (North of the bridge). He worked together with the French Resistance (one of his medals) and lost a leg.
Arlette Gondrée, also on the picture, was present during the raid on the bridge.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.