clearview

Hi Everyonei Really Would Welcome Any Information Please As To The Locations Used For The Battle Sequences In This Film And In Particular Where The Scenes Of Pegasus Bridge Were Recorded.

Kind Regards To You All

Marky B

The Pegasus Bridge incident happened prior to the D-Day landings.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

Don't shout. We can hear you.

The scenes at Arnhem bridge were really filmed at Deventer, Overijssel, Netherlands.
Arnhem bridge having been rebuilt since the war - and renamed "John Frost Bridge" to honour Frost and those other gallant men. The whole area around Arnhem has been reveloped quite a bit and was too modern looking to be used for the filming. But Deventer was still quite suitable.

As Marky B said, Pegasus Bridge was the bridge over the Caen canal that 6th Airborne took and held in the early hours on D-Day. They landed their gliders almost on top of it and held it until relieved by Lord Lovat's commandos later on D-Day.

BTW: In The Longest Day, Maj. John Howard, the leader of the group that took Pegasus Bridge, was played by Richard Todd. In real life, Capt. Richard Todd was one of the paras that landed nearby to support the glider borne troops in their defence of the bridge. So he was very close to playing himself.

Steve

plasticjock

Coo...my ears are ringing....!

A further bit of info is that the original Pegasus Bridge was replaced in 1993 with a sturdier version to cope with modern traffic.
The original languished, rusting slowly in a field nearby for 6 or 7 years but has now been refurbished and is is located in the grounds of the Mémorial Pégasus (Airbourne Museum , Pegasus Bridge) at Ranville in France.
Normandy 1944 - Mémorial Pégasus

Pedant alert!! Sorry about this
It should also be noted, for historical accuracy, that there was another bridge 750 yards away, over the Orne, which became known as Horsa Bridge and a second force of 3 gliders captured that bridge within a few minutes of Pegasus falling into Allied hands. One of the gliders was released too late and landed by the bridge over the River Dives and took no part in the initial assault but eventually joined up with the main party. One of the glider troops drowned in the Dives and it is now thought that he was the FIRST casualty of D-Day.

Rob Compton

If you're ever in the area, the museum mentioned by plasticjock is very well worth a visit. As he says, the original bridge is in the grounds - complete with bullet and shrapnel holes! - and there is a replica Horsa glider there too.

The new bridge looks almost exactly like the old one, so you can still get an impression of the terrain and surroundings (mainly marshland)

Madame Gondre's cafe is on the other side of the bridge - the first place to be liberated in France.

rgds
Rob

mark-b

Hi There,
Try and find a copy of "After the Battle" Special Edition , Prelude to Market Garden The Battle of Arnhem, It has 20 pages dedicated to the making of the film, it gives some very good info, such as the assault gun attacked by the South Staffs as Sean Connery escapes from hiding did not happen. there is no ISBN number on the copy I have so I cant help there, But I do have a video you can have for free, its called Theirs is the glory- Men of Arnhem, the survivors went back a year later and recreated the battle for film, using live ammo tanks and flame throwers, send me your address via email> Forum mod to help here I suppose and I will post it.

Its my favorite film

Cheers Mark

Marky B

There was a book written by the film's screenwriter William Goldman,about the making of the film. More than likely to be out of print,but it is worth looking it up on the internet.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

plasticjock

There are a few copies on AbeBooks: New Books, Secondhand Books, Rare Books, Out-of-Print Books starting at £1.26 plus p&p.
There is also a detailed site about the battle and the aftermath at Refer
although this is only one of many sites about the battle.

clearview

Thanks Mark for the kind offer of a copy of the video. I really would appreciate it. You can email me (John) and I will give you my mailing address. My interest in A Bridge Too Far was prompted because I meet a chap some time ago who 'was there' at the original battle. Brave guy, like all of them.

By the way everyone, I am really sorry for my original enquiry being posted in large bold letters. Bit of a finger problem when setting up my message. Sorry to all those who had to take paracetamol as a rseult of my 'shout'!

Toodle pip

Nick Dando

After the Battle are at www.afterthebattle.com. They've now handed over the distribution of their books and magazines to www.motorbooks.co.uk - but it's worth having a look at http://www.afterthebattle.com/ab-con1.html for details of the A Bridge Too Far edition of the magazine, issue number 17. There's also a compilation magazine combining all of the previous articles on Operation Market-Garden, issue B001.

Nick