Pegasus Bridge Museum – Musée Mémorial Pegasus

The Pegasus Bridge Museum, officially known as Musée Mémorial Pegasus in Ranville-Bénouville, is dedicated to the men of the British 6th Airborne Division—the first Allied troops to arrive in Normandy on the night of June 5th–6th, 1944.

TThrough hundreds of historic objects and photographs, visitors to the Pegasus Bridge Museum can explore the missions of the 6th Airborne Division during the Battle of Normandy. A particular focus is placed on the dramatic capture of Bénouville Bridge by glider-borne troops led by Major John Howard.

In 1994, the original Pegasus Bridge was replaced with a larger structure due to the widening of the canal, although the new bridge closely resembles the original. The original bridge is now preserved in the museum’s grounds, alongside a Bailey Bridge and a full-sized replica of a Horsa Glider, similar to those used in Operation Deadstick—the assault that secured the bridge.

Bénouville Bridge was officially renamed Pegasus Bridge in 1944 in honor of the operation. The name derives from the shoulder emblem of the British Airborne Forces, which features the winged horse Pegasus.