British 6th Airborne Division’s role on D-Day was multi-faceted. In the opening minutes, glider-borne troops would seize the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Orne. Soon afterwards, paratroopers would neutralise Merville Battery. Others would destroy key bridges over the Dives and prepare for German counterattacks. The mission was audacious, high risk, and critical to the success of the D-Day landings
In the opening minutes of D-Day, British airborne troops conducted a glider-borne coup-de-main assault to seize the bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne. Their mission was simple but dangerous: capture the bridges intact and hold them against German counterattacks, thereby securing the eastern flank of the Normandy landings.
On 6 June 1944, the British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landed at Gold Beach, facing fortified villages and determined German resistance. By nightfall, they had secured a foothold, linked with Canadian forces at Juno, and pushed inland toward Bayeux. Within days, the artificial Mulberry harbour was providing vital sustainment to the Normandy campaign.