Neil Barber – författare

The glider-borne operation to capture Pegasus Bridge has an established place in the annals of warfare. Conducted by Major John Howard and his company of Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry it was a superbly daring, brilliantly executed ‘coup de main’ assault. Equally brave was the seizure of the Orne bridges by airborne forces and the defense against ferocious German counter attacks over a prolonged period.The author who has a deep specialized knowledge of the are and period uses extensive personal accounts to tell this thrilling and inspiring story. He covers events and operations from Ranville in the East to Benouville in the West and this embraces the fierce fighting by 7th, 12th and 13th Parachute Battalions and reinforcements such as the Commandos, sea borne engineers and the Warwicks.This splendid book will be enjoyed by those at home and those who are lucky enough to visit these historic sites.

The first hours and days following the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 have a strong claim to be amongst the most crucial in world history. Spearheading this vast undertaking were crack British and American airborne forces. The Day The Devils Dropped In examines in fascinating detail the pivotal role of the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment over the first week of the landings. Tasked with neutralizing the mighty Merville Battery, capturing Le Plein and the Château St Côme on the Breville Ridge, failure by the Paras to achieve any of these key objectives could well have unraveled the whole OVERLORD operation with catastrophic consequences. In his quest to uncover the true story of the early days of the landings, Neil Barber has successfully tracked down surviving participants in the operation. As a result he is able to tell the full story of the fierce fighting that characterized the early days of the landings largely in the very words of those who lived through the experience. This adds much to the credibility and immediacy of this enthralling book, which paints a superb picture of what soldiers care to call 'the fog of war'. The result is an inspiring and revealing read and a fine tribute to those whose contribution must never be forgotten.

Fighting With The Commandos tells what the Second World War was like for a fighting soldier. After enlisting underage, he was 'found out', joined the Home Guard and then a Young Soldiers Unit (for those too young to serve overseas). He managed to get out to Iraq but was again sent home.He then joined 3 Commando led by Brigadier Peter Young and landed on SWORD Beach on D-Day. He graphically describes the action thereafter which included being among the first to reach Pegasus Bridge and relieve the glider borne troops under Major John Howard. Plenty of excitement and danger were to follow and readers will revel in a no-holds-barred memoir which points an illuminating picture of life for the rank-and-file in the build-up to the climax of the war.

The glider-borne operation to capture Pegasus Bridge has an established place in the annals of warfare. Conducted by Major John Howard and his company of Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry it was a superbly daring, brilliantly executed 'coup de main' assault. Equally brave was the seizure of the Orne bridges by airborne forces and the defence against ferocious German counter attacks over a prolonged period. The author who has a deep specialised knowledge of the area and period uses extensive personal accounts to tell this thrilling and inspiring story. He covers events and operations from Ranville in the East to Benouville in the West and this embraces the fierce fighting by 7th, 12th and 13th Parachute Battalions and reinforcements such as the Commandos, seaborne engineers and the Warwicks. This splendid book will be enjoyed by those at home and those who are lucky enough to visit these historic sites.

Parachute Doctor is the story of Captain David Tibbs RAMC MC who as a member of 225 (Parachute) Field Ambulance and the 13th Parachute Battalion served with the 5th Parachute Brigade of the famous 6th Airborne Division. His fascinating recollections feature jumping into Normandy on D-Day and the subsequent intense battle to defend the Airborne perimeter; assisting the Americans in repulsing the Ardennes offensive, the massive Airborne drop across the Rhine and the rapid advance to the Baltic to prevent the Russians moving into Denmark. Following the end of the European war, the Brigade was shipped to the Far East for a proposed invasion of Singapore. However, the Japanese surrendered beforehand, and the Paras ended up being involved in a little known episode, fighting alongside the Japanese in defence of Dutch civilians against violent rebels on the island of Java.

Pegasus Bridge is a legendary part of the D-Day story but myths and misunderstandings abound.  The 6th Airborne Division was to begin landing in this area during the early hours of D-Day with a mission to protect the eastern flank of the seaborne landings, commencing a few hours later. For the British and Canadians, this was just beyond Ouistreham, on the beaches codenamed SWORD, JUNO and GOLD. The very first operation of D-Day was to be the capture of the Caen Canal Bridge (Pegasus Bridge) and the River Orne Bridge (Horsa Bridge) a little further up the road. These were the only two bridges between the sea and Caen and so were vital for the linking of the seaborne and airborne forces and also the resupply of the Airborne Division and evacuation of its wounded. For the Germans, possession of the bridges was equally vital, as it would provide them with the opportunity to attack the seaborne forces in their most vulnerable area; the flank This comprehensive pocket guide is designed for anyone visiting the site but is equally useful for anyone wanting an accurate understanding of exactly what went on and where. Neil Barber has written a number of comprehensive guides to the Normandy Campaign including an in-depth look at Pegasus Bridge. Here he uses photographs and first-hand accounts to simply explain what happened in those first few vital hours of D-Day.