Crompton’s Column
Bruce Crompton chats about a replica Horsa glider being built for his museum
I had the profound honour of visiting Pegasus Bridge once again during the 80th Anniversary D-Day commemorations in June. Although I’ve been there many times, this visit was particularly moving. I wanted to tell the incredible story of Major John Howard, a British Army officer who led a glider-borne assault as part of the D-Day landings. I have had the privilege of meeting him. I also wanted to share the stories of soldiers like Wally Parr and Wagger Thornton, who also took part in the invasion, so I spoke to Ed Sayer, my Amazing War Stories business partner, about producing a special podcast on the event.
For those who don’t know, the airborne soldiers tasked with taking Pegasus Bridge arrived in the early hours of June 6 by Horsa glider. I was so inspired by their bravery that I didn’t just want to do a podcast, but also wanted to create a life-size replica of a Horsa glider in my museum to honour these chaps. So, Freddie Kruyer and I got to work, researching everything and anything about Horsa gliders to ensure our replica is as accurate as possible. If you want to see some original gliders, head …
