The story
The original bridge consisted of lattice girders continuous over a central support and carried two tracks.
The enemy cut the span by demolition close to the central rocker support so that one end of the span was dropped in the river.
The remaining portion of the span was left supported on the central pier at one end and dropped into the river at the other.
Before any reconstruction could be commenced, the whole of the steelwork left supported on the central pier had to be cut and removed.
The reconstruction consisted of launching four 75 ft two-girder deck-type unit construction railway bridges over the existing pier and abutments.
The work was commenced on 23rd July, 1944, and double track was opened on 26th August, 1944.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.