Café Gondrée is a historic café in Bénouville, Normandy, France, beside Pegasus Bridge. It was built in the late nineteenth century, and became famous for its connection with the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.
During the Second World War, the café was owned by Georges and Thérèse Gondrée, who lived there with their two daughters. Georges maintained contact with British military intelligence, while the family had connections with the French Resistance. Their home stood beside a strategically important bridge that Allied forces needed to capture to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the Normandy beaches.
Shortly after midnight on 6 June 1944, British airborne troops under Major John Howard landed by glider near the bridge during Operation Tonga. They captured it in a brief but fierce battle, securing a vital route for the Allied invasion. The bridge later became known as Pegasus Bridge, after the winged horse emblem of the British airborne forces.
Café Gondrée is traditionally recognised as the first French house liberated by British troops during D-Day, although historians have debated whether other nearby buildings were liberated earlier. After the fighting, the café served as a first-aid post for wounded soldiers, with Thérèse helping to care for them.
One famous story recounts that Café Gondrée was taken over by the 7th Battalion to serve as a headquarters and aid station. The owner, Georges, dug up approximately 98 bottles of champagne he had buried in 1940 to hide them from the German occupiers. He shared the bottles with the British soldiers, beginning a lasting tradition of friendship and remembrance.
After the war, the café became a place of pilgrimage for veterans returning to Normandy. The Gondrée family maintained close ties with British airborne veterans, and the building gradually became filled with photographs and military memorabilia.
Café Gondrée was officially listed as a French historic monument in 1987, with its protection amended in 1993. Today, it remains an important D-Day landmark, symbolising courage, liberation and the enduring friendship between France and Britain.
Confusion about Café Gondrée
At the café, there is an old plaque stating that this was the first house to be liberated in France during D-Day, on June 5, 1944.
This date seems unlikely, given that the six gliders did not land on the other side of the Caen Canal until after midnight—that is, on June 6. Even the time was identical on both sides of the Channel, which suggests that the start of the operation on June 5, 1944, is what the veterans commemorate. The text on the building is very confusing in this regard.
As mentioned before, it appears that other properties were liberated before this café. In his book *Commando du Pont Pegase*, historian Norbert Hugedé notes that the house owned by Mr. Picot and the former tramway station were liberated earlier. This is corroborated by other historians, including Neil Barber—a specialist on the British 6th Airborne Division—and others. Mr. Picots house is just across the street from Café Gondrée.
Despite the questions surrounding it, Café Gondrée served as an important hub—both for the dissemination of information during the Second World War and for English soldiers during and after the battle.
Visit
Café Gondrée is an active establishment where you can still enjoy a cup of coffee or something to eat. Inside, you can view a variety of photographs, documents, and memorabilia, and there are also various souvenirs available for purchase. Please check whether the café is open before your visit.
Sources
- Norbert Hugedé – Commando du Pont Pegase
- Neil Barber – The Pegasus and Orne Bridges
- Marc Laurenceau – Historial du Jour J et de la bataille de Normandie
- pegasusarchive.org
- pop.culture.gouv.fr
- caenlamer-tourisme.com
