NOT to belittle anyone Paul mentions here - But let’s not forget those who were actually first to capture a piece of France at 00:16. Major John Howard’s “Coup De Main” against the bridges at Ouistreham in 6 Horsa gliders - 5 of which landed either on the bridge defences or up to 770 yards away. They took the bridges almost before the Germans knew what happened. This protected the British beaches from German armoured counter attacks. First casualty of D-Day being either Lance-Corporal Fred Greenhalgh (drowned in a pond when his glider broke apart on landing ) or Lieutenant Den Brotheridge (hit by German fire while leading the charge across the bridge at Ouistreham).