The revolutionary Bailey Bridge has played an important role over the years – initially providing critical connections in the Second World War, but more recently in getting vital supplies to people across the globe, both in civilian and military applications.
Ease of transporting hefty military hardware using the Modular Steel Bridge essentially won the war. For example, the Battle of Remagen, where Allied forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine and pretty much shortened the war in Europe, is where the Bailey Bridge fully flexed its muscles.
Pontoon Bridges were set up across the Rhine in Germany to aid the advance. The longest was called ‘Blackfriars Bridge’. It was 558m long and was built close to the Dutch border by the Royal Canadian Engineers of the 2nd Canadian Corps. After two days of construction – delays were due to heavy fog and hampered delivery of components – the floating section of the bridge was rated as Military Load Class 40; enough for 40-ton tanks to cross over safely.
“The simple deployment of the Steel Foot Bridge has not really changed since its first use in 1942,” says Skeat. “Original Bailey Bridges were built by hand and cantilevered [cantilevers, which are projecting beams or members supported at only one end, can hold a bridge up to 550m] over a gap using a light nose section dismantled on the far bank, and pushed out by rollers.”
The first span can be easily joined to other panels to form multiple spans. You just feed them across the gap on rollers until you have the bridge length you want.
So what made it so snazzy? Well, the First World War Inglis Bridge required building a bridge twice as long as you wanted, swinging it out over a gap on a pivot, and then you’d dismantle the bits of bridge you didn’t need. “This was a timely process, but the Bailey’s simple, robust and modular design meant it was infinitely more versatile and quicker to build. Plus, all parts could be assembled by hand, which was a revelation during the 1940s,” Skeat adds.
