Royal Engineer drowns near D-day bridge

A SERVING British soldier set to take part in the D-day 75th anniversary commemorations in Normandy has died, the army has confirmed.

Lance Corporal Darren Jones, 30, of the Royal Engineers, drowned in a canal at Bénouville near the historic Pegasus bridge, the first site to be liberated by the Allies on June 6 1944.

“It is with sadness that we must confirm the death of a service person in France. Our thoughts are with their family at this difficult time,” an Army spokesman said.

Firefighters pulled L/cpl Jones’s body out of the water on Sunday morning and he was declared dead at the scene, said French media reports.

French police are investigating and are said not to be looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

L/cpl Jones reportedly went missing on Saturday night after an evening out with other soldiers, who alerted the emergency services when they lost sight of him. The Royal Engineer was stationed at a military camp at Rainville near Caen, along with thousands of British soldiers to participate in the official D-day commemorations set to kick off in France this week.

The bridge near where he drowned has a particular resonance for the British. Hours before the first wave of Allied boats arrived on the Normandy shore on June 6, the 6th Airborne Division troops captured the bridge, which was critical in blocking a Nazi counterattack on Allied forces landing on Sword beach.