Indian soldiers crossing a pontoon bridge over the River Jordan, 1941 (c)

Photograph, World War Two, Middle East (1940-1943), 1941 (c).

A pontoon bridge is a crossing that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like pontoons to support the bridge deck. They are often temporary structures, and are sometimes destroyed after crossing to keep the enemy from using them, or collapsed and carried by engineers.