A British tank crossing the Albert Canal by Bailey Bridge, whilst refugees make their way back into a safer area, 1944

Photograph, World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945), 1944.

A Bailey bridge was a portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge, that engineers could quickly construct without heavy lifting equipment. The wood and steel bridge elements were small and light enough to be carried in trucks. The Bailey provided an excellent solution to the German destruction of bridges as they retreated.

From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.