Bailey Type Double-Double M1 Panel Bridge

The Bailey Bridge was designed by Mr Donald Bailey, a civil servant who built model bridges as a hobby. His ideas were taken up by the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment at Christchurch in Dorset, and a prototype was use to cross a local river. After developemental testing, the Bailey Bridging system was put into mass production, the first examples reaching the troops in early 1943. The US Army also used the Bailey Bridge, built under liecence in the USA. The Bailey Bridge was of modular design and could be assembled in the field with a minimum of tools and equipment. It was normally used to bridge gaps of under 200 feet, but much larger structures could be constructed, some over 1,000 feet were built in Italy and Burma. The bridge itself could stand the weight of a 40 ton tank with ease. The Bailey Bridge became standard equipment with allied armies after 1943, and a modification of the basic design is still used today. The bailey bridge may adjust the function and the outward appearance in accordance to the different operations requirements. For can shoulder the heavier operational vehicles, its may increase the structure on both sides support to provide a better carrying capacity.