A fact from Broughton Suspension Bridge appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 6 June 2009 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that after the collapse of the Broughton Suspension Bridge in 1831, the British military introduced the order to "break step" when soldiers were crossing a bridge?
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Bridges and Tunnels, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of bridges and tunnels on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Bridges and TunnelsWikipedia:WikiProject Bridges and TunnelsTemplate:WikiProject Bridges and TunnelsBridge and Tunnel articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Greater Manchester, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Greater Manchester on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Greater ManchesterWikipedia:WikiProject Greater ManchesterTemplate:WikiProject Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester articles
The article states that the bridge was replaced in 1914, but I'm looking now at a scan of the Manchester Guardian for 3 April 1924, which states that the formal opening took place on 2 April 1924. I know formal openings sometimes follow actual openings by a few weeks or more, but I doubt it was ten years. It's only a minor thing but I can correct it, if you like. Parrotof Doom19:05, 23 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Done. I changed a few dates as well, and modified the text slightly as the newspaper article doesn't say what happened to the old bridge. It does, however, mention something about how the old suspension bridge was a toll bridge, and I think that might warrant further investigation. Parrotof Doom23:06, 23 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]
When I was an army cadet, according to the drill manual, you didn't just break step; that would have meant dissolving into a disorganised rabble. There was a prescribed method and a command, 'break step'. I think every alternate row did a half step. What the command was to get back into step again was I don't remember.
Probably you wouldn't need a command to go back into step. Presumably they would just fall back into step as they left the bridge, starting with the commander in the lead. GraL (talk) 06:58, 26 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Another thing. My father who served in the Australian Infantry Forces in WW2 told me they break step on a bridge so they couldn't be heard by the enemy. Marching in step could be heard miles away. GraL (talk) 07:03, 26 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
The article says that the new bridge cost "£2,300,". I assume it is missing three 0s or something. And the last list entry in See Also is empty. Maybe someone would like to change that 141.76.91.157 (talk) 08:56, 5 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]