Milsurp After Hours

Hello all.
Been away for a while.
Three weeks to be exact.
I have to apologize for not letting you know.

We went on our annual family vacation trip.
This year we went to Normandy, France.

We had a FANTASTIC time.
Even my kids were impressed and very silent and humble at times, but there was also the beach and the sun.
I was able to combine it all this year.

I made lots of pictures, so I’ll tell the story using the pictures.
This way you will be (a bit) able to see what we saw in France.

We started in a little village called Saint Aubin sur Mere.
Even here, in this little village, the war was still present.


German anti armor canon used as a coastal gun in Saint Aubin sur Mer.

Next we went to Ranville, to see the famous Pegasus bridge.
This bridge was taken by 181 British soldiers on June 6th 1944 led by major John Howard.
The Horsa gliders they used landed about 50 meters from the bridge.


Pegasus bridge today


The original Pegasus bridge in the ‘Pegasus Memorial”.


We also went to Arromanches les Bains to check out the remnants of the “artificial harbor” or Mulberry harbor that was built by the allies a couple of days after D-day.







A visit to Normandy without a visit to Sainte Mere Eglise is not complete.
I saw the movie “the longest day” several times and it felt fantastic standing in that town and looking at the church where private John Steele landed on.
In fact, a copy of private John Steele is still hanging at the church roof.









Next stop was Colleville sur Mer.
The visit to the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial made me feel very humble and grateful at the same time.
It was the first time that I saw my daughters speechless.
They let me walk along all those graves without calling me back ones.
They could see and feel that this was a very important visit for me.









Next was a visit to the village of Longues sur Mer.
Well……not really the village, but a coastal battery that the Germans built near it in 1944.
The battery was equipped with 150mm guns.
It was heavily bombed the day prior to D-day but was still able to open fire on June 6th.
The guns had a very wide range.
They could fire on both Omaha (US) and Gold (British) beaches.
One of the casemates was heavily damaged.
A guide told us that this casemate was hit on June 5th.
The grenade landed exactly on the gun.
The Germans never knew what hit them.









Picture of what is left of the 150mm gun that was hit by a grenade.






This piece of the barrel was found about 30 meters from the gun.




I made many pictures, but I thought I’d share these with you.


It’s good to be back.


Met vriendelijke groet,

Martin

Thanks for the photos. It must have been a great trip with lots of interesting history to see.

That dummy hanging from the Church tower must be photographed as much or more, than anything else seen on a visit to Normandy. Duncan's photos capture it too and I've seen it a few times before in photos posted by vacationers. I would have snapped it too....remembering the movie the Longest Day if nothing else.

The "granade" that took out that artillery piece must have actually been a shell from one of the invading fleet unless it met with an explosive charge from demolition team, although with the barrel thirty meters from the gun I'd bet on the Navy doing it from long distance. Considering your line of work, it is just the best English word for Dutch off the top of your head I'm sure.

You are right Robert.
I translated the Dutch word "granaat" literally into English.
What I should have used was the word shell.

We did have a fantastic trip.
We were able to combine history, beach and sun.
I'm sure we will return there someday.
Fantastic country.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Martin

Thanks for the tour. It is impressive just seeing the photos.

As usual Martin, a excellent report and photo story.

Cheers,

Joe

I have visited the area quite a few times and never cease to be moved by the memorials and militaria which is there. It has quite a different feel to the battlefields of the First World War which I have spent more time travelling round.
Did you visit the Airbourn Museum in Ste Mere-Eglise Martin? That was a very impressive sight. I posted images from there last year.

Duncan's photos are still around. Just moved to the best of forum.

http://www.milsurpafterhours.com/bb/vie ... =42&t=5500


Looks like the guy stuck on the roof hasn't made much progress. Looks like he is about three feet higher.

Is it just me or does anyone else find the dummy para in bad taste?

Joe

I don't ....considering the real guy lived.

Google search turned up this Wikipedia information:

The paratroopers were easy targets and Steele was one of only a few non-casualties. His parachute was caught in the steeple of the village church in Ste-Mère-Église, leaving him hanging from its roof-top to witness the carnage. The wounded paratrooper hung there limply for two hours, pretending to be dead, before the Germans took him prisoner. Steele later escaped from the Germans and rejoined his division when US troops of the 3rd Battalion, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment attacked the village capturing thirty Germans and killing another eleven. For these actions and his wounds, Steele was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat.

[edit] Commemoration
Today, these events are commemorated by the Airborne Forces Museum in Place du 6 June in the centre of Ste-Mère-Église and in the village church where a parachute with an effigy of Private Steele in his Airborne uniform hangs from the steeple. Bullet holes are still visible in the church's stone walls. Inside, there are stained glass windows, with one depicting the Virgin Mary with paratroopers falling in the foreground.

Though injured and deafened by the church bells, Private Steele survived his ordeal. He continued to visit the town throughout his life and was an honorary citizen of Ste. Mère Église. The tavern, Auberge John Steele, stands adjacent to the square and maintains his memory through photos, letters and articles hung on its walls.

Steele died of throat cancer on May 16, 1969 in Fayetteville, NC, just three weeks short of the 25th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

That explains it Robert, i didnt realise the guy survived.

Joe