Normandie: Premier Jour

Earlier today I arrived in Bayeux in the heart of Normandy, France. Using a site called “Couch Surfing” made contact with an English family that lives in Normandy for the summer who said they would put me up for free. The father in the family is a battlefield specialist and has been touring battlefields his whole life. Before I arrived, I expected to be sleeping on the couch, supplying my own food, and walking or busing to the battlefields in and around Utah Beach. When I arrived, however, I was surprised. The house is actually an old Norman farmhouse that is three separate buildings, only one of which is being used at the moment. The family bought it three years ago and ever summer comes to France to work on it. I have my own room on the second floor and am in a very comfortable setting. Also, on the way home, James, who arranged my stay and is a battlefield expert, said that he could take me to all the best American sites for the D-Day landing (which he usually charges around 150 Euros for). I told him I was short on money but we could work out a price, to which he responded “I remember what it was like being a college student. I’ll tell you what; you can buy me a crape.” So, after arriving at the house and putting my stuff in the room, we immediately got in the car and went touring. The entire time we were using both side roads and main roads. He pointed out the road that his house is located on was the main road inland for the Sherman tanks during WWII because none of the major roads existed at the time.
We visited site after site, using back roads to go to sites that many times weren’t even marked and most commercial tours would never stop near. Here are some of the sites we stopped at on the first day out. By the way, I was on a complete high the whole time because a majority of the places we visited I have read about at some point. These are in order by time visited:

City of Saint-Lo, including the original chapel

Grainges – Massacre sight of French Citizens and American Paratroopers

Picauville – Crash sight of five C47s on the night of June 5th

Sight of the ambush and death of the German General Falley by the 101st Airborne:
In the early hours of D-Day General Wilhelm Falley, commander of 91 Luftlande Infanterie Division was taking part in a military conference in Rennes. On hearing the news of the Airborne landings he hurried back to his HQ at the Chateau de Bernaville. Fearing the Chateau might be bombed he transferred his HQ to a caravan in a lane adjacent to the Chateau. Unfortunately the area was part of drop zone N of 508 PIR and when he attempted to transfer his command post he was ambushed and killed at Ferme de la Minoterie.

River Mederay Causeway, La Friére Farm, sight of the Iron Mike memorial, General Gavin’s foxhole, and over one-thousand allied causalities due to causeway fighting

Saint-Mere Eglise City, Church, and Museum – Site of a major battle with U.S. Paratroopers and filming site of “The Longest Day”

Ecauessville, A WWI Airship Hangar used by the Nazi’s as a supply depot during WWII and later as a jeep and Sherman repair station by the Allies

Anseville Battery outside of Utah Beach, a German Battery shelling the beaches

Crisbeque Battery (St. Marcolve battery by the French), battery outside of Utah Beach

Oderville St. Hubert – Massacre sight of German Troops by U.S. paratroopers

Brecourt Manner – Sight of EZ Company, 101st attacks on the German guns shelling the beaches led by Lieutenant Winters (Represented in Band of Brothers, Episode 2)

Frankeville Farm – Where two French citizens hid a group of German Soldiers during the invasions in order to peacefully allow them to surrender just a couple of days after D-Day

Utah Beach – Landing sight for American forces on D-Day

La Madelie Church – Just off of Utah Beach, most Utah Beach veterans remember this church as it is the first one after leaving Utah Beach and is located on the main exit for Sherman tanks and other vehicles

German Bunker W.2.

V2 Launchsite used to bomb London

St. Mere du Mont – A key 101st objective and site of a major contact

American General Pratt’s glider crash site and death

Dead Man’s Corner – Once the headquarters of German forces in the area. Named because a Sherman tank went to the corner, and when the tank commander opened his hatched, he was shot. His troops could not get to his for two days because of enemy fire. Veterans from both sides remember this site because of the man who lay on his tank for two days in the middle of a standstill.

During most of this trip there was a light rain, but tomorrow it will be clearing up. We will be visiting Omaha Beach tomorrow and more sites of American Paratrooper landings. I will make sure to post when I get the chance. Also, I have taken some great pictures, some to even match prior pictures that were taken in 1944. I will also post all this when I arrive home.