Hi everyone. First a quick thank you to John for accepting me as a member of this forum, it is indeed a privilege. About a year ago, together with my partner Lisa, I bought a small farm in Normandy France without realising much of the history surrounding the location of our new home. The property is located in the commune of Sainte Marie du Mont. Having done a little research I discovered that the house and land (about 25 acres) is actually within drop zone C (if the maps are accurate) and troops from the 101st Airborne probably landed in our fields on the night of 5/6 June 1944. We are next door to the site of the Holdy Battery and just around the corner from Doc Lage's initial aid post. My good friend's family even still live in the farmhouse at Culloville where Col Sink set up his first command post. The previous owner of our home was born in the house at the end of WW2. All he's told me is that the house which had been in the same ownership for generations before us had German soldiers living in it together with his family, presumably they manned the battery at Holdy. So far I have been unable to find out any further information regarding the relevance (if any) of the property to the events of WWII and would like to discover more. The property appears on at least a couple of aerial images taken 7 and 12 June 1944 which have been reproduced on the forum so please brace yourselves for lots of questions over the coming weeks. Kevin
Hi Kevin, Welcome to the Forum. Delighted to have you with us and I know the other members and I will be happy to help with your research. When you get the chance, have a look at the IGN archive and see how the fields on the farm were used over the last seventy years. Its fascinating to see what changes occurred and what features remain in place...at least to me as an ex-dairy farmer Regards, Pat
Thanks for the welcome Pat. I will take a look at the IGN maps. Having zoomed in on a map from NCAP and one from Col Stanley's book that you posted on another thread I can tell that the fields, ditches, trees etc haven't changed since 1944.
Kevin, Did any gliders land in your fields? If you would prefer not to show the location of your property on the open Forum, then that's fine, we will respect your privacy. Thanks, Pat
Kevin, I absolutely envy you for buying a house in what is probably my favourite area in Normandy. I passed your house numerous times in the jeep during the D-Day anniversary week. I placed memorial markers not that far from your house back in June for a Horsa glider that crashed in one of the fields. The area oozes history.
Well, let's call them semi-permanent markers. Here's a map of their location. It's down a dirt track which takes you back onto the main road into St Marie du Mont. [IMG=850x494]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v464/jonesy1275/Memorial%20marker%20map%20copy_zpsfoe4j3ep.jpg[/IMG] This is how the track looks (when its dry). [IMG=850x564]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v464/jonesy1275/DSC_3188_zpspeq5t6rz.jpg[/IMG] Regards, Neil. Edited by Pat to reduce image width to 850 pixels
hello Kevin, Paul Woodadge, a Normandy guide that I have toured with twice would be able to answer most of your questions I think. He can be contacted at: http://www.ddayhistorian.com/ He would probably love to stop by with a tour group some time if you gave them access to the site. This is a bit of speculation but he is a very knowledgeable and nice guy in my experience. I think he lives in Isigny. Adam
Hi Kevin, I think we may have located a copy of the full recon photo from which Col Roy Stanley's extract is taken. Your property and the Holdy Battery Field are both clearly visible, along with the Gayley crash site. See post #44 of the book thread. Regards, Pat
Welcome to the Group Kevin - you have found a perfect place to live, I'm envious. Back in July I was on holiday down near to Flers, which my late father passed through in August 1944 on his (eventual) route to Germany, and drove up and met Sean Claxton at the Dead Man's Corner museum and he kindly took my daughter and I out to see Neil's plaque and explained what had happened in the immediate area. regards Allan
Hi Allan, thanks for the welcome. I've done the museum at St Mere Eglise but I'm saving the others as a winter project when they are a lot quieter. The new hanger at the back of Dead Man's Corner certainly looks impressive. Kevin
hello Kevin The hangar is well worth a visit - it is now the main place to go to as the original DMC house has a few rooms downstairs showing aid stations, and it has a large shop, where you can fully equip yourself as a soldier!! After the hologram pre-D-Day briefing you can then enjoy the "mission" in the C-47 whereby you "take-off" from Exeter, fly across the channel viewing the invasion fleet, and "crash land" in Normandy after meeting too much flak! Another must see in the US sector is the Tank Museum at the old US ALG at Catz (near to Carentan), and I am sure you will find more than enough to research in the quiet season in both the US and British sectors. My late father was with 125 Wing at B.11 Longues-sur-Mer, up by the Le Chaos gun battery, and then B.19 Lingevres near to Tilly-sur-Seulles before the August breakout when he moved down to Flers, and then around the former Falaise pocket and up to cross the Seine at Vernon, and away!! Various documents are held by Whitebeam in the members only Green Room, and I am sure that between us all we can fill in any gaps in your knowledge. regards Allan