Normandy 1944

[olivdudu]

Hello,


Here are pics that i have already posted on the main AP forum yesterday but i think it might be more logical to post them in that part of the forum.

The pic's quality is rather poor for i didn't get used to my new camera at that time (begining of july) and the weather conditions were bad.

This is a trial, in the end i wish i would make a whole foto gallery of Utah, Omaha and the Pointe du Hoc area, including several drop zones. I might do that on October or, to be more time accurate, on june next year.

Those pics are situated on La Fiere Causeway. In a few words, this causeway is situated three miles west of Ste Mère Eglise. This road and bridge on the Merderet river had to be taken promptly for it is the only road linking Ste Mere to the west part of the Cotentin peninsula. Taking that place was necessary to forbid a german reinforcment comming from the western garrisons. A that time, the whole area had been flooded by Rommel's army in the way to keep gliders or paratroops from landing.

[olivdudu]

sorry, i post the thread by mistake before it was fully written :D , the real suff has been posted 30mns later...shame on me :rolleyes:


Olivier

[Tom Harper]

Oliver,

This has the makings of an important study. Please post the photos here as the story unfolds. It will make a fine Gallery. I can help you with editing.

I titled this thread for Discussion. This thread should remain unlocked and you can lock the Gallery thread.

Tom

[olivdudu]

Hello Tom,

thank you for your help, I didn't get it right when I first read the instructions of this part of the forum. So, as soon as I get new pics of Dday areas, shall I have to post them on that discussion thread or on the gallery I have opened today?

bye

Olivier

[Tom Harper]

Olivier,

Post them on the Gallery thread, then lock it.

This thread then will then be used for discussion. Once it gets under way I'll delete the first few posts (like this one) since they are just start up problems.

This will be a great topic Olivier.

Tom

[olivdudu]

that's great, i will do that way.

may be new shots in three weeks for I will be in that area for work...weather permitting...

bye

Olivier

[quailbird]

Olivier, this has to be one of the best historical threads. They are all superb, but this one has all the markings of a wonderful thread. Can't wait to see the rest.

[olivdudu]

thank you Quailbird,


if the weather stays steady this week, the next fotos will be shot on thursday at Utah Beach on my way to work. The pics might be posted in a fortnight for i can't get linked to the rc group when I am on board at work...(websencor :mad: )

see you

olivier

[Gray]

Looking forward to seeing your pictures Olivier, good luck for the shoot!!! ;)

Gray. :)

[Tom Harper]

Oliver,

Wonderful pics and commentary.

I especially liked the wire gate. There must still be tons of debris in the fields.

Tom

[olivdudu]

:rolleyes: Hello Tom

thanks very much :) . US steel was of great quality I guess, for it is still used by local farmers in many places around Normandy :D . In that place, there were mostly US landing strips using that wirenet, but if you ever go southward in the same area, such as St LO for instance, you will find field gates made of RAF and US perforated plates (I don't remind the official name for that stuff...) It must be less reliable (60years after anyway...) for they are disappearing quicker and quicker...but next time i see one like this, I'll take a pic of it :D . You can't imagine what can be found as relicts in the area. For instance, I was reading the local newspaper last week, and i found an article about an excavation of a Hawker Typhon. It does not remains lot of it but they succeeded in getting back the four cannons and parts of the engine..the same week, when digging the soil for a new building in the suburbs or Caen, a German soldier corpse was discovered (with a sub machine gun and many other equipment)
In Villers Bocage, I will try to make photos of a field where a P47 was shot down (I'll be able to give many information about that for I know the name of the pilot who was unfortunately killed when he bailed out). Much closer from my home (in Brittany) there is a wreck of a B17 (many pics available and i'll go rcap there soon) . Very close from my village, a FW190 was shot down and i must meet very soon a witness of the crash. For the "little" story, something "funny" happened with that crash: the german pilot bailed out and he was targeted by german soldiers (who undershoot him) during his parachute fall. With no chance for the two german soldiers, they were drunk at that time, and the pilot was a staffel commander...so... they were shoot the next morning in Dinan :rolleyes:
There is also a P51 wreckage not far away from here, the pilot bailed out, was recovered by the Resistance and then succeeded in joining up with the US forces in August 44.
A fascinating tv reportage was done last year by the local french tv (FR3) about the wreckage of a ME109 a few miles away from Rennes. The plane fell down straight in a swamp, and the relict was being excavating two years ago in a very good state. As they could identify the pilot, the TV team investigated and finally located his girlfriend in Germany with whom he was engaged. A book and a dvd was published. I'll try to find it again at my local library and i will scan you a few articles and pics.

Well, i feel a little too much talkative about that :D

Next pics will be done in the area of Omaha beach and the Pointe du Hoc or in the British sector (Pegasus bridge and the Merville batterie )...weather permitting :rolleyes:


Olivier

[qualcity]

Am I missing something? Threre are no pictures posted or links to pictures????

[Tom Harper]

qualcity,

You didn't read the instructions.

This is the discussion file. The pictures are in the Gallery file. That's so they can tell a continuous story without being interrupted by comments.

Tom

[qualcity]

qualcity,

You didn't read the instructions.

This is the discussion file. The pictures are in the Gallery file. That's so they can tell a continuous story without being interrupted by comments.

Tom

Duh!!!

Thanks Tom. My bad! :o

[quailbird]

Once again, you've added such great history in picture form. I'm really enjoying this thread. Thank you so much for your time with this subject.