I have to take my youngest up to St. Malo on Sunday and thought of calling off at Mortain on the way home. Is there anything I should see in particular while there? What's the chances of picking up a hidden half track or at least an MG42? I'll be there almost 70 years to the day that the counter-offensive was launched, so it'll be quite special for me.
A walk up Hill 314 ( you can't miss it - it dominates the town ) is well worthwhile ; IIRC there are a couple of memorials to be seen there. You can really appreciate how the feature dominated the approaches to the town. When I visited about ten years ago, the remains of foxholes could be found and also some shell craters in surrounding fields. But the ground has been well-trodden since the war, and a lot of leaves have fallen from the trees burying any interesting relics. But, as ever, you may get lucky and find some cartridge cases or shell fragments.....
Thanks Martin. Hill 314 is on the list. I'll be taking the camera as usual. So if I may, I'll post a few pics when I return. Of course I meant 66 years, not 70......
The visit went off as planned, and what a serene, beautiful place Hill 314 is now. I was humbled as I read the 'histoire' on marble benches dotted around the place, and the monument near the petite chapelle is lovely. A young guy opened up the chappelle, so I was able to see inside, take a few pics. No flash, but I had the tripod. I don't like using flash in these places. A) out of respect, and b) it just washes everything out. I'll add to this thread as I upload more to my flickr account, if I may. But, I have to show you the first one, a panorama I took and stitched together yesterday. This, I think, shows the reasons why Hill 314 was such an important position for both axis and allied forces.
My Father (Thomas W. Barr) was in the 120th Infantry 30th Division of Old Hickory who was one of the surviviors of Mortain. They lost half of there men on Hill 314.
