Pic : 'Favourite' WWII Battlefield.... - Page 3

jagdpanther44 · #51 (**permalink**) October 29th, 2007, 06:37 PM

Hi mats

Yes i have the book, i bought it last year and it has accompanied me on my Normandy visits ever since.

It is indeed a very good book, i especially like the tours/walks that the author suggests.

I keep delving back in to it for reference, in readiness for my upcoming visit.

T-Minus 1 day and counting.

Mats · #52 (**permalink**) October 30th, 2007, 07:07 AM

Jagdpanther44

John, have you already left for France or?

Anyway, we have discussed a certain very small road from Moissy Ford. If you look at the map in BZ Falaise Pocket, on side 114, you can first see the road I came on my way to Moissy Ford, point A4. When I left, I took the small road from A4, drove parallel with the "german fingerpost" which means that I later had Chateau d'Aubry on my right side.

Have a nice trip!!

Mats

Martin Bull · #53 (**permalink**) October 30th, 2007, 07:21 AM

Have a great trip John - needless to say, I'm envious already !

Hopefully, you'll have some good late Autumn/early Winter weather over there ; remember, we expect a full Report on Operations when you return....

jagdpanther44 · #54 (**permalink**) October 30th, 2007, 09:29 AM

Hi Mats, Martin, thank you.

I leave for Normandy later this afternoon.

It's a 4 hour drive from where i live (Cheshire) down to portsmouth and i'm not looking forward to it.

Then, it's over to france on the overnight ferry complete with cabin.

I will be taking my laptop along with me and i understand that the hotel where we are staying has wifi, so i will try to give 'live' updates of my adventures.

Normandy here i come!

Kieran Bridge · #55 (**permalink**) October 30th, 2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Bull

Hehe....this is quite good fun.

Here's a panoramic view of 'my' battlefield - the place in my first photo just a mile or so down the road to the left. A famous Canadian VC was won in the group of buildings directly in front ( you can just see the flag).......

Here's another shot of the same field in springtime. To read about the battle, see the article under the heading "Falaise" at The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (P.L.). This field was covered from end to end with dead Germans at the end of it all.

Kieran Bridge

jadgpanther44 · #56 (**permalink**) October 31st, 2007, 07:55 PM

Day 1

After a sleepless night on the ferry i'm finally in back to Normandy (Falaise to be exact).

Today we (my dad and i) started off with an early morning visit to the British cemetary at Ranville, which looked so beautiful and peaceful in the early morning sun.

Next we went back to my favourite place, Moissy. Here we spent a couple of hours, after which we came away with a few relics which were found lying on the tracks. Local children who passed on their bicycles must have thought i had a spinal defect as i was constantly stooped over looking at the floor.

Next it was up to Mont Ormel where we came across the large house that was used by the allies as a field hospital, the name of which escapes me at the moment.

Later as we passed through Chambois and St Lambert sur Dives i stopped to take a few 'then and now' photographs of the area.

More updates to follow, watch this space....

OOPS! I logged in under my prevoius user name by mistake, the one i used before i could spell jagdpanther correctly....

Martin Bull · #57 (**permalink**) October 31st, 2007, 11:20 PM

Relics ? You mean I missed some...?

Thanks for the on-the-spot update, jp44 !

jagdpanther44 · #58 (**permalink**) November 1st, 2007, 09:00 PM

Day 2

This morning, after a hearty breakfast, we went back to the Moissy ford area, i couldn't resist another few hours there.This time we walked quite a way down the track that leads from Tournai sur Dives, this being one of the routes that the Germans used to get to the Moissy ford. Along the way i picked up a number of burst 7.92 cartridge casings along with a few heads.

The weather today was not as glorious as it was yesterday, but as long as it wasn't raining then i didn't mind.

Later in the afternoon we drove to another favourite place of mine, and i think one of Martins, Vimoutiers and the Tiger tank that is sited there.When i have visited the tank on prevoius trips i have climbed about on it and taken lots of photographs, but this time i had a real good look at it and found a lot of production marks and stampings in the steel plating, a few of which i have photographed.

Tomorrow we head for Caen where we will stay for our last night, i'm not sure what is on the itinery for tomorrow, maybe another trip to St Mere Eglise and the surrounding area ?

Watch this space....

Martin, you must have your 'nose re-tuned' so you don't miss anymore relics on your next visit.

Mats · #59 (**permalink**) November 2nd, 2007, 06:47 AM

Good morning John!
Thanks very much for your reports!

Well, I think that it's no idea for me to look for "souvenirs" on that small road! How far from the Moissy ford did you walk! I'll start where you stopped!

Don't forget the Café next to Pegasus Bridge today!

Best regards / Mats

Martin Bull · #60 (**permalink**) November 2nd, 2007, 07:50 AM

I reckon that Tiger must easily win the WWII Forums Most-visited WWII Relic prize, 2007.....

Obsessed with WWII · #61 (**permalink**) November 3rd, 2007, 02:50 AM

I thin kthe best battlefield was possibly the places where the battle of the bulge occurred. D-Day is also a favorite, as well as Stalingrad. Iwo Jima is interesting, but a little to tropical for me.

Wolfurus · #62 (**permalink**) November 3rd, 2007, 09:00 AM

I think the best battlefields are in North Africa (El Alamein, Tobruk, Kasserine). But I like also Kursk battlefield.

Martin Bull · #63 (**permalink**) November 3rd, 2007, 09:19 AM

Haven't managed to get to any of those...but one day, who knows...?

jagdpanther44 · #64 (**permalink**) November 4th, 2007, 10:18 PM

Hello everybody, i'm back from my travels.

After a 4 hour drive through thick fog i arrived home this morning.

I didn't make anymore 'live' updates because the hotel we stayed at in Caen was having problems with their wifi connection.

The rest of the trip included tours to Le Bourg St Leonard, St Mere Eglise, Dead Mans Corner, Marcouf battery, Utah beach and Juno beach to name a few.

I will post my 'then and now' photographs in the coming days.

Mats, I have stopped off at the cafe Gondree at Pegasus bridge on previous visits, and don't worry, i'm quite sure there are still plenty more souvenirs for you to find at Moissy. For every one that Martin and i find there are probably a hundred more waiting to be discovered....

Mats · #65 (**permalink**) November 5th, 2007, 05:56 AM

John!
Wellcome back. I bet we are many who are looking forward to your "Then and Now-pics"!!

Mats

Martin Bull · #66 (**permalink**) November 5th, 2007, 06:39 AM

Welcome back John - your after-action report is awaited with keen anticipation !

Skipper · #67 (**permalink**) November 5th, 2007, 07:29 AM

Oh yes they are. I haven't been there for several years and would love to see some pictures, especially of Le Bourg.

Mats · #68 (**permalink**) November 5th, 2007, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jagdpanther44

Moissy is a sombre but fascinating place to visit, it has an eerie calm and silence about it.

One cannot imagine what it must have been like to be there at the time of the breakout.

Another interesting place close to Moissy is Mont Ormel and it's visitor centre.The fighting on and around the hill was particularly savage with hand to hand combat between the Germans and Poles who were defending the hill.

There is a great view from the hill across the Falaise Gap area and inside the visitors centre are lots of photographs taken at Moissy and the surrounding area after the battle.

Jagdpanther,
This is the first time I'm trying to transfer an earlier post to my new one. Let's see if it works!! :-)

When I visited the Mont Ormel Museum in, I think the year 2002 or 2003, they had many hundreds of photos on the walls inside the museum. They wanted help with "identifying" (how do you spell that word?) these photos. I am still very sorry that I did not have a camera with me!

When I get there next year I will ask them if I may see those photos again!

Mats

jagdpanther44 · #69 (**permalink**) November 6th, 2007, 10:12 PM

I couldn't resist posting more photographs from my recent visit to 'old favourite', the Tiger at Vimoutiers.

The first photograph shows the inside of the tanks turret and breech.

Mats · #70 (**permalink**) December 9th, 2007, 07:13 AM

Hello everyone!

I happened to find some very nice pics from the Gap in this tread. What do you think?
Best regards / Mats

La Poche ... vue du ciel !

Edit: If you are interested in a link to the forum Pochefalaise, here it is:

Le forum de La Poche de Chambois

Martin Bull · #71 (**permalink**) December 9th, 2007, 08:20 AM

A Forum for to the Falaise Gap - unbelievable !

Now I know that there really is a Forum dedicated to avery conceivable aspect of WWII.....

My schollboy French will struggle, but there is some great visual material there - many thanks for posting the link, Mats !