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September 2nd, 2007, 09:50 PM
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St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
June 1940 the 51st Highland Division surrendered at St.Valery-en-Caux.
The "Then" photos are from Saul David's book Churchill's sacrifice of the Highland Division, the now ones were taken last week.
My daughter stands in for Rommel, myself as general Fortune, GOC 51st Div.
EDIT..Henri IV's house is in background between Rommel and Fortune's shoulders and in the "Now" view.
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September 2nd, 2007, 09:51 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
On the way up to the French Memorial I did this then & now.
With photo of said memorial.
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September 2nd, 2007, 09:53 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Inland is the town of Cany-Barville.
The Lothains lost this tank there.
We found the house it crashed into.
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September 2nd, 2007, 09:57 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Excellent pictures! keep them coming.
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September 2nd, 2007, 09:57 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
The British soldiers tried to escape the advancing Germans by tying rifle slings together and scaling down these cliffs.
Several died in the dark as they didn't know if the make-shift rope was long enough to reach the bottom.
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September 2nd, 2007, 10:00 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Memorial to 51st Highland Division.
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September 2nd, 2007, 10:44 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
That first comparison is classic.
Let the indoctrination continue. 
Imagine the conversation in 20 years time:
"Lest we forget?!; My dad never gave me the slightest chance!... Let me tell you about the time he told me 'you can be Rommel' in some French Harbour..."
(almost surprising that a Mark VI could damage a house so much) |
September 2nd, 2007, 10:51 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Excellent stuff Owen - some super Then & Nows.
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September 2nd, 2007, 11:14 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Great stuff Owen. Stirling has a St Valery Drive named in honour of the Argylls.
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September 3rd, 2007, 01:00 AM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Fantastic thread Owen, I agree with vP, the first two are great.
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September 3rd, 2007, 07:27 AM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Many thanks for the Rommel/Fortune 'Then & Now', Owen...the moment is well-described in 'The Rommel Papers'....
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September 3rd, 2007, 07:39 AM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
The cemetery.
Lovely location, quiet & peaceful. Was a gorgeous sunny day that day, unlike the rain we had that week.
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September 3rd, 2007, 08:40 AM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
So Owen, playing 'After the Battle' then? 
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September 3rd, 2007, 01:18 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Quote:
Originally Posted by Za Rodinu
So Owen, playing 'After the Battle' then? |
Believe me, it's one of the most addictive and absorbing hobbies known to mankind.... 
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September 3rd, 2007, 01:26 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
I agree Martin it is great fun.
I had a little one page article published in The Western Front Association's Stand To! journal back in the 1990s about the First Canadian Contingent on Salisbury Plain in the winter of 1914/15.
On WW2Talk I did some "Then & Nows" of WW2 bomb damage in Swindon .
VP & Amrit will say my hometown still looks bomb-damaged.
To do then & nows you don't need to visit a foreign country, you can do it in your own backyard....almost.
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September 3rd, 2007, 09:28 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
You were lucky to get nice weather in normandy. I had two days of rain in the Alsace at the very same moment .
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November 8th, 2007, 03:50 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the surrender of 51st Highland Division and other forces at St Valery is fully described in Rommel's own words in 'The Rommel Papers' ( Collins, 1953 ) - in fact, it gets five full pages ( pp 62-66 ).
From Rommel's diary : -
' A particular joy for us was the inclusion among ( the prisoners ) of General Fortune, commander of the 51st British Division, and his staff....the captured Generals and staff had been assembled in a house just south of the market place. A Luftwaffe lieutenant, who had just been liberated from captivity, was made responsible for the guard. He was visibly delighted by the change of role.
Particularly surprising to us was the sang froid with which the British officers accepted their fate. The General..and his staff officers stalked around laughing in the street in front of the house...'
And, in a letter to his wife : -
Dearest Lu ( 12 June 1940 )
The battle is over here. Today one Corps commander and four division commanders presented themselves to me in the market square of St Valery, having been forced by my division to surrender.
Wonderful moments !
The book contains a photo of Rommel and Fortune, with the Luftwaffe lieutenant in the background. I have to say that General Fortune is certainly not laughing. The description and photo give a very vivid feel of the mood of the Germans as France fell, the whole of Europe seemingly at their feet and before it all started to go wrong......
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November 8th, 2007, 10:22 PM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
Thanks for posting that Martin, looks like that's ye another book I'll have to get now.
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November 9th, 2007, 07:31 AM
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Re: St.Valery-en-Caux Then and Now
A nice testimony about this unit from Rommel. Does any one know the name of the LW pilot who guarded the men ?
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