Normandy - The British and Canadian sectors.

Thought you might like to see these? If it's getting a bit much please say so!

Pegasus Bridge











Note the gun position on this photo. It is the gun fired by Wally Parr of the Ox and Bucks L.I in the early hours of the 6th June at the water tower that was the cover for a German Sniper. They only had armour piercing rounds and only succeeded in drainig the water from the tower!








The Cafe Gondree. Quite possibly the first building liberated in France. Just don't try taking a photo inside





The concrete markers indicate the landing points of three of the gliders of John Howard's Coup de Main force. It's incredible just how close they landed to the bridge undetected.

 

Ranville


This is the fine church and ajoining CWGC cemetery at Ranville. The fact that the church has a seperate tower was used as a point of orientation for the men of 6th Airborne as they landed in the dark to find their allotted rendezvous points. They looked for the tower being silhouetted against the sky during the flash of explosions.








The CWGC cemetery at Ranville is a most poignant place. Just two of the more well known casualties..








Bobby





The Final Embarkation: Four 'stick' commanders of 22nd Independent Parachute Company, British 6th Airborne Division, synchronising their watches in front of an Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle of No 38 Group, Royal Air Force, at about 11 pm on 5 June, just prior to take off from RAF Harwell, Oxfordshire. This pathfinder unit parachuted into Normandy in advance of the rest of the division in order to mark out the landing zones, and these officers, (left to right, - Lieutenants, Bobby de la Tour, Don Wells, John Vischer and Bob Midwood), were among the first Allied troops to land in France.

 

The Merville Battery


The battery was attacked by the men of 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment under the command of Lt.Col Terence Otway. The drop was a disaster with men scattered to the proverbial four winds. In the end a force of some 150 men attacked the battery successfully using a hastily improvised plan.


The Casemates.








It's eerie seeing things like this left in the concrete at Merville..








Otway

 

How the Royal Engineers captured the Grand Bunker at Ouistreham.

 

Sword Beach. Serene now, less so then..







Juno beach starting with the Canadian House.

 

The the very human cost of the Canadian effort in Normandy. The beautiful cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer.

 

Gold Beach including the Stan Hollis Hut..

 

I can't salute you enough ! Thank You and keep 'em coming !

 

You must be joking! Keep 'em coming.

 

Wonderful pictures and most impressive too