Pics : 'Wartime Hell'

Hi Mats, which road did you take, was it through Tournai sur Dives or Chambois ?

:sniper:

 

Good morning neil!

I shalll try to write down how I drove that day. Looking at your signature "Pegasus", perhaps I should start in Benouville?

First I drove from Trun via St. Lambert to Moissy Ford. (A nice place to have your breakfast). Then I went to Chambois, turned to direction Argentan only a short bit, when I found a small road on the other side of the Dives (direction St. Lambert). That road goes to Moissy, and it was from there I did not dare passing the river! But something like 50-100 meters before you reach the Dives, there is a very small road going to the left. I would say that it is a road which only the farmers use (plus me of course!) No signs or anything that tells you where you are heading, but it was in direction St Aubry I think.

Unfortunately, I have no good map to help me giving you better information, but on the bad map that I have, I can see that it was here that the germans came from both Argentan and Tornai when the wanted to reach the bridge in St. Lambert and the Moissy Ford. This must have been the main area where the Air Force had there "hunting".

I will see if I can find any better map on Internet. If you have any other questions - you are wellcome with them!

Best regards
Mats

 

Mats, one of the most helpful maps for the area is IGN 'Carte de Promenade' # 18 Caen/Alencon. This is available from most newsagents and tourist information centres in the region.

When you drove along the track from Chambois/Moissy, you would have passed within about 2 metres of where I found many of the items in the 'Relics From Moissy Ford' thread.......

 

Thanks Martin - will try to order it today! Cannot wait until I get down there!

If anyone want to read about the closing of the gap, here is a good article from The HistoryNet:

TheHistoryNet | World War II | World War II: Closing the Falaise Pocket

Regards / Mats

 

Only 2 more days to my next trip to Normandy, especially Moissy.

Most of the items that i have found on prevoius trips to the moissy area were found on the edges of the pathway leading down to the ford, items can even be found on the pathway itself, i found bullet heads and parts of MG belts here.

A photograph of the items i found can be seen in the same thread that Martin mentions 'Relics From Moissy Ford'.

 

Martin and Jagdpanther44!

I think that you use a metal-detector on your trips. Am I right?

Mats

 

Yes Mats i have used a metal detector, but it is not a necessity.

Mats, is this the country road you went along?

 

John!

It may very well be so. I cannot remember the 4 threes to the left but otherswise it reminds me of that small road. On the left side I only remember wheat-fields.

Shit - this writing about the area makes me want to go down there again at once!

By the way, does anyone know any good hotel around there? I am not looking for a first-class hotel.

Mats

 

Believe it or not, Mats - I've never used a metal detector in my life ! All the 'bits' I've found have been located with the 'Mk. 1 Eyeball'.

As for hotels, I've used the Hotel de la Poste in Falaise. It's easy to find, reliable and not too expensive, just 'Google' the name.....

 

For my trip later this week i have booked in to the ibis hotel in Falaise, £37 per night on a room only basis.

 

Now I get "off topic", but if anyone intends to visit the Bastogne area (Battle of the Bulge), I strongly recomment the following hotel situated a few miles outside the town:

Hotel Grandru

Very nice hotel with very nice owners, and situated along the road the americans took in order to help those poor ones in Bastogne.

Mats

 

Thanx for the tip, Mats!

 

Thanks for quoting my dad's article. It took many years before he would write of his experiences, and there are some things he is still reluctant to write about. The full article with photos and an interesting epilogue can now be seen at The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (P.L.), under the heading "Falaise". Reading it and the others posted there, I wonder how I ever arrived on this earth.

There's a field behind and to the right of where the photographer was standing when he took the famous photo of Major Currie. I have a photo of the field taken in 2006, covered in beautiful spring flowers (I would post it if I could figure out how). My dad says that on August 21, 1944, that field was so covered with dead Germans that it was possible to walk from one side to the other without touching the ground. I believe this is the field Gen. Eisenhower describes much the same way in his memoirs. Hard to imagine, looking at this tranquil place now.

 

The full article by Art Bridge (my dad) has now been posted at The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (P.L.), under the heading "Falaise". It includes lots of photos from 1944 and an interesting epilogue.

There's a field behind and to the right of where the photographer was standing when he took the famous photo of Major Currie. Attached is a photo of the field taken in 2006, covered in beautiful spring flowers. My dad says that on August 21, 1944, this field was so covered with dead Germans that it was possible to walk from one side to the other without touching the ground. I believe this is the field Gen. Eisenhower describes much the same way in his memoirs. Hard to imagine, looking at this tranquil place now.

Kieran Bridge

 

A very warm welcome to the WWII Forums, Kieran.....and many thanks for posting the link and photo

 

Hello Kieran,
Hope your Dad is ok, hope you didn't mind me posting your Dad's story.
Do you know George Wilkinson?
I've been looking into his Uncle Lorne Marr's story.
Your Dad helped him alot .

 

Kieran, after my visits to Hill 195, Igoville and Moerbrugge I'm surprised your Dad got through in one piece, apart from his getting blown up in Holland and being diagnosed with Batttle Exhaustion.
This is Art in that famous photo.EDIT, Looking at that article I've got the wrong one for your Dad. oops! I always though he was another one in the background.
I thought I'd post this post-war one too, hope that's OK.
EDIT Keiran can you tell the ASH Cans that when I clicked the Moerbrugge story the Igoville one appears again.
Another EDIT, Keiran, I just checked my photos and I've got one of you & your girls with your Dad & Fay taken last November 11th .Shall I post it here?

 

Welcome to the forums Kieran and echoing Martin many thanks for the link and photo,

Paul

 

Welcome Kieran, nice link, thank you for sharing.

 

I emailed webadmin at ASH of Canada site about the wrong link from the Moerbrugge story.

I went to Moerbrugge last October with Art's story as a guide.
It was great to walk in his footsteps.
Here's some photos I took there of the memorial and the Canadian Cemetery at Adegem where the lads who dies at Moerbrugge are buried.