My son, then 17 years old, and I visited Sainte Mere Eglise on the morning of June 6th, 2013. The celebration was in full swing by that time and we enjoyed the morning before moving on to all the historic sites on and around the Invasion beaches. We had some memorable Father/Son moments that will last a lifetime and as Americans we felt proud but at the same time, profoundly sad when the realization of the human cost started to sink in. -
It’s been a long time since 1944 and my dad would be so happy to know people care more than ever according to your presentation. He didn’t get a chance to make a pilgrimage to the town, but people like you have brought it to life. He jumped 6 June with the 505th PID along with General Gavin. My dad was assigned to the Headquarters Battalion, but I don’t know which company. A lot happened that night and as it turned out only his group with the general landed on the correct LZ. From what he said the fighting was light and the Germans were overwhelmed quickly. I’ve never attempted to communicate any of this before because the time went fast and his generation didn’t talk much about war. Dad wrote many articles for the Static Line and Stars and Stripes under the pen name of Michael Bradford, a name he gave to me along with the middle name of Gavin in honor of his general. Dad lived until 1980, passing five days after 65. He carried that war with him wherever he went and suffered all the effects of war we commonly discuss today. I feel that he really paid the price for war and in fact so too did the whole family. One can’t simply come home from such intensity like paratrooping and expect to go back to work at a department store. He certainly tried, but the years, alcohol and the PTSD made it difficult. He never stopped talking about what had happened and how fast people forgot. His unit stopped Piper during the Battle of the Bulge in deep snow, something that was frequently overlooked in favor of the 101st at Bastogne. Everyone deserved plenty of credit, so please don’t misunderstand. A terrible adversary was stopped and it was just in time. My mother was an army nurse and worked on the hospital trains that traveled from Dover to London daily during the war. The trains occasionally came under enemy fire causing the engines to disengage to go hide in a tunnel leaving the wounded in the cars exposed. The Germans wanted to get the engines primarily, so no one was hit, but shooting was all over the area. The nurses couldn’t leave the men. It was truly horrible by any of her accounts. Mom passed in 2018 at the age of 95. She too was a victim of war. Growing up in a home with two such veterans wasn’t easy. I’m glad people are remembering what happened and I hope they will do so with the idea that it can’t be allowed ever to happen again. The price is too high. I’m a lucky one to have been born because it sure didn’t look good for that idea back in 1944. Thank you for getting this video out and thanks to everyone who cares about what these men did so long ago. Dad would be so happy to know about this. He would remind everyone that he was an enlisted man.
Thank you so much for sharing that very personal story of your parents. I have a huge amount of respect for the men of the 82nd and their part in the war, and as you say they are so often overlooked in favour of the 101st but it was a true team effort and the 82nd Airborne Div were a tough bunch that got the job done no matter who or what was in front of them! If you don’t already have them I recommend Phil Nordykes books on the 82nd as they are an excellent research source and also have great maps included too.
Michael, my WW2 dad & uncles fought in the Pacific, but I was in Normandy, Le Havre, all over, as a teenager in 1974, and I thank you hugely for what you wrote; I understand completely; and I hope many of us can meet your dad AND mom in Heaven. Thank you again for your magnificent informational writing that countlesspeopleshouldread..
You are welcome. I wish this story could have been related when I was growing up with the sorrows of what war did to the family We suffered in silence because in those times everyone was expected to. It seemed that everything went back to the war, as my mother often reminded those who would listen. I get daily reminders of dad each time the clocks display 5:05. He never stopped talking about the 505th. I only wish something really good could have happened for him. He more than earned it.
You are welcome. I wish this story could have been related when I was growing up with the sorrows of what war did to the family We suffered in silence because in those times everyone was expected to. It seemed that everything went back to the war, as my mother often reminded those who would listen. I get daily reminders of dad each time the clocks display 5:05. He never stopped talking about the 505th. I only wish something really good could have happened for him. He more than earned it.
It's hard to believe they're almost all passed on to history now...I was born in 58 and I well remember my Dad and his friends talking about their army days in backyard get-togethers. My Dad a was a paratrooper too and and as I have aged he is more and more of a hero to me.
I walked in that Church in 2023 with my Dad. It's my favorite on the planet. Winters of the 101st landed in a field to the West. The Airborne Museum was my favorite one out of all we went to in France. I can't wait to go back.
It's a beautiful town isn't it. The Airborne Museum is a must seen and the work they've done on it in recent years is really good to see. The next exhibits really impressed me when I saw them for the first time last year.
We had a very good friend that took care of U. S. Army horesvin the European Theater. When he got back to San Francisco-: he bought a country property down the coast that boarded horses for the rest of his life till 1987. He could never talk about WW2. It hurt always. Thank so very very much for these before& after photos.
I was born on the south side of Chicago in 1950. One of my buddies that I played baseball with, lived on the next block, his dad jumped into St Mere Eglise with the 82nd Airborne. I got to meet some of the paratroopers, when his dad had a party. I was 12 years old at the time and didn't realize I was in the presence of heros. 6 years later I was in the 82nd Airborne and made a jump at Ft. Benning with a Lt. Col. That jumped into Normandy. Was proud then and proud that I am in the presence of heros in my Vietnam Veterans of America chapter. Airborne All the way!!!!!
The Longest Day was my favorite movie as a child despite it was already quite an old movie back then. Little did I know that one day my family would move to France and precisely in Cherbourg. All that to say I visited Sainte-Mère-Eglise countless time and every time the kid in me enjoys the feeling of walking where these heroes I admired walked themselves.
Fantastic! Must be amazing to live in that part of Normandy and be so close to all of the history that took place there! And like yourself I loved watching The Longest Day growing up, and amazing to think they were able to film so much of it at the key locations in Normandy!
These "Then and Now" photos are so poignant for me. My Dad was a Paratrooper in WWII (509th). Any time I see these photos, I always keep an eye out for him. After he passed away in 1993, I discovered an envelope with a bunch of negatives from his tour in Europe. He never mentioned he had them. I scanned them, and tried to make a "positive" from the scans, uploaded them to my FaceBook page, but many of them are not that clear. Thank you for doing this.
Oh wow! I know the 509th well and have walked their ground in Southern France when they jumped there in August 1944. I hope to film there at some point to document the 509th and 517th PIRs at some point as they were unique units that never get the acknowledgement they deserve. I’m thankful for your Fathers service, and thank you for taking the time to watch, I really appreciate it.
I had a very nice apple tart/pastry in St.Mere, a little boulangerie was just around the corner from the square. The fact that it was open...on a Sunday...in France...amazed me :) There was also a bookshop which sold Heimdal books which are not easy to find in the UK. I remember the church had a beautiful stain glass window dedicated to the airborne. I thought the airborne museum was very good. I think as it's such a small area as opposed to say Omaha or Sword, which are on such a huge scale you can't quite grasp it, these smaller locations like Pegasus Bridge or following the Green Howards/Stan Hollis at Gold, allow you to get so much closer as a human to what these people -soldiers and civilians - went through.
I know the very boulangerie you mean! Had some lovely baguettes from there over the years! And I know what you mean about the smaller locations, there’s an intimate atmosphere that, while amazing to see, the beaches don’t quite have.
My best friend's father was one of the troopers who landed in the town, was seriously wounded & captured. He had his left arm up to the elbow amputated in a German hospital a few days later & was a POW until the war ended. When the Longest Day came out he told us the guy on the church steeple was his sergeant.
My father was in Co. B 507 PIR/82nd Airborne. He landed near Chef du Pont and later was in St. Mare Eglise. He talked about riding a black horse into town, joined by a few soldiers from his platoon/squad who rode into town on a horse-drawn wagon. He recalled being photographed at the intersection near the church. On a visit with my dad in 2000 to St. Mare Eglise I took his picture again at the intersection. At the 10:34 mark in your video there’s a chance the soldiers who are shown on the wagon are my dad’s buddies and he may be the soldier on a black horse in the background further up the street. I wish I could confirm the IDs. I’ve looking for years for the WWII photo my dad talked about.
Oh wow that’s incredible if it is your father!! I really hope it is! If you are on Facebook a search for the ‘82nd Airborne Division in World War II’ would be worthwhile for you and reaching out to them and seeing if they might be able to help as I know they have a big archive of original reports and are extremely knowledgeable. They might have an insight into who was in those images.
@@WW2Wayfinder a pleasure. I Visited Normandy for the first time last year & obviously, I had to visit the beaches. Although a little commercialised it was breath taking actually standing on the exact beach. Thanks for all you do buddy 👍
@@darkvalebrewer93 no worries and glad you’ve been there! It’s quite the place and each time I go back I find something new which always amazes and humbles me. Thanks for supporting the channel!
My Dad jumped as 82nd war fighter was wounded there twice, still refused to stand-down. I'm looking for photos of him there in Sainte-Mere-Eglise,, he was buddies with a another 82nd war fighter named Ivan Woods.
The soldier you described as knackered (great word btw), as I was thinking more about it, he also had the look that countless others had: those who were boys on June 5th, men from then on. With the eyes being the window of the soul, it’s actually heartbreaking to see their eyes post D-Day. Every battle is horrible, but what they experienced with all of their senses on that day…😔 Freedom’s never free, and sadly too many people today just don’t get that! Great videos! God Bless from Atlanta!
Thank you! Fortunately no close calls this time but could have used some eyes in the back of my head at a couple of points! Glad you enjoyed the episode!
I bet they did, they were a very tight group , I met his sergeant and I found out all the details of his last day on earth, I will always be grateful ! God Bless them all.@@gw342
my uncle, Donald C Mead, private, made it thru d day, thru bridge too far to be shot by a sniper on 7 jan 45, died weeks after, 508th company c , while in North Carolina he and some others stole a jeep fpr a joy ride, hence his rank of Pvt
The Brave Soldiers who gave their lives for Freedom we enjoy today. Thank you for sharing. Planning to visit soon. 👏👏👏 How do we get to this place by public transport? Hope someone could advise Thanks.
@@WW2Wayfinder unfortunately the nearest train stop is Carentan but if you rent a bike you can easily cycle to Ste Mère Eglise from there. There may be buses but my experience outside of major cities didn't make me rely on them. In fact you can cover the invasion beaches and the immediate hinterland quiote easily on a bike. I did it a few years back and I'm no spring chicken
@@WW2Wayfinder I have the opportunity to walk battlefields close to home from the revolutionary War and they're generally just open fields with very little structures. Your work makes it more real. Thanks.
Fascinating. Keep up the great work. What your doing is so unique and a great idea. I really hope your channel grows. It deserves it for the effort you put in. Keeping the memory of this great generation alive.
Thank you so much and really pleased you enjoyed the episode! Always great to be able to share my passion for the Second World War with others! Thanks again for watching!
My grandfather and a lot of the 82nd who could get to Packers had their hands full, so Ben Vandervoort (Vandy) was holding St. Mere Eglise. There was an attempt at a German counter attack later, but it was put down very fast. Thank you for this. I've been here a few times and other tourists, not French, always ask for the location of the 101st. Always say that day was St. Marie du Mont and Carentan to help with four exits off Utah Beach- two 82nd, two 101. The 101 was taken off St. Mere Eglise and assigned Carentan. The 82nd had this town, Chef du Pont and La Fiere bridges.
It’s always a shame that the 82nd play second fiddle to the 101st in the popular memory of the US Airborne assault into Normandy. I’m editing a full length episode about the battle of La Fiere, starting from Drop Zone O and covering all of the key sites so hopefully it helps redress the balance slightly! It’s one that desperately needs to be told!
@@WW2Wayfinder thank you! There is so much information available other than AAR’s that really show an almost impossible assignment. No one is saying any Airborne unit had it easier, I just like seeing the others get their due.
I was there with the 40th anniversary of D-Day ( 1984 ) and actually spoke with American and German veterans who fought each other there at the church, that was quite an experience i can tell you, you would have loved it! ... i was inspired by the Dutch version of the '40/'45 then and now magazine of witch i still have about 8 binders!
I bet that was an incredible experience! I had a similar but very brief opportunity back in 2010 and it was amazing chatting with the veterans (101st Abn and 6th Fjr)
Red Buttons the actor acted out being parachuted and caught on the church steeple in The Longest Day. some of the stuntmen I think where dropped from cranes with a parachute and broke bones from what I have learned. I think it is a Icon moment in the film
Great video. Love these then and nows. The 1 photo of the trooper running towards the front church entrance is often captioned in books as a Trooper seeking cover from artillery fire. Nice to see you've deduced from the clock on the church it's most likely a staged photo from the Singnal Corps.
Thank you! It certainly seems likely that they’re all part of the same set and staged photos. As you say with that caption about artillery fire, if it’s that back, why does it look like the camera man is standing up if rounds are coming in?! He’d be taking the photo from the dirt! Not to say the original caption isn’t correct of course, and I’m happy to be proved wrong but they just strike me as being a set of staged photos - which doesn’t bother me but it is fun to try and work out what’s happening in each of them!
I stayed there for a few days motorcycle camping just a few years ago, lovely town with so much to see. If you’d called in the Liberation bar / cafe, the owner has an album of WW2 photos taken outside the bar
Thank you so much! That’s extremely kind of you! Just trying to do my bit to ensure the events and the generation from 80 years ago aren’t forgotten! Thanks again!
Glad you enjoyed it. Saint Mere Eglise is a wonderful place to visit, especially the Airborne Museum there. Definitely a must if you’re heading to Normandy!
@@WW2Wayfinder I hope to go one day. Until then I will live vicariously through your channel 🤣 my great grandfather was there on D day with the 82nd 505th I want to see La Fierre and Cherbourg-all of it someday
Great video showing the momentous events of 79 years ago. l understand what you're saying about the changes.. l was bought up in a small Essex village from 1953 to 1978 when l left. During the building boom of the fifties into the sixties it changed more in that time probably more so than the preceding 100 years... Now 45 years later when l look at the village on Google, apart from the main streets being the same it is unrecognisable.. plus apart from a bloody great crater in a local field caused by an Ariel mine the village suffered no damage from war..... such is the passage of progress.
Thank you! I’m not a huge fan of change - I know it’s inevitable and in some cases needs to happen but doesn’t mean I have to like it. Probably because of my passion for history I hate to see places from the past change in the name of ‘progress’!
My grandfather was 101st Easy Company 502nd PIR and dropped into Sainte Mere Eglise (by accident) the night before D-Day. The Air Force screwed up the drop. He said the Germans were fighting a fire and looked up to see them parachuting down. He went right thru a barn roof.
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing that. If you're able to visit Ste Mere Eglise I highly recommend it as the Airborne Museum there is incredible and with your Grandfather's war there I think you'd absoluetly love it there.
If you look closely in your photos, you'll notice that all of the streets were dirt in 1944. In April of 1994 I drove on those dirt roads. The 94th Engineers (I think) out of Darmstadt Germany paved all of the main roads in Ste Mere Eglise while I was there prepping for the 50th anniversary of D Day. I can see how the town has changed quite a bit since then and I can see from your video how some of it has remained the same. I saw a souvenir shop, where I bought a reproduction airborne knife. I can see the Cafe where I ate a few meals and enjoyed a few cold beers while flirting with a young french lady. We stayed in a gym a few hundred yards behind the church. I was stationed with 440th Sig Bn out of Darmstadt. This was a very large detachment to 5th Corps to prepare the area for the reenactment and the presidents to visit.
Wow! Did you make this vid just for me? My first jump at Ft. Benning was june 6 1988. My first and only station was 82nd Sig Bn Ft Bragg. I broke my foot once on a jump on St. Mere Eglise drop zone at Ft. Bragg. This vid was posted on my bday July 8.
Thank you! Sainte Mère Eglise is a great town to visit and the original footage from there is amazing. My favourite is all the Paratroopers riding horses! Something you’d never think of normally!
I really enjoy your "then and nows"! It gives one a far better perspective of what may have been going through the minds of these soldiers during these periods in France. Your episodes really puts a human element into the history of this war! I recently learned about The Battle of the Scheldt, which was fought in October 1944 between Allied forces from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Poland, and the German forces occupying territory in northern Belgium and the southwestern portion of The Netherlands during the North-West Europe campaign. There is a Dutch movie about it called "The Forgotten Battle". If you have never seen it or haven't known about that campaign, you should check it out. You may be enticed to do an episode about it, cheers!
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying them and hopefully it brings some context to the modern locations and provides a good idea of what these places are like if you’re able to travel there yourself. The Forgotten Battle is a good film and nice to see it cover the Dutch experience during that stage in the war!
Thank you! It’s a fair few hours I won’t lie but hopefully worth it if it can bring these incredible places to a wider audience! Thanks again for taking the time to watch!
Really enjoying these videos. I’m thinking of a trip by motorcycle to Normandy late September/early October. Just wonder if you think this would be a good time to visit?
Thank you! I’ve been in mid September before and it’s been lovely. The last of the summer coupled with low tourist season means you can really see the sites without big crowds and it’s much more atmospheric. You might still be ok in early Oct but I’d be a bit more concerned about the weather potentially especially if you’re on a motorcycle
@@WW2Wayfinder everyone should visit Normandy. I was surprised that it looked very similar to how it did on D-Day. I expected there to be nothing but condominiums. It will be tough to beat that trip. My son and I travel together a lot. We’ve visited Brasil many times. I’ve been there 18 times and he’s been there 6 times probably. He loved Omaha Beach. The thing I remember most is that movies can’t capture the size of everything. The beaches go for miles.
I have also been to Normandie. It took forever for the troops to reach the dikes and walls. If you go to Normandie, look at gun the emplacements. I don't think the troops had any idea of the immensity they faced. They knew it would be bad but that bad.
You’re most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to watch as I really appreciate it! Sainte Mère Eglise is a wonderful town to visit and there is history around every corner there!
The 504 was left behind in Italy to finish taking Monte Cassino and Rome so when they finally returned to England they were not rested, refit and retrained to participate in D-Day. However, they were full force for Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge and the fight through Germany. The were also part of the liberation of the subcamp Wöbbelin and occupation of the American sector in Berlin after the surrender by Germany. - Grandaughter, 82nd Airborne senior officer.
@@dusty7264 I think that is what happened. The regiment wasn't ready, but there would be no reason not to get volunteer medics or even some troopers who really wanted to go. The just wouldn't activate a full regiment. They had been through hell in Italy.
FANTASTIC video good sir!! Your video's are truly AMAZING!! I love learning about WWII. Thank you so much for doing all the work that you do! Much respect and support from Yuma, AZ. 👍👍
@WW2Wayfinder That's true!! I would love to make it over there for the D-Day celebration with the C-47's that travel the original route that was flown from the US over to England.
@@WW2Wayfinder There is also a British cemetery in Bayeaux and a very somber German cemetery at Le Cambre that should be visited to get a full perspective of the human cost of young lives.
Thanks for this excellent video! In each photo I see of Sainte Mère Église, I search if I can possibly recognise my father who jumped with the 2/505th on D-Day.
i was intrigued by the foto at 15,58 min, i looked at it over and over again as there was something off. Yes the tiny window and the bigger window fooled me too when i looked at it, but in the foto the front of the house allignes withe the other houses in the street where now its set back aprox 5 or 6 meters also the angle of the roof is quite differnent being a lot steeper in the old picture. like i said it fooled me too at first glans, but it cant be the same house as the tiny window shoud be above the front door of the car. what i do think is happend here is that they rebuild the house maintaning original part but demoleshed the front which is heavy damaged in the foto. excuse my bad english, but i thought it was word mentioning as its the first thing i came across being not quite right...
@@jjlynchee961 That's my theory of riding. Keep the horse between you and the ground. Jokes aside, that's actually not true with the majority of horses. Even over 100 years ago, the majority of people weren't skilled in equine control.
GREAT video! Thanks for posting! But what do you mean "IF the story of the paratrooper is true or not"? I've read the account of John Steele getting hung up on the steeple in several accounts, including Stephen Ambrose's D-DAY volume, and, as typical of his research, seen especially in BAND OF BROTHERS, his account from which the movie was made, it includes interviews with Steele's buddies: he DID get caught on the steeple, he DID eventually get down, I believe captured, and, per other accounts, was honored by the French years later upon his return as honorary mayor. Time has a way of making everything suspect, so if your sources cast doubt on Steele's position on the steeple, then they're too danged young and have never read the research done before.
Glad you liked the video! SME is a great town to visit with an excellent museum! Regarding Steele, the link to the video is here ruclips.net/user/livekLjLW4pkAXc?si=UCxOITI8B7HuTrpX It’s well worth a watch and Marty Morgan is renowned US historian who specialises in the 82nd so it’s worth your time to hear his perspective on it
My son, then 17 years old, and I visited Sainte Mere Eglise on the morning of June 6th, 2013. The celebration was in full swing by that time and we enjoyed the morning before moving on to all the historic sites on and around the Invasion beaches. We had some memorable Father/Son moments that will last a lifetime and as Americans we felt proud but at the same time, profoundly sad when the realization of the human cost started to sink in. -
It’s been a long time since 1944 and my dad would be so happy to know people care more than ever according to your presentation. He didn’t get a chance to make a pilgrimage to the town, but people like you have brought it to life. He jumped 6 June with the 505th PID along with General Gavin. My dad was assigned to the Headquarters Battalion, but I don’t know which company. A lot happened that night and as it turned out only his group with the general landed on the correct LZ. From what he said the fighting was light and the Germans were overwhelmed quickly. I’ve never attempted to communicate any of this before because the time went fast and his generation didn’t talk much about war. Dad wrote many articles for the Static Line and Stars and Stripes under the pen name of Michael Bradford, a name he gave to me along with the middle name of Gavin in honor of his general.
Dad lived until 1980, passing five days after 65. He carried that war with him wherever he went and suffered all the effects of war we commonly discuss today. I feel that he really paid the price for war and in fact so too did the whole family. One can’t simply come home from such intensity like paratrooping and expect to go back to work at a department store. He certainly tried, but the years, alcohol and the PTSD made it difficult. He never stopped talking about what had happened and how fast people forgot. His unit stopped Piper during the Battle of the Bulge in deep snow, something that was frequently overlooked in favor of the 101st at Bastogne. Everyone deserved plenty of credit, so please don’t misunderstand. A terrible adversary was stopped and it was just in time.
My mother was an army nurse and worked on the hospital trains that traveled from Dover to London daily during the war. The trains occasionally came under enemy fire causing the engines to disengage to go hide in a tunnel leaving the wounded in the cars exposed. The Germans wanted to get the engines primarily, so no one was hit, but shooting was all over the area. The nurses couldn’t leave the men. It was truly horrible by any of her accounts. Mom passed in 2018 at the age of 95. She too was a victim of war. Growing up in a home with two such veterans wasn’t easy. I’m glad people are remembering what happened and I hope they will do so with the idea that it can’t be allowed ever to happen again. The price is too high. I’m a lucky one to have been born because it sure didn’t look good for that idea back in 1944. Thank you for getting this video out and thanks to everyone who cares about what these men did so long ago. Dad would be so happy to know about this. He would remind everyone that he was an enlisted man.
Thank you so much for sharing that very personal story of your parents.
I have a huge amount of respect for the men of the 82nd and their part in the war, and as you say they are so often overlooked in favour of the 101st but it was a true team effort and the 82nd Airborne Div were a tough bunch that got the job done no matter who or what was in front of them!
If you don’t already have them I recommend Phil Nordykes books on the 82nd as they are an excellent research source and also have great maps included too.
@@WW2Wayfinder Thank you for that tip on the books and your thoughts.
Michael, my WW2 dad & uncles fought in the Pacific, but I was in Normandy, Le Havre, all over, as a teenager in 1974, and I thank you hugely for what you wrote; I understand completely; and I hope many of us can meet your dad AND mom in Heaven. Thank you again for your magnificent informational writing that countlesspeopleshouldread..
You are welcome. I wish this story could have been related when I was growing up with the sorrows of what war did to the family We suffered in silence because in those times everyone was expected to. It seemed that everything went back to the war, as my mother often reminded those who would listen. I get daily reminders of dad each time the clocks display 5:05. He never stopped talking about the 505th. I only wish something really good could have happened for him. He more than earned it.
You are welcome. I wish this story could have been related when I was growing up with the sorrows of what war did to the family We suffered in silence because in those times everyone was expected to. It seemed that everything went back to the war, as my mother often reminded those who would listen. I get daily reminders of dad each time the clocks display 5:05. He never stopped talking about the 505th. I only wish something really good could have happened for him. He more than earned it.
It's hard to believe they're almost all passed on to history now...I was born in 58 and I well remember my Dad and his friends talking about their army days in backyard get-togethers. My Dad a was a paratrooper too and and as I have aged he is more and more of a hero to me.
It is hard to think of a world when the Greatest Generation have left us. Do you know what unit your Father served in?
@@WW2Wayfinder Yes, he was in the 11th airborne - Luzon area. Nice video sir -
@@paulw176 oh wow! Thank you for that! I have a very good book on the 11th Airborne. A great division for sure!
@@WW2WayfinderIf you have that title I would be very interested...
So the book is ‘The Angels: A History of the 11th Airborne Division’ by Major Edward M. Flanagan Jr. The Battery Press Nashville ISBN 0-89839-117-2
I walked in that Church in 2023 with my Dad. It's my favorite on the planet. Winters of the 101st landed in a field to the West.
The Airborne Museum was my favorite one out of all we went to in France. I can't wait to go back.
It's a beautiful town isn't it. The Airborne Museum is a must seen and the work they've done on it in recent years is really good to see. The next exhibits really impressed me when I saw them for the first time last year.
It's on the list!
The name of the paratrooper hanging from the churchtower was John Steele. He was very well loved and admired in st Mere Eglise
Yes. Sadly, he passed away from throat cancer just a few weeks before the 25th anniversary of the invasion. He was only 56.
We had a very good friend that took care of U. S. Army horesvin the European Theater. When he got back to San Francisco-: he bought a country property down the coast that boarded horses for the rest of his life till 1987.
He could never talk about WW2.
It hurt always.
Thank so very very much for these before& after photos.
My grandfather was one of those troopers, I’m constantly on the lookout for pictures of him.
Do you know which Regiment of the 82nd he served in?
@@WW2Wayfinder he was with 505th from Sept of 42 until he was discharged in 45.
@@MikeErgzzwow! My respects to your grandfather 🎉
I was born on the south side of Chicago in 1950. One of my buddies that I played baseball with, lived on the next block, his dad jumped into St Mere Eglise with the 82nd Airborne. I got to meet some of the paratroopers, when his dad had a party. I was 12 years old at the time and didn't realize I was in the presence of heros. 6 years later I was in the 82nd Airborne and made a jump at Ft. Benning with a Lt. Col. That jumped into Normandy. Was proud then and proud that I am in the presence of heros in my Vietnam Veterans of America chapter. Airborne All the way!!!!!
Oh wow!!! That’s incredible!!! Thank you for your service and amazing you were able to meet and even jump with some of those men!
my dad was there June 44 ,82nd Airborne . thanks for showing this
You’re most welcome. Was he with the 82nd Airborne?
@@WW2Wayfinder yes he was . he also fought in Belgum ' battle of the bulge ' and parachuted into Holland 'market garden' operation
The Longest Day was my favorite movie as a child despite it was already quite an old movie back then. Little did I know that one day my family would move to France and precisely in Cherbourg. All that to say I visited Sainte-Mère-Eglise countless time and every time the kid in me enjoys the feeling of walking where these heroes I admired walked themselves.
Fantastic! Must be amazing to live in that part of Normandy and be so close to all of the history that took place there!
And like yourself I loved watching The Longest Day growing up, and amazing to think they were able to film so much of it at the key locations in Normandy!
These "Then and Now" photos are so poignant for me. My Dad was a Paratrooper in WWII (509th). Any time I see these photos, I always keep an eye out for him. After he passed away in 1993, I discovered an envelope with a bunch of negatives from his tour in Europe. He never mentioned he had them. I scanned them, and tried to make a "positive" from the scans, uploaded them to my FaceBook page, but many of them are not that clear. Thank you for doing this.
Oh wow! I know the 509th well and have walked their ground in Southern France when they jumped there in August 1944. I hope to film there at some point to document the 509th and 517th PIRs at some point as they were unique units that never get the acknowledgement they deserve.
I’m thankful for your Fathers service, and thank you for taking the time to watch, I really appreciate it.
My uncle and namesake was KIA with the 508th Para Inf. , I came on here to see if I could spot him also.
I had a very nice apple tart/pastry in St.Mere, a little boulangerie was just around the corner from the square. The fact that it was open...on a Sunday...in France...amazed me :) There was also a bookshop which sold Heimdal books which are not easy to find in the UK. I remember the church had a beautiful stain glass window dedicated to the airborne. I thought the airborne museum was very good. I think as it's such a small area as opposed to say Omaha or Sword, which are on such a huge scale you can't quite grasp it, these smaller locations like Pegasus Bridge or following the Green Howards/Stan Hollis at Gold, allow you to get so much closer as a human to what these people -soldiers and civilians - went through.
I know the very boulangerie you mean! Had some lovely baguettes from there over the years!
And I know what you mean about the smaller locations, there’s an intimate atmosphere that, while amazing to see, the beaches don’t quite have.
My best friend's father was one of the troopers who landed in the town, was seriously wounded & captured. He had his left arm up to the elbow amputated in a German hospital a few days later & was a POW until the war ended. When the Longest Day came out he told us the guy on the church steeple was his sergeant.
My father was in Co. B 507 PIR/82nd Airborne. He landed near Chef du Pont and later was in St. Mare Eglise. He talked about riding a black horse into town, joined by a few soldiers from his platoon/squad who rode into town on a horse-drawn wagon. He recalled being photographed at the intersection near the church. On a visit with my dad in 2000 to St. Mare Eglise I took his picture again at the intersection. At the 10:34 mark in your video there’s a chance the soldiers who are shown on the wagon are my dad’s buddies and he may be the soldier on a black horse in the background further up the street. I wish I could confirm the IDs. I’ve looking for years for the WWII photo my dad talked about.
Oh wow that’s incredible if it is your father!! I really hope it is! If you are on Facebook a search for the ‘82nd Airborne Division in World War II’ would be worthwhile for you and reaching out to them and seeing if they might be able to help as I know they have a big archive of original reports and are extremely knowledgeable. They might have an insight into who was in those images.
Getting my passport and going to this area next year with my son first time abroad for me so so looking forward to it
You’ll love it! There’s so much to see in that Cotentin area around Carentan/Sainte Mère Eglise. Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Absolutely love the "then & now" photos. Crazy when you some of the backgrounds haven't changed
It’s incredible isn’t it even after 79 years to see very little has changed in that time! Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it!
@@WW2Wayfinder a pleasure. I Visited Normandy for the first time last year & obviously, I had to visit the beaches. Although a little commercialised it was breath taking actually standing on the exact beach. Thanks for all you do buddy 👍
@@darkvalebrewer93 no worries and glad you’ve been there! It’s quite the place and each time I go back I find something new which always amazes and humbles me. Thanks for supporting the channel!
Excellent video - so interesting to see the 'Then & Now' photos and latest video shots.
Again this is so well done,thank you again.Lest we forget
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😃
My Dad jumped as 82nd war fighter was wounded there twice, still refused to stand-down. I'm looking for photos of him there in Sainte-Mere-Eglise,, he was buddies with a another 82nd war fighter named Ivan Woods.
The soldier you described as knackered (great word btw), as I was thinking more about it, he also had the look that countless others had: those who were boys on June 5th, men from then on.
With the eyes being the window of the soul, it’s actually heartbreaking to see their eyes post D-Day. Every battle is horrible, but what they experienced with all of their senses on that day…😔
Freedom’s never free, and sadly too many people today just don’t get that!
Great videos!
God Bless from Atlanta!
I really enjoy your work. The places in history you visit, the then & nows, are spectacular!! Keep up the great work!!
Thank you very much! Just great to be able to share my passion with other likeminded people! Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Be careful with that traffic, but these were sooooo worth it. Thanks!
Thank you! Fortunately no close calls this time but could have used some eyes in the back of my head at a couple of points! Glad you enjoyed the episode!
My uncle and namesake , John Payet was KIA with the 508 th Par Inf. 82nd Airborne here. I tried my whole life to live up to his high standard.
My wife’s uncle, Edward “Eddie” Nassaney, was also 82nd/508th…he survived the jump but was KIA 3 weeks later. I bet they knew each other.
I bet they did, they were a very tight group , I met his sergeant and I found out all the details of his last day on earth, I will always be grateful ! God Bless them all.@@gw342
my uncle, Donald C Mead, private, made it thru d day, thru bridge too far to be shot by a sniper on 7 jan 45, died weeks after, 508th company c , while in North Carolina he and some others stole a jeep fpr a joy ride, hence his rank of Pvt
Merci pour tout ce travail de recherche , c'est très intéressant de comparer entre hier (1944) et aujourd'hui.👍😉
You’re most welcome! It’s my passion and great to be able to share it with likeminded people!😃
Your do such great work. Thank you for putting out such interesting and enjoyable content. Keep it up! Love the videos.
Glad you enjoyed it! Was a lot of fun to film there and always a great time being back in Sainte Mère Eglise knowing the history there!
Very much a worth while effort. Thanks!
You’re most welcome! Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed it!
The Brave Soldiers who gave their lives for Freedom we enjoy today. Thank you for sharing. Planning to visit soon. 👏👏👏 How do we get to this place by public transport? Hope someone could advise Thanks.
You’ll need to hire a car to get around there as to the best of my memory I’ve never seen buses etc through the town.
@@WW2Wayfinder OK Thanks. We are coming from Asia. Will start learning French to navigate around. Bounjour & Merci Bouquet
@@WW2Wayfinder unfortunately the nearest train stop is Carentan but if you rent a bike you can easily cycle to Ste Mère Eglise from there. There may be buses but my experience outside of major cities didn't make me rely on them. In fact you can cover the invasion beaches and the immediate hinterland quiote easily on a bike. I did it a few years back and I'm no spring chicken
Your work brings a different perspective to those photos.
Thank you! I hope it was enjoyable and revealed something new!
@@WW2Wayfinder I have the opportunity to walk battlefields close to home from the revolutionary War and they're generally just open fields with very little structures. Your work makes it more real. Thanks.
Fascinating. Keep up the great work. What your doing is so unique and a great idea. I really hope your channel grows. It deserves it for the effort you put in. Keeping the memory of this great generation alive.
Thank you so much and really pleased you enjoyed the episode! Always great to be able to share my passion for the Second World War with others!
Thanks again for watching!
My grandfather and a lot of the 82nd who could get to Packers had their hands full, so Ben Vandervoort (Vandy) was holding St. Mere Eglise. There was an attempt at a German counter attack later, but it was put down very fast.
Thank you for this. I've been here a few times and other tourists, not French, always ask for the location of the 101st. Always say that day was St. Marie du Mont and Carentan to help with four exits off Utah Beach- two 82nd, two 101. The 101 was taken off St. Mere Eglise and assigned Carentan.
The 82nd had this town, Chef du Pont and La Fiere bridges.
It’s always a shame that the 82nd play second fiddle to the 101st in the popular memory of the US Airborne assault into Normandy.
I’m editing a full length episode about the battle of La Fiere, starting from Drop Zone O and covering all of the key sites so hopefully it helps redress the balance slightly! It’s one that desperately needs to be told!
@@WW2Wayfinder thank you! There is so much information available other than AAR’s that really show an almost impossible assignment. No one is saying any Airborne unit had it easier, I just like seeing the others get their due.
I was there last week...amazing
Fantastic! Hope you had a great time there
I was there with the 40th anniversary of D-Day ( 1984 ) and actually spoke with American and German veterans who fought each other there at the church, that was quite an experience i can tell you, you would have loved it! ... i was inspired by the Dutch version of the '40/'45 then and now magazine of witch i still have about 8 binders!
I bet that was an incredible experience! I had a similar but very brief opportunity back in 2010 and it was amazing chatting with the veterans (101st Abn and 6th Fjr)
Wow! You are a Lucky person.
Red Buttons the actor acted out being parachuted and caught on the church steeple in The Longest Day. some of the stuntmen I think where dropped from cranes with a parachute and broke bones from what I have learned.
I think it is a Icon moment in the film
Great video thanks for sharing with us. Great history. Being a military collector all my life this means alot
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed and as a fellow collector myself it’s great to know it’s getting to the right people! Thanks again!
Touching. We are grateful
Great video. Love these then and nows. The 1 photo of the trooper running towards the front church entrance is often captioned in books as a Trooper seeking cover from artillery fire. Nice to see you've deduced from the clock on the church it's most likely a staged photo from the Singnal Corps.
Thank you!
It certainly seems likely that they’re all part of the same set and staged photos. As you say with that caption about artillery fire, if it’s that back, why does it look like the camera man is standing up if rounds are coming in?! He’d be taking the photo from the dirt! Not to say the original caption isn’t correct of course, and I’m happy to be proved wrong but they just strike me as being a set of staged photos - which doesn’t bother me but it is fun to try and work out what’s happening in each of them!
I stayed there for a few days motorcycle camping just a few years ago, lovely town with so much to see.
If you’d called in the Liberation bar / cafe, the owner has an album of WW2 photos taken outside the bar
Oh wow thanks for that, I’ll have to ask next time I’m there!
Glad you’ve been able to visit as it’s a wonderful place to explore isn’t it.
Awesome work, this is what history is all about! 👌
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Greetings from Alabama USA. Visited in 2019. You done well. Enjoyed.
Wonderful thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully brought back nice memories from your trip there!
It did, indeed. Thanks.
Merci beaucoup et amitiés au peuple Américain 🙋♂
Had to share your channel on Facebook.....Best WWII channel on RUclips by far! .....keep up the great work ❤
Thank you so much! That’s extremely kind of you! Just trying to do my bit to ensure the events and the generation from 80 years ago aren’t forgotten! Thanks again!
I watched and learned with great interest. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a great place to visit!
I really appreciate this! Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it. Saint Mere Eglise is a wonderful place to visit, especially the Airborne Museum there. Definitely a must if you’re heading to Normandy!
@@WW2Wayfinder I hope to go one day. Until then I will live vicariously through your channel 🤣 my great grandfather was there on D day with the 82nd 505th I want to see La Fierre and Cherbourg-all of it someday
What an amazing work, so many thanks.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video showing the momentous events of 79 years ago. l understand what you're saying about the changes.. l was bought up in a small Essex village from 1953 to 1978 when l left. During the building boom of the fifties into the sixties it changed more in that time probably more so than the preceding 100 years... Now 45 years later when l look at the village on Google, apart from the main streets being the same it is unrecognisable.. plus apart from a bloody great crater in a local field caused by an Ariel mine the village suffered no damage from war..... such is the passage of progress.
Thank you!
I’m not a huge fan of change - I know it’s inevitable and in some cases needs to happen but doesn’t mean I have to like it. Probably because of my passion for history I hate to see places from the past change in the name of ‘progress’!
Excellent work! I appreciate the effort you make in these videos.
Thank you! I’m lucky I can share my passion with so many likeminded people!
Just fascinating. Great job, thank you.
You're most welcome!
great video ! :)
Thanks mate! Glad you liked it!
My grandfather was 101st Easy Company 502nd PIR and dropped into Sainte Mere Eglise (by accident) the night before D-Day. The Air Force screwed up the drop. He said the Germans were fighting a fire and looked up to see them parachuting down. He went right thru a barn roof.
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing that. If you're able to visit Ste Mere Eglise I highly recommend it as the Airborne Museum there is incredible and with your Grandfather's war there I think you'd absoluetly love it there.
Man I love your videos I visit Normandy, Omaha Beach and SAINTE MERE EGLISE. Great Places. Thank you Mate.
Glad you like them!
If you look closely in your photos, you'll notice that all of the streets were dirt in 1944. In April of 1994 I drove on those dirt roads. The 94th Engineers (I think) out of Darmstadt Germany paved all of the main roads in Ste Mere Eglise while I was there prepping for the 50th anniversary of D Day. I can see how the town has changed quite a bit since then and I can see from your video how some of it has remained the same. I saw a souvenir shop, where I bought a reproduction airborne knife. I can see the Cafe where I ate a few meals and enjoyed a few cold beers while flirting with a young french lady. We stayed in a gym a few hundred yards behind the church. I was stationed with 440th Sig Bn out of Darmstadt. This was a very large detachment to 5th Corps to prepare the area for the reenactment and the presidents to visit.
My uncle, Harold Hibard, was with the 82nd Airborne. Killed the first day next to the church.
Excellent informative video - thank you!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching!
I love watching your channel on Sunday mornings. Once again excellent content, I appreciate all your efforts. Thanks!!! 👍
These photos are so cool!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them!
Merci beaucoup pour ce reportage... Thank you very much for this report
You’re most welcome! Thank you for watching, I really appreciate it!
Wow! Did you make this vid just for me? My first jump at Ft. Benning was june 6 1988. My first and only station was 82nd Sig Bn Ft Bragg. I broke my foot once on a jump on St. Mere Eglise drop zone at Ft. Bragg. This vid was posted on my bday July 8.
Oh wow nows that’s a lot of coincidences!! Sorry you broke your foot jumping there but cool to be able to do it! Thanks for watching!
Gracias , muy interesante e historicas fotos , me gusta tú trabajo. Felicidades
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to watch!
Excellent video as usual. Can't imagine what it must be like to be in these historic locations.
It always humbles me and makes me realise that these quiet places have witnessed incredible things over the years.
Another great video, my favorite part is around 14:07 with the GI's barreling down the alley in the jeep, early American Hot Rodders...
Thank you! Sainte Mère Eglise is a great town to visit and the original footage from there is amazing. My favourite is all the Paratroopers riding horses! Something you’d never think of normally!
Great video!
Thank you!!
I really enjoy your "then and nows"! It gives one a far better perspective of what may have been going through the minds of these soldiers during these periods in France. Your episodes really puts a human element into the history of this war! I recently learned about The Battle of the Scheldt, which was fought in October 1944 between Allied forces from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Poland, and the German forces occupying territory in northern Belgium and the southwestern portion of The Netherlands during the North-West Europe campaign. There is a Dutch movie about it called "The Forgotten Battle". If you have never seen it or haven't known about that campaign, you should check it out. You may be enticed to do an episode about it, cheers!
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying them and hopefully it brings some context to the modern locations and provides a good idea of what these places are like if you’re able to travel there yourself.
The Forgotten Battle is a good film and nice to see it cover the Dutch experience during that stage in the war!
Des souvenirs inoubliables merci ..
Merci!
Very nicely done. Thank you.
Thank you! Saint Mère Eglise is a wonderful place to visit especially during the commemorations of Operation Overlord!
amazing . a lot of work goes into doing things like this . very well done and put together.
Thank you! It’s a fair few hours I won’t lie but hopefully worth it if it can bring these incredible places to a wider audience! Thanks again for taking the time to watch!
Absolutely fascinating!! I'm completely hooked! Many thanks 👍
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching!
Great video 👍
Thank you!
Great. Well done. Thanks.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
I met one of the paratroopers pictured riding a horse, he and his son owned a picture framing business here in town where live.
Oh wow!! That is very cool! Thank you for sharing that!
Really enjoying these videos. I’m thinking of a trip by motorcycle to Normandy late September/early October. Just wonder if you think this would be a good time to visit?
Thank you!
I’ve been in mid September before and it’s been lovely. The last of the summer coupled with low tourist season means you can really see the sites without big crowds and it’s much more atmospheric. You might still be ok in early Oct but I’d be a bit more concerned about the weather potentially especially if you’re on a motorcycle
Again, very cool history!
Thank you Garrett!!! Always appreciated!
The soldier at 14:08 is not wearing the standard 'jumper-boots' of the parachute units, but the infantry boots with green canvas leggings.
I think he was either 325th GIR or 4th ID
My great grandfather jumped into St Mere Eglise….I sure wish he’d lived longer I never knew him!
My son and I invaded St. Mere Eglise together in 2007. The stained glass windows were amazing with paratroopers added to the religious images.
The church is beautiful isn’t it! Glad you’ve been able to visit there with your son!
@@WW2Wayfinder everyone should visit Normandy. I was surprised that it looked very similar to how it did on D-Day. I expected there to be nothing but condominiums. It will be tough to beat that trip. My son and I travel together a lot. We’ve visited Brasil many times. I’ve been there 18 times and he’s been there 6 times probably. He loved Omaha Beach. The thing I remember most is that movies can’t capture the size of everything. The beaches go for miles.
I have also been to Normandie. It took forever for the troops to reach the dikes and walls. If you go to Normandie, look at gun the emplacements. I don't think the troops had any idea of the immensity they faced. They knew it would be bad but that bad.
My son and I were there mid May 2023 and ate at the restaurant on the corner owned by a nice British lady.
Fantastic! I hope you had a chance to explore the town and visit the museum there too!
Is she the one whose husband is a Normandy guide
Very informative. Such a clever way to highlight history. Thank you so much.
You’re most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to watch as I really appreciate it! Sainte Mère Eglise is a wonderful town to visit and there is history around every corner there!
Great vid. It would help me if the then and now images would be longer betwen each
Awesome! Loving these.
Thank you!
My grandpa was with the 82ABN on D-Day, 1/504 PIR maybe he went through there
The 504 was left behind in Italy to finish taking Monte Cassino and Rome so when they finally returned to England they were not rested, refit and retrained to participate in D-Day. However, they were full force for Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge and the fight through Germany. The were also part of the liberation of the subcamp Wöbbelin and occupation of the American sector in Berlin after the surrender by Germany. - Grandaughter, 82nd Airborne senior officer.
@@jefsantamonica641 according to grandpa, they needed every Pathfinder they could find, so he was volunteered.
@@dusty7264 I think that is what happened. The regiment wasn't ready, but there would be no reason not to get volunteer medics or even some troopers who really wanted to go. The just wouldn't activate a full regiment. They had been through hell in Italy.
Very nostalgic and memorable photos taken by the able military photographers that will live in our memory forever! “The Longest Day”!
I’ve always wondered who were the 12 paratroopers who died on D-day at St. Mère Eglise square.
I’ve looked and never found their names.
Świetny temat nawiązujący do historii, o której nie można zapomnieć.
Pozdrawiam 🙂
Thank you!
FANTASTIC video good sir!! Your video's are truly AMAZING!! I love learning about WWII. Thank you so much for doing all the work that you do! Much respect and support from Yuma, AZ. 👍👍
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Next time I just need to find a quieter time of year when the roads aren’t as busy 🤣
@WW2Wayfinder That's true!! I would love to make it over there for the D-Day celebration with the C-47's that travel the original route that was flown from the US over to England.
@@ryanmoeller3308 there’s going to be several from the US coming over for the 80th next year. Check out D-Day Squadron on google!
thanks, en marzo 2025 visito por segunda vez. Fuerza y honor para estos valientes. Donde consigues las fotografias? un saludo desde spain
TU TRABAJO ES ADMIRABLE!!! GRACIAS
Thank you!!!
Is there a local cemetry to the war dead? Thanks for sharing and loved iy
Thank you!
The main cemetery is at Colleville Sur Mer and there are nearly 10,000 American soldiers buried there who fought in Normandy
@@WW2Wayfinder There is also a British cemetery in Bayeaux and a very somber German cemetery at Le Cambre that should be visited to get a full perspective of the human cost of young lives.
Thanks 82nd Airborne.
Thanks again for your job.
Thanks.
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully it showed a different side of Sainte Mère Eglise! Thanks again for watching!
Great vid mate! Loved the now & then plus we get a longer vid. Bet you’ve lots of Normandy material 👍🏻🍻🪖
Thanks Steve! Still lots to come from Normandy so don’t worry 😃
@@WW2Wayfinder Can't wait mate.
Pls more content on airborne forces in Normandy
There’s a few more videos on the 101st from Normandy on my channel and I’m in the middle of editing a big video all about the fight at La Fiere 😎
@@WW2Wayfinder That's great! 👍
Going there 2024. Can’t be many left now.
You’ll have a great time there! It’s busy during the anniversary but you’ll see so much going on! Hope you have a great trip!
Nice to see st Mere Eglise, stopped there many times.
It’s a great town isn’t it and just so much history in one small spot! Thanks for watching and I hope you can make it back there soon!
You stand there under the same Sun..😔
Thanks for this excellent video!
In each photo I see of Sainte Mère Église, I search if I can possibly recognise my father who jumped with the 2/505th on D-Day.
My pleasure Mike, it’s always a privilege to visit Saint Mere Eglise. This year for D-Day it was rammed but everyone was having a good time there.
i was intrigued by the foto at 15,58 min, i looked at it over and over again as there was something off. Yes the tiny window and the bigger window fooled me too when i looked at it, but in the foto the front of the house allignes withe the other houses in the street where now its set back aprox 5 or 6 meters also the angle of the roof is quite differnent being a lot steeper in the old picture.
like i said it fooled me too at first glans, but it cant be the same house as the tiny window shoud be above the front door of the car. what i do think is happend here is that they rebuild the house maintaning original part but demoleshed the front which is heavy damaged in the foto.
excuse my bad english, but i thought it was word mentioning as its the first thing i came across being not quite right...
excellent documentaire merci
Thank you!
I wonder how many troops today could ride horses they liberated like the ones in that one photo?
@@jjlynchee961 That's my theory of riding. Keep the horse between you and the ground.
Jokes aside, that's actually not true with the majority of horses. Even over 100 years ago, the majority of people weren't skilled in equine control.
Thank you
You’re most welcome, thank you for watching!
GREAT video! Thanks for posting! But what do you mean "IF the story of the paratrooper is true or not"? I've read the account of John Steele getting hung up on the steeple in several accounts, including Stephen Ambrose's D-DAY volume, and, as typical of his research, seen especially in BAND OF BROTHERS, his account from which the movie was made, it includes interviews with Steele's buddies: he DID get caught on the steeple, he DID eventually get down, I believe captured, and, per other accounts, was honored by the French years later upon his return as honorary mayor. Time has a way of making everything suspect, so if your sources cast doubt on Steele's position on the steeple, then they're too danged young and have never read the research done before.
Glad you liked the video! SME is a great town to visit with an excellent museum!
Regarding Steele, the link to the video is here
ruclips.net/user/livekLjLW4pkAXc?si=UCxOITI8B7HuTrpX
It’s well worth a watch and Marty Morgan is renowned US historian who specialises in the 82nd so it’s worth your time to hear his perspective on it
How. Did You get the pictures and are you service related ,my dad was over there
Excellent travail félicitations
Thank you so much!