Travelogue : England & France - 2005
Normandy Photos : - 1 2 3 4 5 -next >>
   

Arguably the most pivotal event of the 20th Century, the 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe involved an armada of 6,939 vessels, 11,680 aircraft, and 159,000 troops. Landing on beaches covering a 55 mile wide area, Allied troops encountered various amounts of resistance from German troops defending their "Atlantikwall."

As part of a trip to England and France, I spent an all-too-brief one day period touring some of the Normandy battleground and memorial sites. Our excellent tour Guide, Nigel Stewart, led our small group of nine through a chronological order of events, beginning with the night of 5 June 1944, and the American Airborne landing in and around the town of Ste. Mère Église.

Above : effigy of Pvt. John Steele still hangs from church steeple. (more info )
Left : inside the church at Ste. Mère Église- -
Above : Nigel Stewart explains significance of Ste. Mère Église to the D-Day invasion. It was the first French village liberated during the Normandy invasion in June 1944.
 Above : stained glass window memorializes the airborne paratroopers.

Left : "Iron Mike" memorial to paratroopers, on the outskirts of La Fière. (more info )
Above : view of the adajacent bridge where 3-day battle raged for control of the causeway across the river Merderetat at La Fière. These lowlands were purposely flooded by the Germans to hamper Allied forces. (more info )
Left : view across lowlands from memorial
Below : bronze table set in a parachute depicts the battle. (more info )
     
Travelogue : England & France - 2005
Normandy Photos : - 1 2 3 4 5 -next >>

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Other Photojournals is this series: Battle of Britain Air Show | Honfleur
 
 
 
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