no worries mate
The Travels of Tel's Tin Tent.
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- #1,502
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Evan.
This post also includes a former airfield, although nothing can be seen today, as explained below.
Beny sur Mer - Canadian War Cemetery and RCAF airfield.
This Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery is situated alongside the D35 road on a hill just outside and to the the east of Reviers, the town posted earlier.
Here lie the graves of 2,029 soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division, along with 15 airmen, 3 British graves and one grave of a French Resistance member, killed whilst fighting with the Canadians.
Laid into the car park is a huge Canadian flag, the maple leaf easily distinguishable from the air. Directly south east of the car park, the spire of Beny sur Mer church can be seen, over the open fields, in the distance, and just north of the village is the site of what was ALG B4.
This landing ground became operational on 15th June, 1944, with Spitfires of 401, 411 and 412 Squadrons, RCAF, flying close support sorties, along with Typhoons from 193, 197, 257 and 266 Squadrons. Tactical recce missions were also undertaken from here, with Mustang Mk.IIs of 2 Squadron RAF and Typhoon FR1Bs of 268 Squadron, RAF.
The airfield ceased operations in mid-August, 1944, and the land soon returned to agriculture, with no traces of its wartime use visible today.
However, when doing a "Google Earth" search around the environs of the former airfield, I spotted a very large, rusting ground roller in the corner of a field which just might have been one of those used during the construction of the landing ground.
Images below show the usual map and satellite photo, including the car park flag, a view over the fields to Beny sur Mer, together with photos of the cemetery.
A wartime aerial photo, and current satellite shot show the airfield location with an IWM photo of a 412 (RCAF) Sqn Spitfire and a Typhoon on the landing ground in June, 1944.
Back soon with Authie, Chateau Audrieu, and the murder of Canadian PoWs .....................
This post also includes a former airfield, although nothing can be seen today, as explained below.
Beny sur Mer - Canadian War Cemetery and RCAF airfield.
This Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery is situated alongside the D35 road on a hill just outside and to the the east of Reviers, the town posted earlier.
Here lie the graves of 2,029 soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division, along with 15 airmen, 3 British graves and one grave of a French Resistance member, killed whilst fighting with the Canadians.
Laid into the car park is a huge Canadian flag, the maple leaf easily distinguishable from the air. Directly south east of the car park, the spire of Beny sur Mer church can be seen, over the open fields, in the distance, and just north of the village is the site of what was ALG B4.
This landing ground became operational on 15th June, 1944, with Spitfires of 401, 411 and 412 Squadrons, RCAF, flying close support sorties, along with Typhoons from 193, 197, 257 and 266 Squadrons. Tactical recce missions were also undertaken from here, with Mustang Mk.IIs of 2 Squadron RAF and Typhoon FR1Bs of 268 Squadron, RAF.
The airfield ceased operations in mid-August, 1944, and the land soon returned to agriculture, with no traces of its wartime use visible today.
However, when doing a "Google Earth" search around the environs of the former airfield, I spotted a very large, rusting ground roller in the corner of a field which just might have been one of those used during the construction of the landing ground.
Images below show the usual map and satellite photo, including the car park flag, a view over the fields to Beny sur Mer, together with photos of the cemetery.
A wartime aerial photo, and current satellite shot show the airfield location with an IWM photo of a 412 (RCAF) Sqn Spitfire and a Typhoon on the landing ground in June, 1944.
Back soon with Authie, Chateau Audrieu, and the murder of Canadian PoWs .....................
fubar57
General
Great stuff guys
T shots Terry!
Great shots Terry!
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Abbaye d'Ardennes, Chateau Audrieu and Authie - the murder of Canadian PoWs.
Abbaye d'Ardennes.
Although we didn't actually get to the Abbaye d'Ardennes, we did see it, in the distance, on our way to other locations, such as the town of Authie, which I'll cover later in this post.
The Abbaye (or Abbey) is located on the western edge of the city of Caen and, in 1944 it was surrounded by open fields, although today, those that were to the east have now mainly been overtaken by the expansion of the City and the road network..
The Commander of 12th SS (Hitler Jugend) 12th Panzer Regiment (not Division), Standartenfuhrer Kurt Mayer, arrived here late on the night of June 6th, and set up his Headquarters, using the high tower of the ancient building as an observation point, where he could clearly see all movement for miles around.
The following day, June 7th, the 12th SS engaged in heavy fighting during their attack against the exposed flank of the infantry of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, and the tanks of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, who Mayer had watched crossing open ground to his front, as he stood on the Abbaye's tower.
A number of Canadians were taken as Prisoners of War and, whilst many were sent back behind the lines for onward transport to PoW camps, the SS took 20 Canadian soldiers to the Abbaye.
Here they were questioned, and later in the afternoon they were taken, one by one, at roughly hourly intervals, to the garden of the Abbaye, where they were shot in the head. Those Canadians still inside could hear the shots, and had to step over the bodies of their dead comrades before meeting the same fate.
The bodies were buried in two mass graves, and weren't discovered, by a local citizen, until the end of the war.
Today, there are memorials to the murdered soldiers at the Abbaye, along with a row of photographs on the wall near where they were shot, showing each man, his name, age and Regiment.
Chateau d'Audrieu.
The Chateau is situated roughly half way between Bayeux and Caen, and has its origins as far back as the 11th Century, with the De Seran family owning the present building from 1593 to the present day.
Set in extensive grounds, surrounded by woodland and far back from the road, it was taken over, on June 7th 1944, as Headquarters of the 12th SS Recce Battalion, commanded by Sturmbannfuhrer Gerhard Bremme.
On 8th June, after fierce fighting at Putot en Bessin (not to be confused with Port en Bessin) between 12th SS and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a number of Canadians were taken prisoner, and 19 of these were taken to the Chateau.
When Canadian Officers and an NCO refused to answer questions, they were summarily shot on the spot. The rest of the Canadian soldiers were taken into the woods and either shot or clubbed to death by their SS captors.
Today the Chateau is a luxury hotel in the Relais et Chateaux group.
Authie.
The small town of Authie lies roughly 3 km (1.8 miles) north west of the outskirts of Caen, and was taken by Canadian troops from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in the afternoon of June 7th, 1944.
Later that day, tanks and infantry of 12th SS Panzer Regiment attacked the town in force, and bitter fighting ensued, with the North Novas suffering very heavy casualties. Eventually, after being surrounded, and low on ammunition, the Canadians were forced to surrender to the SS.
It was then that one of the most barbaric acts of cruelty was perpetrated by the Hitler Jugend - mere boys mainly in their late teens, totally indoctrinated, brain washed in Nazi ideals, and most probably high on alcohol and "Pervatin" (basically crystal meth).
A few Canadian prisoners were immediately shot, and then dead and wounded Canadian soldiers were dragged into the road and laid outside the Mairie (town hall), where a tank ran back and forth across the bodies.
It was so horrific, that the gruesome remains had to be shovelled into buckets.
Today a Memorial to those killed in the fighting and murdered by the SS, stands at the cross roads of the village, opposite the Mairie and, in season, is surrounded by red and white flowers, symbolising the Canadian flag.
A total of 156 Canadian soldiers were murdered by 12th SS Panzer during the Normandy campaign.
At the War Crimes Trials in 1946, Kurt Mayer was sentenced to death for his part in these executions. The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.
He was released after serving seven years.
Pics below showing the maps, satellite views and locations as they are today.
Pic.1 Map showing the locations of Abbaye d'Ardennes, Chateau d'Audrieu and the town of Authie.
Pic 2. Satellite view of the Chateau.
Pic 3. Abbaye d'Ardennes in the fields outside Caen.
Pics 4 and 5. Chateau d'Audrieu, taken from the main road.
Pics 6 to 8. The road outside the Mairie in Authtie where the Canadian soldiers were murdered.
Pics 9 and 10. The Memorial in the square at Authtie.
I'll post a few images tomorrow, briefly covering our very short visit to the Omaha beach area, and then round-off the tour with a selection of images taken during various stages of our travels.
Thank you for your continued interest, kind comments, and likes etc, and I'll be back sometime tomorrow.
Abbaye d'Ardennes.
Although we didn't actually get to the Abbaye d'Ardennes, we did see it, in the distance, on our way to other locations, such as the town of Authie, which I'll cover later in this post.
The Abbaye (or Abbey) is located on the western edge of the city of Caen and, in 1944 it was surrounded by open fields, although today, those that were to the east have now mainly been overtaken by the expansion of the City and the road network..
The Commander of 12th SS (Hitler Jugend) 12th Panzer Regiment (not Division), Standartenfuhrer Kurt Mayer, arrived here late on the night of June 6th, and set up his Headquarters, using the high tower of the ancient building as an observation point, where he could clearly see all movement for miles around.
The following day, June 7th, the 12th SS engaged in heavy fighting during their attack against the exposed flank of the infantry of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, and the tanks of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, who Mayer had watched crossing open ground to his front, as he stood on the Abbaye's tower.
A number of Canadians were taken as Prisoners of War and, whilst many were sent back behind the lines for onward transport to PoW camps, the SS took 20 Canadian soldiers to the Abbaye.
Here they were questioned, and later in the afternoon they were taken, one by one, at roughly hourly intervals, to the garden of the Abbaye, where they were shot in the head. Those Canadians still inside could hear the shots, and had to step over the bodies of their dead comrades before meeting the same fate.
The bodies were buried in two mass graves, and weren't discovered, by a local citizen, until the end of the war.
Today, there are memorials to the murdered soldiers at the Abbaye, along with a row of photographs on the wall near where they were shot, showing each man, his name, age and Regiment.
Chateau d'Audrieu.
The Chateau is situated roughly half way between Bayeux and Caen, and has its origins as far back as the 11th Century, with the De Seran family owning the present building from 1593 to the present day.
Set in extensive grounds, surrounded by woodland and far back from the road, it was taken over, on June 7th 1944, as Headquarters of the 12th SS Recce Battalion, commanded by Sturmbannfuhrer Gerhard Bremme.
On 8th June, after fierce fighting at Putot en Bessin (not to be confused with Port en Bessin) between 12th SS and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, a number of Canadians were taken prisoner, and 19 of these were taken to the Chateau.
When Canadian Officers and an NCO refused to answer questions, they were summarily shot on the spot. The rest of the Canadian soldiers were taken into the woods and either shot or clubbed to death by their SS captors.
Today the Chateau is a luxury hotel in the Relais et Chateaux group.
Authie.
The small town of Authie lies roughly 3 km (1.8 miles) north west of the outskirts of Caen, and was taken by Canadian troops from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in the afternoon of June 7th, 1944.
Later that day, tanks and infantry of 12th SS Panzer Regiment attacked the town in force, and bitter fighting ensued, with the North Novas suffering very heavy casualties. Eventually, after being surrounded, and low on ammunition, the Canadians were forced to surrender to the SS.
It was then that one of the most barbaric acts of cruelty was perpetrated by the Hitler Jugend - mere boys mainly in their late teens, totally indoctrinated, brain washed in Nazi ideals, and most probably high on alcohol and "Pervatin" (basically crystal meth).
A few Canadian prisoners were immediately shot, and then dead and wounded Canadian soldiers were dragged into the road and laid outside the Mairie (town hall), where a tank ran back and forth across the bodies.
It was so horrific, that the gruesome remains had to be shovelled into buckets.
Today a Memorial to those killed in the fighting and murdered by the SS, stands at the cross roads of the village, opposite the Mairie and, in season, is surrounded by red and white flowers, symbolising the Canadian flag.
A total of 156 Canadian soldiers were murdered by 12th SS Panzer during the Normandy campaign.
At the War Crimes Trials in 1946, Kurt Mayer was sentenced to death for his part in these executions. The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.
He was released after serving seven years.
Pics below showing the maps, satellite views and locations as they are today.
Pic.1 Map showing the locations of Abbaye d'Ardennes, Chateau d'Audrieu and the town of Authie.
Pic 2. Satellite view of the Chateau.
Pic 3. Abbaye d'Ardennes in the fields outside Caen.
Pics 4 and 5. Chateau d'Audrieu, taken from the main road.
Pics 6 to 8. The road outside the Mairie in Authtie where the Canadian soldiers were murdered.
Pics 9 and 10. The Memorial in the square at Authtie.
I'll post a few images tomorrow, briefly covering our very short visit to the Omaha beach area, and then round-off the tour with a selection of images taken during various stages of our travels.
Thank you for your continued interest, kind comments, and likes etc, and I'll be back sometime tomorrow.
A4K
Brigadier General
It is horrible to think how often such things have occurred, no matter which period of history.
Thanks for the posts again Terry.
Thanks for the posts again Terry.
Thought I'd sent you these Terry.
From the wall outside the Chateau.
From the wall outside the Chateau.
Vic Balshaw
Major General
MiTasol
Captain
This is a great Thread Terry, thanks for taking the time to lay everything out so well....and for the support here too that you have contributed Karl..- Thread starter
- #1,512
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks chaps, and thanks for the great pics Karl. I didn't know you'd got those as I only remember turning around in the car at the end of the chateau drive.
Good job we spotted the flags, and people milling around, otherwise we would have missed it all.
Quite often when driving the country roads, we'd come across a small memorial, or maybe just a building or farm, with French, Canadian and British flags flying, or a set of large photographs on the wall, indicating that some event had taken place there in June 1944.
This normally happened unexpectedly, as, although we covered a lot of area in the four full days of touring, planned destinations were often reached in much less time than we'd imagined, after passing a number of key and minor locations, and it wasn't always possible, convenient or safe to pull over and stop. (I've made a note of a few of these, as I'd love to return to Normandy again, maybe next year).
I'll try to include one or two such places in the wind-up of this chapter, later today.
Good job we spotted the flags, and people milling around, otherwise we would have missed it all.
Quite often when driving the country roads, we'd come across a small memorial, or maybe just a building or farm, with French, Canadian and British flags flying, or a set of large photographs on the wall, indicating that some event had taken place there in June 1944.
This normally happened unexpectedly, as, although we covered a lot of area in the four full days of touring, planned destinations were often reached in much less time than we'd imagined, after passing a number of key and minor locations, and it wasn't always possible, convenient or safe to pull over and stop. (I've made a note of a few of these, as I'd love to return to Normandy again, maybe next year).
I'll try to include one or two such places in the wind-up of this chapter, later today.
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- #1,513
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Colleville sur Mer , and St. Laurent sur Mer, Omaha Beach.
Although our primary aim on this tour was to visit as many British and Canadian battle sites as possible, we also wanted to try to get to at least part of the American area of the Normandy campaign, if time allowed.
We managed to just about cram this in, after spending most of our final day in and around Arromanches, and did a very brief "drive-past" at the large Overlord Museum at Colleville sur Mer, inland from Omaha beach, followed by another very short halt at the Musee Memorial d'Omaha Beach at St. Laurent sur Mer, just a few miles further on, in site of the beach.
This was as far west as we travelled during our time in Normandy, and it was late in the day, so we didn't actually visit these Museums (maybe next time). Both Museums looked to be fairly busy, and at the Overlord Museum in particular, people seemed to be wandering around, oblivious to traffic and other pedestrians, probably influencing our decision not to stop (one particular couple wandered directly into the path of our car at the car park entrance not once, but twice, then proceeded to cross the busy road without looking right or left !).
Consequently, I only managed to get a couple of photos, all taken from the car.
Location maps and satellite views show the two Museums, with two views of the Overlord Museum, a Sherman tank outside the Musee Memorial d'Omaha, and a view (just!) of Omaha beach from the latter museum.
In the next, final post, I'll round-off this tour of Normandy with a selection of varied images from across the region.
Although our primary aim on this tour was to visit as many British and Canadian battle sites as possible, we also wanted to try to get to at least part of the American area of the Normandy campaign, if time allowed.
We managed to just about cram this in, after spending most of our final day in and around Arromanches, and did a very brief "drive-past" at the large Overlord Museum at Colleville sur Mer, inland from Omaha beach, followed by another very short halt at the Musee Memorial d'Omaha Beach at St. Laurent sur Mer, just a few miles further on, in site of the beach.
This was as far west as we travelled during our time in Normandy, and it was late in the day, so we didn't actually visit these Museums (maybe next time). Both Museums looked to be fairly busy, and at the Overlord Museum in particular, people seemed to be wandering around, oblivious to traffic and other pedestrians, probably influencing our decision not to stop (one particular couple wandered directly into the path of our car at the car park entrance not once, but twice, then proceeded to cross the busy road without looking right or left !).
Consequently, I only managed to get a couple of photos, all taken from the car.
Location maps and satellite views show the two Museums, with two views of the Overlord Museum, a Sherman tank outside the Musee Memorial d'Omaha, and a view (just!) of Omaha beach from the latter museum.
In the next, final post, I'll round-off this tour of Normandy with a selection of varied images from across the region.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Thanks again guys. Captivating reading.
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- #1,516
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks again chaps, I'll post the final instalment sometime tomorrow.
Looking through my pictures there are a couple of a memorial.
We came across whilst looking for point 103.
Honour roll of the Green Howard's from D-Day
We came across whilst looking for point 103.
Honour roll of the Green Howard's from D-Day
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #1,518
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Karl, good pics.
I've got the first one (Tyneside Scottish), and was going to include it in the final selections.
The second pic looks like the Green Howards memorial wall in Crepon ?
Nice work, I only got the main statue with "Stan Hollis".
I'll be back sometime this evening with the final round-up.
I've got the first one (Tyneside Scottish), and was going to include it in the final selections.
The second pic looks like the Green Howards memorial wall in Crepon ?
Nice work, I only got the main statue with "Stan Hollis".
I'll be back sometime this evening with the final round-up.
Ah, sorry mate.
Yes the others are from Crepon, will post the other bits from there, that i have.
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- #1,520
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Ok mate, no problem. Post the Crepon pics asap, as I'm assembling stuff for the closing post now.
