Just back from Normandy trip and have a few photos and stories I'd like to share.Visited Ranville,Bayeux,Jerusalem,Colleville-sur-merand St. Desir cemeteries. All very moving in their own way,Colleville American cemetery for it's shear size and location,Jerusalem for it's intimate feel and the tragic story of Jack Banks and the quiet setting of St. Desir where my greatuncle is buried and the German cemetery is less than 100 yards away. I managed to see a few memorials on my trip, this ones specially for Highland51.
Hiya Brian. Sounds like you had a good trip. Glad you got to St Desir. Look forward to seeeing some more photos.
The memorial is at Chateau St. Come near Breville. I think it was only errected for the 60th Aniversary.We hadn't stopped specifically to see it but the tour guide wanted to show us a memorial to the Paras on the other side of the road and point out the valley and its strategic importance. There is a water tower a few hundred yards away from the memorial and it serves as a good landmark when moving around the countryside.
Hiya Brian. Sounds like you had a good trip. Glad you got to St Desir. Look forward to seeeing some more photos. Weather wasn't great but I didn't mind too much.I would love to have had more time but I guess I'll just have to go back again! Managed to attended the Bayeux service of rememberance though and meet up with a few of the veterans. Any I managed to speak with were very obliging, they must be asked the same questions hundreds of times. The photo shows Jim smith of the Westminster Dragoons who was the gunner of a fail tank on Gold beach. He told us his story on the way back on the ferry and passed the trip for us, a very nice gentleman indeed.Check out his story on Association for Veterans of Foreign Wars
The memorial is at Chateau St. Come near Breville. I think it was only errected for the 60th Aniversary.We hadn't stopped specifically to see it but the tour guide wanted to show us a memorial to the Paras on the other side of the road and point out the valley and its strategic importance. There is a water tower a few hundred yards away from the memorial and it serves as a good landmark when moving around the countryside. Thanks Brian, I know the spot but I haven't been back there since before 2004, so that's what I haven't seen this one it seems! I shall add it to my list for the summer. Thanks for posting the photo.
The Memorial is to the 5th Black Watch who landed in the afternoon of D Day and went to the Orne bridgehead. On 11th June at Chateau St Come they attacked across a field when half way across the other hedgerow erupted with MG fire. By the 12th 119 men had died, most of them were veterans of North Africa. Aye MalcolmII
