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Norman D. Landing


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General Apathy

I'd better bring a scooter instead of a push bike next June.... :D

 

right-on B)

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 17 2014

 

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General Apathy

Once a Mod, always a Mod! ;)

 

394.jpg

 

 

Ian, I am not alone, Johan is also a MOD :D well at least on this forum he is. B)

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 17 2014

 

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At least I got the church in the matching corner of the two images. ...... -_-

 

 

Nothing like risking life and limb for all of us to enjoy your posts! :D You need to get combat pay added to your paycheck!

 

This picture really shows the modernization of cities. I liked the store fronts much better without all of the signs.

 

...Kat

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Johan Willaert

 

 

Ian, I am not alone, Johan is also a MOD :D well at least on this forum he is. B)

 

 

 

I like scooters, but at home I have a 1951 French Motobecane moped.... Does that make me a MOP :wacko:

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General Apathy

post-344-0-77589100-1389989695.jpg

post-344-0-70102700-1389989797.jpg

 

 

Then & Now ...............

 

The images above feature Montebourg, at this end of the high-street very little is left of the original buildings, the market hall on the left has gone and post war civic buildings are there now, on the right all the facades were totally rebuilt post war.

 

Our point of comparison are the small buildings in the distance at the centre of the photographs behind the convoy, these few buildings have remained the same.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

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General Apathy

 

 

Nothing like risking life and limb for all of us to enjoy your posts! :D You need to get combat pay added to your paycheck!

 

This picture really shows the modernization of cities. I liked the store fronts much better without all of the signs.

 

...Kat

 

 

Hi Kat, well I suppose I am lucky to be on here adding photos unpaid, who else would want me :mellow:

 

 

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

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General Apathy

post-344-0-50332000-1389991089.jpg

post-344-0-22679800-1389991106.jpg

 

 

 

 

I like scooters, but at home I have a 1951 French Motobecane moped.... Does that make me a MOP :wacko:

 

 

Mmmhh Johan, not certain you have got the drift yet about being a Mod and scooters :huh: , take a look at the differences between the two images at the top, get yourself a classic 60's Lambretta a real icon. B)

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

 

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General Apathy

post-344-0-74520700-1390075817.jpg

post-344-0-72825700-1390075845.jpg

 

 

Then & Now ......................

 

well today myself and a group of friends travelled further inland away from the invasion beaches and did a 12km walk through the Falaise gap area. It's roughly two hour drive from Utah beach area.

 

This is a low valley encircled by hills all around and where the allies tried to encircle and destroy an estimated 150.000 retreating German troops, over 55.000 managed to break through the encirclement, over 40.000 surrendered and many were killed. The curator of the museum said today that the majority of the German army outside of the armored units used horse drawn transport and 10.000 horses perished. For more than a year it was unsafe to drink any water from wells in the valley, and it took twenty years from 1945 to clear the valley.

 

apologies I have tried for over half hour to resize the comparison shots to attach to this one post, the images all pixalated so badly I will have to use this and the following post for the comparison shots. note that there are two panther tanks in the shot the one on the right is completely on it's side in a stream and showing it's underbelly, also not all the details of the house in the background.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

 

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General Apathy

post-344-0-19466900-1390076359.jpg

 

Well today myself and a group of friends travelled further inland away from the invasion beaches and did a 12km walk through the Falaise gap area. It's roughly two hour drive from Utah beach area.

 

One of the group knows the owners of a manoir and in the tree lined drive to the house leading off the main road one of the trees has the barrel of a rifle embedied in it, looking at the size of the barrel and the small front sight it would appear to be an American M-I carbine, it's about fifteen feet above ground level.

 

Whilst returning to the cars back down the road we walked the edge of the freshly ploughed field and without the aid of a metal detector and only using our eyes we gathered up about fifteen pieces, I will show my few pieces tomorrow..

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

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As you know, the Falaise Gap was a scene of pure carnage Ken. You must have seen the newsreels and read some of the eye-witness accounts? It looks so peaceful today, it's hard to imagine what a hell-on-earth it was at that time...if you were a retreating German!

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General Apathy

post-344-0-31950000-1390109556.jpg

post-344-0-79459400-1390109582.jpg

 

 

 

As you know, the Falaise Gap was a scene of pure carnage Ken. You must have seen the newsreels and read some of the eye-witness accounts? It looks so peaceful today, it's hard to imagine what a hell-on-earth it was at that time...if you were a retreating German!

 

Hi Ian, here's one of those photos of hell-on-earth, a lane blocked by knocked out horses and horse drawn transport, and so peaceful today showing dog walkers.................

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 19 2014

 

.

 

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attachicon.gifforum two panthers Falasie (1).JPG

attachicon.gifforum two panthers Falasie (2).JPG

 

 

Then & Now ......................

 

well today myself and a group of friends travelled further inland away from the invasion beaches and did a 12km walk through the Falaise gap area. It's roughly two hour drive from Utah beach area.

 

This is a low valley encircled by hills all around and where the allies tried to encircle and destroy an estimated 150.000 retreating German troops, over 55.000 managed to break through the encirclement, over 40.000 surrendered and many were killed. The curator of the museum said today that the majority of the German army outside of the armored units used horse drawn transport and 10.000 horses perished. For more than a year it was unsafe to drink any water from wells in the valley, and it took twenty years from 1945 to clear the valley.

 

apologies I have tried for over half hour to resize the comparison shots to attach to this one post, the images all pixalated so badly I will have to use this and the following post for the comparison shots. note that there are two panther tanks in the shot the one on the right is completely on it's side in a stream and showing it's underbelly, also not all the details of the house in the background.

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

 

 

 

Hi Ken,

 

I like the old 'fence' better.

 

Don't worry about the photos, next time that happens send them to me and I will try to get them posted for you.

 

RC

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attachicon.gifforum tree rifle Falaise (2).JPG

 

Well today myself and a group of friends travelled further inland away from the invasion beaches and did a 12km walk through the Falaise gap area. It's roughly two hour drive from Utah beach area.

 

One of the group knows the owners of a manoir and in the tree lined drive to the house leading off the main road one of the trees has the barrel of a rifle embedied in it, looking at the size of the barrel and the small front sight it would appear to be an American M-I carbine, it's about fifteen feet above ground level.

 

Whilst returning to the cars back down the road we walked the edge of the freshly ploughed field and without the aid of a metal detector and only using our eyes we gathered up about fifteen pieces, I will show my few pieces tomorrow..

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 16 2014

 

.

 

 

Now that is something you don't see everyday.

 

I hope it isn't loaded.

 

RC

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Johan Willaert

 

Mmmhh Johan, not certain you have got the drift yet about being a Mod and scooters :huh: , take a look at the differences between the two images at the top, get yourself a classic 60's Lambretta a real icon. B)

 

 

Hey Ken, seems you had an interesting walk near Falaise....

 

As for the Motobecane, I couldn't possible replace it with a scooter.... the moped was bought new by my grandfather, passed on to my father and now I have it.... Family piece....

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Ken,

 

I was pondering your safety in French traffic and believe I have a solution. You need to dress like you belong in the traffic, maybe as a French traffic cop. Then I thought some more and figured that posing as a French traffic cop could land you in jail.

 

Then it struck me, the perfect outfit. Besides Gendarmes, what body of people can be out in the middle of the street, disrupt traffic and not get in trouble for it? The French Mimes! Yes Ken, you should dress as a French mime and then it would be perfectly acceptable to be out in the middle of the street taking photos! post-203-0-13597800-1390136365.jpg

 

post-203-0-73775400-1390136219.jpg

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The French are pretty hot on traffic regulations. Every time I take my car over on the ferry, by French law I have to carry....a fire extinguisher, First Aid kit, set of spare bulbs, 1 x emergency reflective triangle, 2 x hi-viz vests and a breathalyzer kit. Failure to do so can result in a spot-fine by Les Gendarmes!

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The French are pretty hot on traffic regulations. Every time I take my car over on the ferry, by French law I have to carry....a fire extinguisher, First Aid kit, set of spare bulbs, 1 x emergency reflective triangle, 2 x hi-viz vests and a breathalyzer kit. Failure to do so can result in a spot-fine by Les Gendarmes!

 

Wow. I remember that the German traffic regulations were strict, but I think that the French regs would take 95% + of American cars off the road.

 

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Hi

 

 

I cannot believe that carbine barrel... Very Cool...

 

I have to admit when i get another chance to invade Normandy i do fancy spending some time further away from the coast, and by the look of these pictures there is plenty to see.

 

Regards

 

 

Tom

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Chunky Monkey

General it is great to have you back!! I just love the before and after pics as well as picks of items you dig up in your every day jobs. I look at em once and then go back and look at em again~

 

Keep up the good work~ I really like the gun barrel in the tree, any idea how it got there? Is there a receiver maybe imbedded in the tree? Where I live we find horseshoes and nails in our trees but GUNS?? :blink:

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General Apathy

post-344-0-11388300-1390152965.jpg

post-344-0-25405700-1390152987.jpg

 

 

 

 

Ken,

 

I find it interesting that the chimney on the left is still there but the building is gone. To me, the building on the right looks a little modern for that era but is the exact same.

 

I have never heard of these tunnels. Thanks for showing them...Kat

 

Hi Kat, you mention in a previous post that you had never heard of these tunnels in Cherbourg in relation to two photographs I showed recently featuring the entrance. So for you, and other members here's another two comparisons of the entrance, again showing the modern style building on the right of the entrance.

 

The roof line does appear to have been raised another level somewhat post war

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 19 2013

 

.

 

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General Apathy

As you know, the Falaise Gap was a scene of pure carnage Ken. You must have seen the newsreels and read some of the eye-witness accounts? It looks so peaceful today, it's hard to imagine what a hell-on-earth it was at that time...if you were a retreating German!

 

Ian, another statement that was made post war by civilian survivors or civilians who returned there after the battles, was that the sky took on a black appearence for almost a year. With 10.000 dead horses and numerous parts of men and animals rotting in the ground they were plagued by flies :excl:

 

One person recorded a conversation that he had had with another local French civilian who had said that he continually heard what he thought to be a saucepan of milk boiling over, it was in fact maggots and flies nesting and moving in the walls of the house. :excl:

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 19 2013

 

.

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General Apathy

 

I like scooters, but at home I have a 1951 French Motobecane moped.... Does that make me a MOP :wacko:

 

Ahha Johan, now your going off in another direction altogether if you want to be a MOP, then your going down the Beatles route as they were often referred to as MOP-TOPS in the 60's,

 

( you learn all sorts here :lol:B))

 

http://larryfreeman.hubpages.com/hub/The-Mop-Top

 

ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 19 2013

 

.

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