General Apathy Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6801 Posted January 28, 2014 finally had time to catch up your then and now posting. You must have a 6th sense to find the places off of old pictures. Keep them coming and I'll try and get you a pay raise. Robert Hi Robert, look forward to the raise I suspect that would be in the form of a pair of ladders rather than a monetary raise. The attached photo above is one that I will be trying to locate in the next few weeks, sadly all that there will be to compare will be the stone pier on the right-hand side bank, that's one of the clues, the other is that it is a rail-line note what appears to be a destroyed rail carriage on the right, and knowing this area I have the feeling that this could possibly be Carentan. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6802 Posted January 28, 2014 Then & Now ................ Summer 2013 I was invited to meet an 83rd Infantry veteran that was staying with friends in Carentan, his first time in Normandy since 1944. Sam is 90 years of age and in great shape both pyshically and mentally. He filled me in with some details that he and his unit were in foxholes to the side of a bridge, the bridge had a stream and a canal side by side running under the bridge, and in the distance there was a church to be seen. His details of the stream, river, bridge and the church rang bells for me and I drove him over to what I thought to be the location he was describing. His face was an emotional work of art as he gazed on the spot that he was so familiar with 69 years ago. Two weeks back I managed to find a WWII image of the same bridge that Sam recalled and these can be seen above, I have emailed the images to sam's daughter Jan and she said when he returns on Thursday from his 62nd wedding anniversary trip then she will show him the photo's, she anticipates that he will be very happy to see them, his time here in Normandy was a very big part of his life for a Utah state boy. Jan was very happy to visit Normandy with her father in 2013 and to see lots of the area that he has talked about for the past 69 years. The church is to be seen just above the vehicle with the white star stencilled on it, in the comparison shot it is hidden behind the branches just to the left of the evergreen tree. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6803 Posted January 28, 2014 The attached photo above is one that I will be trying to locate in the next few weeks, sadly all that there will be to compare will be the stone pier on the right-hand side bank, that's one of the clues, the other is that it is a rail-line note what appears to be a destroyed rail carriage on the right, and knowing this area I have the feeling that this could possibly be Carentan. Ken, Great picture! It is interesting the built the new bridge right over the fallen down bridge. I guess they did not have time to clean up the old bridge. I am sure you will find the spot! ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6804 Posted January 28, 2014 His face was an emotional work of art as he gazed on the spot that he was so familiar with 69 years ago. Ken, That is wonderful you were able to take him to the exact spot. I am sure it was amazing to see. ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6805 Posted January 28, 2014 Then & Now ................ Summer 2013 I was invited to meet an 83rd Infantry veteran that was staying with friends in Carentan, his first time in Normandy since 1944. Sam is 90 years of age and in great shape both pyshically and mentally. He filled me in with some details that he and his unit were in foxholes to the side of a bridge. While we were at the bridge Sam recalled that his unit took some sniper fire from a building in the town, he said that the unit returned fire, he with his carbine and one of the machine-gunners rattled off some rounds as well, he pointed to a building in the distance and we drove around to it. Initially when we arrived at the front of the building there was nothing to be seen, that is until we walked around to the side that faced the foxholes, and there right across the wall were all the marks of bullet strikes. For a man that hadn't been back to Normandy or this spot for 69 years his memory was fantastic. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtRGFRANK Posted January 28, 2014 Share #6806 Posted January 28, 2014 forum WWII destroyed bridge carentan august1944.jpg Hi Robert, look forward to the raise I suspect that would be in the form of a pair of ladders rather than a monetary raise. The attached photo above is one that I will be trying to locate in the next few weeks, sadly all that there will be to compare will be the stone pier on the right-hand side bank, that's one of the clues, the other is that it is a rail-line note what appears to be a destroyed rail carriage on the right, and knowing this area I have the feeling that this could possibly be Carentan. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Go engineers. Amazing job on rebuilding the bridge. Probably under fire to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6807 Posted January 29, 2014 Now 2014 ....... well for the past five or six months major works have been taking place in Ste Mere Eglise, before Christmas I emailed forum member Sabrejet shots of the work going on in October or so and he started a forum topic to it. This one and the following two photographs are ones I took before the weekend and show some more of the work and progress being made in preparing the town for this years seventieth anniversary of D-day. I have to say that all this work is completely changing the look of the town and it will look nothing like it has for the previous sixty-nine years, any veterans or visitors that have been before will see a complete change. The whole town square has been refurbished, new walkways, new roads, new parking etc................... ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6808 Posted January 29, 2014 Now 2014 .......Cont. well for the past five or six months major works have been taking place in Ste Mere Eglise, This one and the following photograph show some more of the work and progress being made in preparing the town for this years seventieth anniversary of D-day. I have to say that all this work is completely changing the look of the town and it will look nothing like it has for the previous sixty-nine years, any veterans or visitors that have been before will see a complete change. The whole town square has been refurbished, new walkways, new roads, new parking etc................... ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6809 Posted January 29, 2014 Now 2014 .......Cont. well for the past five or six months major works have been taking place in Ste Mere Eglise, This photograph shows the work and progress being made in preparing the town for this years seventieth anniversary of D-Day. All this work is changing the look of the town and it will look nothing like it has for the previous sixty-nine years, any veterans or visitors that have been before will see a complete change. The whole town square has been refurbished, new walkways, new roads, new parking etc................... ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Willaert Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6810 Posted January 29, 2014 Thanks for the update, Ken... Maybe with the new parking, scrolling on the church square will be more enjoyable now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6811 Posted January 29, 2014 Ken, Great picture! It is interesting the built the new bridge right over the fallen down bridge. I guess they did not have time to clean up the old bridge. I am sure you will find the spot! ...Kat Hi Kat, obviously it's hard to know the story that was going on with this bridge, this could have been the third bridge here, the original, the second and which looks like a British designed cross-section Bailey bridge maybe shelled by the Germans and now in the river, and the third again as you say, built with speed and without clearing all the other debris. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 28 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6812 Posted January 29, 2014 Thanks for the update, Ken... Maybe with the new parking, scrolling on the church square will be more enjoyable now... Hi Johan, all of the red tarmac area is described on plans as the display area and doesn't appear that it will be used for regular parking, the second shot shows the newly laid out and reduced area of parking in front of the museum for locals and tourists use when visiting the museum. A whole new area of parking has been laid out around the rear of the museum, I think all large 50 seat buses will have to park at the rear, and possibly all camper vans once the square is finished. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 29 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6813 Posted January 29, 2014 Go engineers. Amazing job on rebuilding the bridge. Probably under fire to! Hi Robert, Sam recalls that several times that the Germans made reconnaissance or attacks through the area at night. He recalls one night in their foxholes they heard Germans attempting to pass through due to the large number of feet on the roadway identifiable as German boots and not American rubber-soled ones. according to another report by the graves registration unit that worked on burying bodies at the Blosville temporary cemetery a few miles away, they withdrew each night back to the defended village of Pont L'abbe as the Germans appeared very active during night-time. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 29 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted January 29, 2014 Share #6814 Posted January 29, 2014 Ken, Did you make it to Chambois ? My contact there had been a boy during the war an is in his early 80's now. When I first made contact with him, in 1982, and he understood that I had a passion the Gap he asked me if I was interested in how Kurt Meyer got out of the pocket. I responded with great favor and he asked all his customers to get out and come back some other time. He led me through the Moissy ford and up the hill toward Mont Ormeel. During the walk I asked him how he knew so much about Meyer and his response was " Are we going to have a tour or an inquisition ?" As a kid he had a camera and has 3 photo albums full of local photos after the battle especially Moissy. By the way how old is the eglise at St Mere Eglise ? 1400's ? I'm surprised there wasn't some sort of archeology going on while things were ripped up. I don't know if I missed reading it but did they give a reason behind all the goings on at St Mere ? Sure do enjoy your musings and pictures. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6815 Posted January 30, 2014 Ken...I can just visualize how that red tarmac'd area will look during D-Day week next June!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6816 Posted January 30, 2014 Ken, Did you make it to Chambois ? My contact there had been a boy during the war an is in his early 80's now. When I first made contact with him, in 1982, and he understood that I had a passion the Gap he asked me if I was interested in how Kurt Meyer got out of the pocket. I responded with great favor and he asked all his customers to get out and come back some other time. He led me through the Moissy ford and up the hill toward Mont Ormeel. During the walk I asked him how he knew so much about Meyer and his response was " Are we going to have a tour or an inquisition ?" As a kid he had a camera and has 3 photo albums full of local photos after the battle especially Moissy. By the way how old is the eglise at St Mere Eglise ? 1400's ? I'm surprised there wasn't some sort of archeology going on while things were ripped up. I don't know if I missed reading it but did they give a reason behind all the goings on at St Mere ? Sure do enjoy your musings and pictures. Peter Hi Peter, yes we made it to Chambois, I showed photos of this area a few years back and the ford at Moissy, and the tank up on Mont Ormel if I recall, but maybe I will add some more shots of the Falaise pocket in the next few weeks, after I have mixed it up a little with other images from Normandy. The reason for all the work in the town square at Ste Mere Eglise is that ' the big parade ' hits town this year, the 70th anniversary, maybe even Mr O might hit the town again as he did for the 65th. Sorry I have not found the date of the church for you yet, I will try shortly, sad to say that the priest died in December I think, he was about fifty but no further news on that either. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6817 Posted January 30, 2014 Ken...I can just visualize how that red tarmac'd area will look during D-Day week next June!! Well Ian, from what you told me you will be seeing it this June not just dreaming of it, but don't upset Kat with that fact, treat her gently, send her lots of photos. Ste Mere Eglise as it was in 1944 ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6818 Posted January 30, 2014 Roger that...can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6819 Posted January 30, 2014 Then & Now ............almost A few posts back I showed the photo of the fallen rail-bridge and said that I had a good idea of it's location, I made it there today but sadly little is left to really make a positive comparison, so here it is and a little disappointing from my perspective. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6820 Posted January 30, 2014 Roger that...can't wait! Don't dribble your icecream down you sonny, it's never a good look. And who's this Roger you mention ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6821 Posted January 30, 2014 Then & Now ........... well better than the bridge Two shots of the rail-depot at Carentan, still fairly close just a little alteration work on the right-hand side of the warehouse roof. The gable end of the building on the left of the warehouse has had the chimney removed since the war. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6822 Posted January 30, 2014 Well Ian, from what you told me you will be seeing it this June not just dreaming of it, but don't upset Kat with that fact, treat her gently, send her lots of photos. I am soooo jealous. The pictures Ken has posted look great. Ian, please take lots of pictures for those of us who can't be there. ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6823 Posted January 30, 2014 Then & Now ............almost Ken, This is awfully darn close. At first I thought the river was not quite as wide but look at the pylon to the left of both pictures. In the picture from 1944, it is in the water. In the current picture, it is on the left side of the walking path. Could they have filled in some of the land for the path so the river is not so wide? ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6824 Posted January 30, 2014 Two shots of the rail-depot at Carentan, Ken, Was the train track below street level? Is that what is on the left of the 1944 picture but is smooth ground in the current picture? ...Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted January 30, 2014 Share #6825 Posted January 30, 2014 Then & Now ........... Fail. just to let you see how close but also how far apart some of these comparisons can be. The wartime shot shows wrecked buildings, on the building is the sign for Montebourg, so we can be absolutely sure of the town, but not so certain where in the town. The street rises and the buildings are out of line with a gap between them, and a chimney on the wall of the gap,rounded top doorway, those are the pluses. On the minus side, doorway too wide, line of brick detail along the building, numbers and positions of windows. on one hand it has comparisons on the other it's obvioulsy not the same building, a lot of time, effort and travel is put into trying to find the correct locations, this shows how close but how far apart comparisons can be. still hoping to find the correct comparion for this building one day ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, January 30 2013 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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