June 7 - German defenses, dead Germans, then Americans again
We were very lucky today. The D-Day traffic had calmed down a lot and we were able to reroute our itinerary to take in places we had missed earlier.
First was Dead Man's Corner. The corner got its name when an American tank was knocked out right in front of the German command house. The tank sat there for days with the dead American tank commander sticking up from the turret. The troops began referring to it as "the corner where the dead man's in the tank." This was shortened to "Dead Man's Corner." Lugubrious, but war is hell. At Dead Man's Corner there is a fantastic shop of war finds, curios, and mementos. Attention reenactors - great place to kit yourself out with both authentic and reproduction gear!
Next up we visited La Cambe German Cemetery. The French were not too keen to give land to inter the bodies of their enemies but after some political negotiations, this site (among others) was eventually granted for the remains of 21,000 German soldiers. They are buried two and three together, and unlike the American Cemetery, the plots do not bear individual crosses; only a plaque with the names, if known. Sets of five low iron crosses are scattered throughout the space, however, as a memorial element. We came across a small party of pilgrims celebrating a Mass for peace here. It turned out to be an annual event consisting of French, British, and German bishops, and mostly religious attendees (priests and nuns) from dioceses in Germany and England that have been paired with the French one.
Inside the small information center, I searched for my German ancestral name, Honecker. None were found. Perhaps the spelling would have been different - I don't know. God knows the name Honecker lives in infamy enough. I was just as glad not to find one here.
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The Black Baron |
We lunched in Port-en-Bessin, where 420 Green Berets of the 47 Royal Marine Commandos had battled fiercely on D-Day. We saw a gang of their military descendents in their green "Lovats" enjoying a beer and no doubt remembering their proud heritage.
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Port en Bessin |
La Pointe du Hoc |
Bomb crater |
Next day >
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