Veterans Stories
Following in the footsteps of The Citizens of Vierville
Vierville-sur-Mer is a village just above the northern end of the stretch of sands that would become known as Omaha Beach.
The testimony of the villagers tells the story of the Omaha landings from a different perspective.
The town had been occupied by the Germans and had already changed beyond recoginition: The village and beach were defended by four strongpoints coded from Wn 70 to Wn 73
(for more information about WN 72 click here) was built at the western end of the village.
The testimony of the villagers tells the story of the Omaha landings from a different perspective.
The town had been occupied by the Germans and had already changed beyond recoginition: The village and beach were defended by four strongpoints coded from Wn 70 to Wn 73
(for more information about WN 72 click here) was built at the western end of the village.
The villagers of Vierville-sur-Mer awoke around 3 am on June 6, 1944, to the sound of bombs.
They were caught in the middle of history in the making.
They were caught in the middle of history in the making.
An aerial photograph taken by a Royal Air Force reconnaissance plane shows the Vierville Draw on June 30, 1943, almost a year before D-Day. The houses around the U-bend in the road were demolished by the Germans and replaced by strongpoints, pillboxes, and Widerstandsnests.
In the early morning of the Normandy Invasion, American Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers were dropping their payloads, preparing the invasion beaches for the coming attack. “I can still see a plane with fireballs,” recalled Andrée Oxeant, who was only 14 at the time.
She may have been witnessing marker flares dropping from a B-24’s bomb bay.
Thirty-one-year-old Michael Hardelay watched the raid from the window of his house, situated atop the cliffs, overlooking the water.
“I saw a light coming from two bombs that exploded at the ridge of the cliff,” he recalled. “Six more bombs had fallen down on the cliff face without killing anyone, or damaging anything.”
At the sound of the bombs, most people fled their homes for their backyards, where they had dug bomb shelters, covered with logs or corrugated metal. Some ducked to their basements, a few slept through the attack. Hardelay and his parents raced for their shelter, his mother grabbing her jewellery and money before entering.
In the early morning of the Normandy Invasion, American Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers were dropping their payloads, preparing the invasion beaches for the coming attack. “I can still see a plane with fireballs,” recalled Andrée Oxeant, who was only 14 at the time.
She may have been witnessing marker flares dropping from a B-24’s bomb bay.
Thirty-one-year-old Michael Hardelay watched the raid from the window of his house, situated atop the cliffs, overlooking the water.
“I saw a light coming from two bombs that exploded at the ridge of the cliff,” he recalled. “Six more bombs had fallen down on the cliff face without killing anyone, or damaging anything.”
At the sound of the bombs, most people fled their homes for their backyards, where they had dug bomb shelters, covered with logs or corrugated metal. Some ducked to their basements, a few slept through the attack. Hardelay and his parents raced for their shelter, his mother grabbing her jewellery and money before entering.
The shelters were uncomfortable. Andrée Oxeant climbed into a shelter crammed with about 30 people.
“There were essentially women and children, because the husbands were fighting or captured,” she reported. “There were only old men with us.”
Most people brought nothing to eat or drink for their day-long stay.
“We were very thirsty,” recalled eight-year-old Jean-Claude Ygouf, “and our lips were swollen from the shells blasting.” Twelve-year-old Jeannine Chamberlin and her parents rushed to a German horse shelter. “The German soldier took me on his lap in between the horse’s legs,” she remembered.
As the sun rose, people could see ships in the English Channel, but Michael Hardalay could only see fog from his bedroom window.
“All of a sudden, the fog cleared up and unveiled thousands of boats: a superb and grandiose sight!”
He called for his mother, then his neighbor, to admire the armada.
Twelve-year-old Suzanne Coliboef caught a view of the Channel from her kitchen door.
“We came out and we saw all these boats.” Thirty-six-year-old Denise Ygouf, who reentered her home to retrieve supplies, was shocked at what she saw from the window: “I only saw boats and we could not see the sea anymore.” …
“There were essentially women and children, because the husbands were fighting or captured,” she reported. “There were only old men with us.”
Most people brought nothing to eat or drink for their day-long stay.
“We were very thirsty,” recalled eight-year-old Jean-Claude Ygouf, “and our lips were swollen from the shells blasting.” Twelve-year-old Jeannine Chamberlin and her parents rushed to a German horse shelter. “The German soldier took me on his lap in between the horse’s legs,” she remembered.
As the sun rose, people could see ships in the English Channel, but Michael Hardalay could only see fog from his bedroom window.
“All of a sudden, the fog cleared up and unveiled thousands of boats: a superb and grandiose sight!”
He called for his mother, then his neighbor, to admire the armada.
Twelve-year-old Suzanne Coliboef caught a view of the Channel from her kitchen door.
“We came out and we saw all these boats.” Thirty-six-year-old Denise Ygouf, who reentered her home to retrieve supplies, was shocked at what she saw from the window: “I only saw boats and we could not see the sea anymore.” …
The landings began at 6.30am. The U.S. Army's 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division, along with the 5th Ranger Battalion, and A, B, and C Companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion landed on Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red, and Easy Green sectors in front of the village. The troops met with infamously stiff and firece resistance. By 8.30 am, the top of the plateau at Vierville-sur-Mer was reached by small groups of isolated soldiers, especially east of Dog Green from the Dog White area. The 5th Ranger Battalion infiltrated Vierville-sur-Mer, accompanied by elements of Companies B and C of the 116th IR.
Naval Bombardment continued as the Americans made slow progress inland. By midnight pockets of isolated soldiers held the ground slightly inand, but enemy bombardment continued for another two days.
Naval Bombardment continued as the Americans made slow progress inland. By midnight pockets of isolated soldiers held the ground slightly inand, but enemy bombardment continued for another two days.
