[OhLaLa]

I've not had time to post this earlier, but accompanied a school trip to St Lo, France, as part of the 70th Commemorations.


In the town centre, the chap that took us underground into the 'caves' (pronounced cav's), told us his story. Just 14 years old when the bombs dropped, he lost 4 school friends.


The farmer heard what sounded like whistling coming from above. All ran outside to see what it was. In the short amount of time it took to get outside all had changed completely; where the chickens were there was nothing. The farmer lost his ear, the side taken completely off. One other who ran outside died. Our guide told us his sister had to be taken immediately to hospital to have a stomach operation. Except there was no longer a hospital, so a temporary one was set up in the very area we were standing. In the cellars underneath the Chateau. Except there was no longer a Chateau....

Google 'photos St Lo, 1944' the Huffington Post then and now photos are very poignant.

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Photo links now added on post below

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Tragic! France was not a good place to be in the 2nd world war. Mind you nor was some parts of England, especially Bath and London.

[OhLaLa]

Then and Now photos
Photos taken in 1944 superimposed onto photos of today:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/d-day-photos_n_5458969.html

St Lo 1944
Photographs taken after the bombing:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q='photos+St+Lo,+1944'&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=PHiYU_7MOqKt0QXTy4CoBg&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1030&bih=445

An Archive of WWII Memories:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/14/a9900014.shtml

[john and helen]

our place was just on the edge of Free france….the nearest big town was occupied.. MOULINS
one day i mentioned the roundabout with the dancing children, my neighbour told me, they where not dancing,

the tribute was built in the memory of the children taken of the train..lined up and shot, there was one little girl who was taken to the side, BECAUSE SHE HAD BLOND HAIR AND BLUE EYES…this was my neighbours mother

he went on to tell me, every time his mother went to Moulin, she went the long way..she could not bare to pass that spot…this is when the germans where retreating back….

i never passed that roundabout with out a shiver going down my spine after knowing,
if i remember rightly..it was 69 children

[crimson]

amazing