D Day part 3 St Mere Eglise

The Germans took St Mere Eglise on June 18th 1940 and the next four years passed relatively peacefully, soldiers were billeted in the town and a swastika flew over the town hall. During 1943 the number and quality of the occupying troops decreased. By the time of D-day the town was occupied by Austrian anti aircraft gunners, driving wood burning trucks. During 1944 there were frequent allied air raids on the town and the night of June 5th - 6th was no different. A house in the square caught fire, (now the site of the airborne museum) possibly caused by one of the marker flares dropped by the pathfinders. The inhabitants formed a chain with buckets from the pump in the square (now a listed monument). At this point parachutes were seen in the night sky and began landing in and around the town. It was the 82nd airborne division. The Germans opened fire and ordered the locals into their houses. The Austrians left and only a few Germans continued the fight. The town was taken by members of the 505th led by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause. At 04:30 the stars and stripes were hoisted over the town and St Mere Eglise was the first town to be liberated in France. The town was made famous by the paratrooper John Steel and by the film "The Longest Day". John Steel managed to land on the church and his chute caught on the steeple. He hung there while the fighting continued on the ground for two hours before being cut down by the Germans, taken prisoner and later released by the Americans. An effigy of John Steel is usually to be seen on the church. Inside the church there are two stained glass windows, one shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by paratroopers, the other shows St. Michael (patron saint of the paratroopers) and was dedicated in 1972. The liberation monument in the square was covered by a chute during the making of The Longest Day as the town mayor would not allow its removal. The Airborne Museum began in 1961, houses many interesting artifacts including a DC3 aircraft used on D-day together with a glider. Outside the Town Hall is a pink marker stone of "Kilometre Zero". These markers were placed by the French Government in 1946, each Kilometre along the route taken by General Leclerc’s Free French 2nd division, they can be seen from North Africa to the town of Bastogne the last town in Europe to be liberated. The town war memorial is situated behind the marker and plaques commemorate the liberation of the town. There is also a plaque to the Generals Ridgeway and Gavin and all the liberators. In the town hall are the Stars and Stripes, flown over the town on the day of liberation, it was also flown at Naples in 1943 when it too was liberated. It was brought to Normandy by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause. It was given to the town by his widow on his death.  Fighting continued around the town until the afternoon of June 7th when tanks landed at Utah arrived and secured the area.


This You Tube clip is the clip from the actual film 'The Longest Day' and recounts the events from that eventful night. 

I really enjoyed the town of St Mere Eglise, so much so I visited it twice whilst I was there.  Despite the events of the night of 5/6 June the town has a good buzz to it and the town is very respectful to the American 82nd Airbourne and all they did for the town.  There are monument and memorials all around the town commerating individuals and the events of that night and the following weeks.  The musuem just of the square is one of the best in Normandy.

Here I am in the square just outside the church.  You can see the tribute to

paratrooper John Steele on the church tower..

A close up of the John Steele dummy

Throughout Normany there must be a battalions strength of tanks.  Here is just one of them, a Sherman

in the grounds of the museum.  You can see how close the church is on the left of the pic.

One of the exhibits, a Dakota showing members of the 82nd boarding a Dakota

before the 'big off'.  This Dakota was actually used on D Day.  The musuem is packed

with contemporary items and you can spend hours looking over the exhibits.

This is a view from inside the musuem looking out of one of the windows back

towards the square.  Part of the musuem is built on the actual site of the burning

building that is portrayed in 'The Longest Day'

A contemporary shot of the street to the side of the church.  The Americans

are clearing the buildings of snipers..

..the same street today

One of the many plaques and memorials to be found around the town..

Paratroopers clearing the church...



If you visit Normandy I highly recomend you visit St Mere Eglise.