WWII Tidbits: Introduction to Omaha Beach (Video)

WWII Tidbits: Omaha Beach Cemetary

Q: What did the grounds around Omaha Beach look like before now, during WWII? A: Before it was devoid of trees, devoid of any cover and they were just trench systems firing down onto the beach. We'll walk into the cemetery first, then walk around where we can find a better idea of that. -British Tour Guide: Normandy, France And that we will... in photographs and additional WWII Tidbits!

WWII Tidbits: The Mortar Men

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“All the mortar men had to do was work out his load (his charge) to reach so many meters away – his height, his deflection – and they could drop them (the Germans were very good with mortars) and they within the first round, they could be dropping mortar round straight on the people’s specific positions – [...]

The Story of General McNair (WWII Tidbits)

General McNaire was a senior officer of American forces in Europe and he had a lovely office in London. 25th of July was the Operation Cobra – the big breakout through Maroney, and he thought, I think I’m going to see the boys go into action. So he went upon to the front line and the plan for Cobra was that they would withdraw American forces from their front line, for safety, about a thousand yards. And then bomb the German frontline about a mile long, along the Parisian low road. So they did all that and took the American forces out of the front line and brought over a load of bombers, they liked bombing, and dropped the bombs straight onto the American forces, and killed four hundred American soldiers. Not the first and only time, there’s nothing new about that. But poor old McNair was one of them. So instead of sitting out the war in his office, he now joined [the soldiers at the Omaha Beach cemetery].

Grave of General Lesley J. McNair - Omaha, Beach

World War II Tidbits (Normandy Craters)

Today, the Location is: Bomb Crater Site, Normandy, Subject: Normandy Bombings

“The tonnage in high explosives that they dropped on here is equal or exceeding the [equivalent] tonnage of explosives represented by the atomic bomb they dropped on Hiroshima.” -Tour Guide

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Normandy Bomb Craters

Normandy Bomb Craters

World War II Tidbits

Over the next few days I’ll post some World War II “tidbits” – photographs and the stories behind them.

Today, the Location is: Omaha, Beach, Subject: Jewish Soldiers.

“[Out of] the British and Canadians, a few were Jewish. / On your dog tag they always showed your religion, but they would change the name of a Jew, particularly Jews who had escaped to occupied Europe. They used to change their name to a very English name, and would give them another religion. [In case] they were captured. But the American forces didn’t do that. And I brought a couple of Israelis here not so long ago and asked them about this (indicates pebble upon Jewish grave marker). Putting a stone on their [marker]. And I thought it was to show that someone just visited the grave, but it’s just a sort of act of earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes. And it’s a tradition in Israel – the Jewish faith. You make some little marker.” -Tour Guide

The grave marker of an American soldier with the Jewish faith, indicated upon and by the design of his marker.