Airborne Museum
Region : Basse Normandie
Pictures Eric Broage
Copyright Genius Tour
Description:
The Airborne Museum is located in the village.It is dedicated to the troops of the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions who parachuted on the night of the 5th and 6th of June, 1944.
A 1200sqm wide area building with a shape of wing has 550sqm of rooms, has 410sqm of exhibition hall and 130sqm of school rooms and offices.
Within 5 rooms, you will see two C-47:
- One which presents the paratroopers preparations when they leave England,
- The other with its paratroopers ready to jump on the night of 5 to 6 June 1944,
- Three rooms that evoke the fighting around the site of the church of Sainte-Mere-Eglise and those in the swamps and the hedges and bridge battles.
A U.S. reconnaissance aircraft Piper Cub offered to Airborne Museum by an American donor (Mr Robert Wilson) will also be presented later.
Planning:
The Airborne Museum is open on schedule available here. Disclaimer : The management team of the destination has the possibility to change the opening days and hours without prior communication.Comments:
Located in the department of La Manche, Sainte-Mere-Eglise is one of the first French towns to be free on June the 6th, 1944 during Operation Overlord and the Battle of Normandy.This is the first French town to be liberated by air.
15,000 men were dropped into the village and its surroundings, most of the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as many paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division bacuse release errors.
One of the paratroopers, John Steele, got hanged in the steeple of the church for two hours.
He was let alive by a German officer who saw him, and who surrendered to him afterwhile.
Memorial stone airborne troops was laid in 1962.
Address:
14 rue Eisenhower – 50480 Sainte-Mere-EgliseFrom Paris, take the highway A13 to Caen.
Then take the RN13 towards the NorthWest through Bayeux until Sainte-Mere-Eglise.
N 49°24'32'', O 01°19'05''
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