c-g-designs

In the frame of the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy a plate presented by Canada retracing the movements of the Canadian Army in Normandy was unveiled at the village of Chambois place on Tuesday 4th June. The Falaise-Chambois gap was offocially closed by the meet of the Polish division(under Cannadian Army) coming downhills Mont-Ormel from North and the american 5th Armoured coming East and South.

A plate erected by the Chambois Tourist Office commemorating the meet of Captaion Waters and Major Zgorzelsky was unveiled on the Eastern outskirts of Chambois at the exact placce where the two officers met.

The remains of two German armies entrapped left in this narrow Dives river valley, in a circle of a little over 10kilometers (Der Kessel, the chaldron) some 12-1500 deads and around 50000 prisoneers. Those who were able to escape left behind all their material.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataille_de_Chambois

The events reported here happened during the 40th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Normandy, end of August 1984.

At the time, I was often asked as interpreter between the local authorities, the associations and the visitors from both sides coming back on the battlefields.

It is on this title that I met few years before Jphn Arkle Dunlop , in 1944 lieutnant at the Lincoln and Welland Regiment who had asked me if I could obtain informations on the possible sepulture of one of his sergents killed at Saint Lambert sur Dives by a bullet in the head and never located.

I point that John, under Major David Currie’s, South Alberta Regiment orders who cammanded the Task Force coming from Trun , closed the pocket from the west. David had his command post at the Quantité crossroad and John blocked passge of the river at the Moulin footbridge, one of the 3 retreating ways that the Germans were willing to use. David Currie won in this action the only Victoria Cross won by a Canadian during the battle of Normandy and John Dunlop the french Croix de Guerre for their bravery at St Lambert.

I had then invited John to attend the 40th anniversary commemorations of the end of the battle and he spent a few days at my home with his wife Edith.

During my researches, I was given a canadian helmet pierced by a bullet and found in the river, downstream of St Lambert. I showed it to John who immediately noticed a number painted in yellow under the helmet front, that we did not noticed before. A quick look in the history  of the Lincs and Wells regiment book who record all the losses place by place with their ID numbers. Excitement and emotion, the helmet was those of the sergent. John returned to Canada with the helmet who is now in a Canadian war memorial.

After the official ceremony at Mont-Ormel Memorial, we were doing with John a last tour of the battlefield in my Jeep marked with the ‘Lincs and Wells’ tactical signs. I had stopped the Jeeep at the exact place the David Currie’s Jeep was placed on the most famous picture of the surrenderings, showing David  receiving the surrender of a german troop, officers heading. The prisoners were directed to Trun under the control of a single Sherman posted on the heghts.

John went to take an actual copy of the photograph while I stayed at the wheel. I saw coming from Chambois a coupé Mercedes with twp men on board, the driver in the thirties and the passenger in the sixties . The car stoopped at some 50metres, then turned on the Quantité crossing to the ‘Moulin de St Lambert’. Obviously, they were looking for a specific place.

John having finished his pictures, we turned also to the Mill for John to have a last look at the footbridge. At midway, we saw the Mercedes coming back. I stopped the car at my level and asked them if I could help ? They showed embarrassed and I adressed the passenger ‘’ Given your age, the date and the place, you were here 40 years ago. My passenger was a Canadian officer and he is here for the same reason as yourself. I repeat, if I can helo, just ask ?’’. The man then replied he was looking for a small bridge where he was wounded and taken prisoneer. I then told him to continue to the crossing for a half-turn and come back to follow me. We arrived to the Mill and went on foot to the bridge, followed by John wondering on what happens. He immediately recognised the place and we started a long conversation and questions in German while John was continously asking ‘what does he says ??’. I do not remember his name, jus the was an architect in Karlsruhe. Finally, I turned to him and asked : ‘Were you here on 20th August 1944 at 2PM ?’ . ‘Sure’ he replied, almost offended. Then I said : He was too,wounded, and you captured him and he received first aid from your men !!’ !.

John is totally astonished and a long exchange follow with myself inbetween.

The two men almost in tears fell in each one’s arms and the episode ends at my home in the excitement and celebrated with Champagne !.

I know the two men continued to correspond and exchange season greetings until John’s death in 2008

R.G.C

05/2019