Hello everyone. I'm a historian from Québec, Canada, I'm currently working on a military history project about Normandy and I quite literally stumbled on these forums while looking form some photographic sources of the Normandy area. More specifically, I am interested in the whole Overlord-Utah/Albany/Boston area, down to and including Carentan. I've assembled an excellent corpus of books, memoirs and references works so far (including some by contributors to these forums), and am currently in the process of going through them. However, a sizable part of my project includes forming a cohesive, accurate picture of the actual aspect of the terrain in that area in 1944. For this, I planned on using maps and aerial photographs. This is why I am here, basically: I need to locate sources of high quality aerial pictures of the area, so as to, ideally, cross-reference the entire area with today's geolocation data. I haven't really started on that search as of yet, but I thought here would certainly be an excellent starting point, and perhaps some of you could eventually point me to various collections, online sources, archives centers and museums from which to start working, as well as providing some research tips as you see fit. All of the above also applies for maps. I already have most of the topographical maps of the area as it looked like around 2000 (Civilian Cartes Bleues series) but I must definitely secure maps from the actual time period. Topographical maps, tactical maps and other such documents, anything of the sort would be of use. There are a numbers of good maps online here and there, but I'd rather take them from a trusted source. I would also be interested in acquiring fac-simile of such documents, pretty much like the 6AB Div outline plan I acquired at Pegasus Bridge 15 years ago, although I don't know if such document is available. At any rate, I thank you in advance for any and all help any of you may provide. Best! Pierre
Hello Pierre Welcome to the group - my particular interest is in the activities of 2TAF, and 125 Wing/83 Group in particular, but I am happy to assist in any way if I can. May I wish you every success in your quest. Allan
Hi Pierre, Have you tried this site for large downloadable topographical maps... http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A8752 I downloaded several from France and Belgium in the 1:100 scale John
Thank you Allan & John! I've downloaded the McMaster University map. I'll open a more specific thread in the appropriate section of the forum, too, with my inquiry. P.
Hi Pierre, Welcome to the Forum and hopefully you will find our group of use in researching your interesting project. In relation to aerial cover, our primary source is the collection of images held by the National Collection of Aerial Photography in Edinburgh, Scotland. Their license fees page for both commercial and non-commercial usage is here. Looking forward to seeing more of your venture. Regards, Pat
Thank you very much Pat, What an excellent starting point! I am going to carefully examine what the NCAP has to offer, but even a cursory look is very promising. Incidentally, I just noticed this page, too on their site. Thank you again! P.
Pierre, There is much more there on the McMaster University page... So many more maps than the one you downloaded because they cover all of France, Belgium, and Germany. If you do eventually expand to the Omaha Beach area, I know of another great website for that. John
A Hello! to you Pierre from Germany here. For the beaches I found on fold3 under WW2 / WW2 European Theater Army Record / Subject File / Beaches an extensive analysis of Omaha and Utah beaches. https://www.fold3.com/browse/251/hkRaaEDpynV_SRqkaMi3Mv_rN
Welcome Pierre, Always great to see a fellow Canadian on this forum! The Whitebeam folks are very generous with their expertise; you are well situated to further your research interests. Regards from a snowy Halifax, Ellen