Hi All, A few old timers here may recall work we done on the 'A-B-C Laneway' back in days of the Battlebus Forum. Located just to the NW of Sainte Mere Eglise, the lane appears to have been the German front line's right flank on the evening of the 7th June, when Lieutenant Coyle led an under strength 2nd Platoon, Company E, 505th PIR in an attack northwards towards it. The mixed group, some being 101st Airborne troopers, were supported by two Sherman tanks from the 746th Tank Battalion. The ensuring battle, covered in dept in Phil Nordyke's 'Four Stars of Valor' (pages 190-195), is a remarkable feat of arms. Recently John sent me three photos from the WWII Radio FB Collection. One in particular he has tied to this laneway and I agree its an excellent candidate showing the scene shortly after this battle. First, for new readers, here is the laneway's location: We now need to look briefly at the location of the 'Jerry Can Horsa' wreck which John located for us just across the N13 - see John's post #127 in Charles's 'Elmira Horsa Glider' thread for ground and air ties to the wreck. Note how this glider's starboard side wing is pointing up and towards the N13 road hedgerow from a crash site on the east side of that road. John believes, as I do, that the same wing can be seen in the upper left corner of the WWII Radio picture below: Here is an extract from NCAP_ACIU_US30_4108_1062 flown on the 8th June and showing that the view above is running along the outside face of the lane's north hedgerow, with the ground photo having been taken somewhere between points 'B' and 'C': Image Credit: RCAHMS/www.ncap.org.uk I well recall visiting the lane with Paul Woodadge back in July 2009. We discussed the likelihood of this being the correct location of the battle while standing by the car at the western entrance to the lane here. We must have been on the exact spot where the Sherman turned into the lane and began spreading consternation, death and destruction on the unfortunate Germans caught with nowhere to go. When I returned home, my copy of 'Ready' by Allen L. Langdon had arrived in the mail and lo and behold page 63 appears to confirm the location: This is the first time I have seen a ground photo, with a confirmed location of this battle scene. Well done John Two more photos, likely from the same location, to follow. Regards, Pat
Hi All, Sorry if this is repetitive to something you have seen previously, but I didn't recall seeing this information on the old Battle Bus forum. There may have been some discussion as to the location before, but hopefully the Horsa glider helps to confirm the location. Along with a few additional photos related to this image, I did find another photo of what I believe to be from the same location only this time we may be able to identify the 82nd airborne soldier or medic because of his name stenciled over his jacket pocket. I wonder, with all the devastation that happened on the small lane by Lt Coyle's moving on the Germans flank, if the Life photographer just didn't decide on his own not to photograph what may have been heart wrenching images of many more killed. John
All new John, The work done on Paul's Battlebus Forum related to linking the laneway to the description of the battle in Phil's 'Four Stars of Valor'. You photograph above has never, as far as I know, been linked to the A-B-C Laneway before. Here is your second tie to the German causality on the stretcher: No doubt in my mind that its the same man as in your first photo, though the American attending him is a different trooper. Not pleasant photos for sure, but these two below which you also sent me are highly likely to to have shot on the same north side of the northern hedgerow: Regards, Pat Edited to remove WW2 Radio copyright marking from photo #2 and to flip photo #4 right to left
#4 is a Georgian soldier (note the patch on his left arm). This points to a location around Turqueville. IIRC the timeline of these photos supports that possibility.
Hi Pat, Photo #2 did not come from the WW2 Radio collection, but I stumbled across it floating about the internet. I wouldn't know who the correct source of the photo is though. I think the stenciled letters above the jacket pocket that are readable are SA_DE_ .There is a vertical line following the A also. That would make a name like Sanders a good possibility. I could be wrong on the unit, but I would lean towards the 307th Airborne Medical Company, as opposed to the 505th PIR which fought there, even though I don't see anything marking him as a medic such as armbands or stenciled helmet. I also don't see any combat gear, or other clues like the helmet liner that was rigger modified with the 'A' straps of a jump helmet. I did find someone of the 307th Airborne Medical Company that could be a match: Pvt. Grover G. SANDERS (34823423) on the website for the 307th here: https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/307th-airborne-medical-company/ My resources are limited on searching the 82nd airborne and 505th PIR. Any idea on what is hanging out of the top of his jacket pocket... are they morphine syrettes ? John p.s. here is another thumbnail photo related to the two dead Germans in the hedgerow.
Pat, I just noticed that image #4 should be flipped... The Georgian patch was worn on the right shoulder and the small black and white field in the patch was in the left corner of the patch. Thumbnail attached... John
That's correct of course. This series of photos was flipped when they were first published by LIFE/Google some years ago. They have correct most of them, but this one they apparently missed. The Georgian battalion is an interesting formation BTW. Have been tracing it back to when it was raised and it's first operations at the foot of the Caucasus. It was wiped out too quickly in Normandy to produce any reports on it activities on D-Day. Most information is rather basic and comes from rather poor US sources.
Hi All, John, I'll do corrections to the two photos as you indicated. Am I correct in thinking that photo #3 shows a mortar position? I note that a shallow drainage ditch like the one evident in photos 1-3, appears to extend from the right of photo #4 only as far as the mortar bipod, where the ditch looks to have been extended a few feet at right angles to the hedgerow, forming a weapons pit perhaps? If the drainage ditch does stop part way along the outside of the northern hedgerow, it should be possible to pin point this exact position...with the field owner's consent of access of course! Regards, Pat
Thank you Manual, I cannot see your photos until I log on from my home PC. Great to have 'boots on the ground' Regards, Pat
Manual, Did you get a chance to walk along the entire hedgerow and was there still a shallow drainage ditch along the hedgerow? John
We do not see very well the drainage ,there is too much bush , about 2 meters wide . Lots of animal terrier , big big terrier . And 1 german stake like new ^^. I asked if people are going in field with métal detector and he said yes .
I don't think photo #3 would be a mortar position... but I do think it is a mortar crew. Along with the mortar bipod next to the body, I think the actual mortar tube might be along the left edge of the photo at the base of the left most large tree with the bark worn off. I just don't think that they would risk firing a mortar from inside a hedgerow with all the trees and overhang in the way. Seems too risky and even if they did, all the leaves moving would give away their location anyway. They may have been placing ammo in that location, but would have likely pulled the mortar back about 30 feet or more into the field for firing. I wonder if they met their demise because of Sergeant Otis Sampson. To quote "Four Stars of Valor" by Phil Nordyke: pg189... Sergeant Otis Sampson was ordered to move forward and set up his squad's 60mm mortar to support the Company E attack. "I grabbed the mortar and with the rest of the squad, I followed the runner to the front where the forward squads had sought protection in a ditch on the near side of a sparsely planted hedgerow. "Here, I was told by either sergeant Smith or Lieutenant Peterson, 'give us mortar fire on that next hedgerow. They are there in force'. The hedgerow ran west from the Montebourg road [N-13]. pg190... Sergeant Sampson's squad, working like a finely tuned machine, opened up on the German frontline positions with their single 60mm mortar. "We were in plain sight of the enemy and bullets were flying by. My men didn't hesitate - they tried to give us mortar gunners the protection we needed with their rifle fire. The teamwork paid off. My first rounds overshot the hedgerow. Once the range was found, we laid them in, one round landing in a machine gun nest, killing them all." Sampson's gunner, Private First Class Harry G. Pickels, fed the mortar while Sampson adjusted the aim, as rounds exploded behind the entire length of the German-held lane. Simultaneously, Peterson's platoon unleashed a torrent of small arms and .30-caliber machine gun fire into points in the hedgerow across the field where Germans were spotted or suspected to be. I think It might we might be able to locate the area of photo#3 if the two thick trees that seem to be only about 6 feet apart are still in the hedgerow. John
Manual, Is it possible to identify the two large trees from the road side first, rather than the field side ? John
John, I have now removed the WW2 Radio copyright marking from photo #2 and flipped photo #4 horizontally. I just remembered that the A-B-C laneway appears on the re-supply mission aerial photo. The view, being shot from an oblique angle, shows a good 'tree fingerprint' of the laneway - though its not possible to ascertain whether the tall pines are growing on the laneway's northern or southern hedgerow: The pine trunk visible in front of 82nd medic's helmet in photo #2, is very likely one of the tall trees visible in this aerial photo. Regards, Pat