Archive for the ‘Damian Cranny’ Category
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Mont Saint Michel Story Part 2
The Town
Nestled at the base of the abbey, ensconced behind impressive walls and towers, the town of Mont-Saint-Michel was born of the abbey, to which it is inextricably linked, and it is this which gives it a special and unique character.
The town grew up out of the need to house and feed the numerous pilgrims, who began arriving to partake of the spiritual healing and sanctuary of the famous abbey, and as such Inns and hostels were constructed. These early innkeepers provided meals and lodgings and merchants sold holy images, figures of St. Michael, and metal badges which the pilgrims proudly displayed announcing to all that they had made the pilgrimage to the abbey of Mount-Saint-Michel. In essence these were the early hotels and souvenir shops which today’s visitor to the Mount can enjoy with there great food and hospitality.
The D Day Story Part 4
Merville Battery
About 165 miles to the East, the British Army’s 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment was dropping on the Merville Battery, which was perceived as a major menace to the landings at Sword Beach. It was therefore vital that the four 150 mm guns, embedded in 12 feet of concrete and soil, heavily protected by mine fields, anti-tank ditches plus pill boxes, were quickly disabled. The strength and defences of the Battery meant it could only be silenced by a direct assault and hand to hand combat.
The D Day Story Part 3
Ste Mere Eglise the 82nd and 101st paratroopers invade
One particular landing site for the American 82nd and 101st airborne paratroopers was Ste Mere Eglise. Despite the drop starting after 12 pm many of the paratroopers were illuminated by houses that had caught fire. The occupying forces opened fire and ordered the civilians who were trying to put out the house fire back to their homes. Some paratroopers were caught in the house fires, others on telephone poles and trees.
One US Paratrooper John Steele was left hanging from the church roof in the middle of the square when his parachute got caught on the steeple of the village church in Ste-Mère-Église, leaving him dangling precariously to witness the carnage unfolding below. Wounded and in pain he hung there pretending to be dead for two agonizing hours, before the Germans took him prisoner. An effigy of John Steele and his parachute can still be seen hanging from the church in the square. The story was recaptured in the film, ‘The Longest Day’