Someone told me about the war...

The Night of Fire

A few years ago, at the Tourist Office of Saint-Lô, a woman came in to ask for some specific information which, I must admit, I can't remember today. However, I do remember that she told us she was present during the bombings on the night of June 6 to 7, 1944. Very young at the time, she shared with us the chaos that reigned over Saint-Lô that night. The panic, the fire, the deafening noises... She mentioned that people were running in all directions and that, accompanied by her mother, if I recall correctly, she found refuge in the underground tunnels of Saint-Lô, which were guarded by German soldiers.

Some time later, she added, the doors reopened and she saw wounded Americans, likely captured by the German army upon their arrival in Normandy and quickly brought inland. She remembered that some young girls, including herself if my memory serves me right, were chosen to wipe down the allied soldiers and pass a damp cloth over their lips to hydrate them. - Testimony from a visitor to the Tourist Office

Life Under Occupation

One day, during a guided tour of the city of Saint-Lô, I was fortunate to have in my group an elderly man who was a resident of Saint-Lô during the occupation. During this tour, I mentioned this significant period in the history of Saint-Lô, stating that during this time, despite rationing being in effect, the inhabitants of the area, based on the research I had conducted, seemed to have suffered less from hunger than those in larger cities. At that moment, the man spoke up, indicating that he was present at the time.

Intrigued, I took the opportunity to ask him, in front of the group, if my statements were true and that if they were not, he should not hesitate to correct me. With a sense of relief, he confirmed that my explanations were accurate and summed up the situation with the quintessentially Norman phrase "In Saint-Lô at the time, we didn't have everything, but we lacked nothing." He added that with the black market and the countryside aiding, the residents engaged in a lot of bartering. They exchanged eggs for vegetables, rabbits for flour, and so on. - Testimony from a resident of Saint-Lô during the occupation, shared during a guided tour

The Fear (or Lack Thereof) of the Occupier

This anecdote came to me during a guided carriage ride that we offered during the summer. While discussing the occupation and its constraints, as well as the relationship between the population of Saint-Lô and the German army, I was interrupted by an elderly "little lady" who said in the local dialect, "Nos en avait pas peur nous, des boches..." (meaning "We were not afraid of the German soldiers").

Curious and, I must admit, a bit skeptical, I asked her if she was present at the time and if she could tell us more. She smiled and continued, still with a hint of dialect and her traditional rolling of the "r": "No, we were not afraid... sometimes we even insulted them to show our anger"... then she added in a lower tone, looking at us with her mischievous eyes, "But not very loudly and in Norman dialect." This anecdote made everyone laugh, and even today, when I delve into the history of that period, I sometimes smile as I recall that "little lady" and her story.

Testimony from a resident of Saint-Lô during the occupation, shared during a carriage ride

A bomb in the wash house...

"I was 23 years old during the June 1944 landing. I was employed as a maid for milking cows. I worked at Marie-Louise Marie's house in the village of Le Bosq in Canisy. Like every day, I had gone to milk in a field near a washhouse not far from the house. On the noon of June 6th, while I was crouched down milking a cow, a bomb fell into the washhouse. The cow I was milking was killed by shrapnel, and the bucket containing the milk was knocked over. I was very scared and I went back to my employer trembling..." - Testimony of Angèle from Canisy

The Large German Hospital...

"It's on Wednesday, June 7th, in the afternoon that the organization of the large German hospital begins. They (the Germans) climbed onto the roof to put up a huge Red Cross. The Americans know well that the hospital also treats their wounded... This is evidenced by the planes that fly very low over the hospital (but do not attack it). One day, I remember very well, it must have been a high-ranking German military officer they were burying, there were a lot of people in the field. There were about sixty civilians and 100 German men presenting arms. The American planes flew over us, but none fired.". Testimony of Allyre from Beuvrigny

Walking Back...

"I was a boarder at the institute in Agneaux, but we had been relocated to La Chapelle-sur-Vire because we had to leave the cities, the large buildings. When they saw that things were taking a turn for the worse on June 6th, they told me, 'You don't live far, in Moyon, you'll be able to walk back home, won't you?' I said 'yes, yes,' I was happy, it was like a vacation! It was still imprudent, going alone!" - Testimony of Léon from Agneaux

4 years old in 1941...

"My mother Louise Coffre was a restaurateur in Villedieu-les-Poêles...
The courtyard of the restaurant requisitioned by the Germans...
A horse was tied to the door handle of a cellar, blocking access...
It was lunchtime...
My mother then cut the rope to be able to enter...
It was the horse of a ranking officer...
In the afternoon, the "Kommandantur" came to get her and took her to Saint-Lô Prison where she stayed for 21 days.
I was 4 years old, my sister 13 months, my father a prisoner of war, escaped and sought after by the Germans...
This must have happened in 1941..."

Testimony of J. Biot