Battlefield Sites     Le Mesnil, Bois de Bavent, & Varaville

The following pictures were taken in Spring 2002 at the WWII Normandy battlefield sites of the 6th Airborne Division. The photos were made possible by using the excellent, highly accurate and indispensable reference book, Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery, by Carl Shilleto. This page covers the areas around the Bois de Bavent, including the villages of Le Mesnil and Varaville. Both of these villages were key objectives for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, a unit of the 3rd Parachute Brigade. The area around the Bois de Bavent became the positions for the 3rd Parachute Brigade after June 6th. Click on any image to view a full-size version of the photograph. Varaville At the villages of Varaville and Robehomme are similar memorials to 1 Can Para, dedicated recently at the 50th anniversary of the landings. Photos of these memorials are shown in the pictures in this section. Varaville is a village on the River Dives which lies to the extreme north and east of the 6th Airborne Division's initial landing areas. Along with the nearby village of Robehomme it was one of the first-day objectives of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, who were tasked with helping to destroy the bridges here over the Dives. 'C' Company of 1 Can Para was given the job of Varaville. As was the case with all the Allied airborne drops on the night of D-Day, the landings of the Canadian parachutists were scattered across a wide area. As a result it took precious time to reorganize troops, and all units were severely under strength before they even began to approach their objectives. When C Company moved on Varaville they had only 15 men out of a regular strength of well over 100! The small force entered Varaville while still dark and moved towards the German garrison, which numbered over 100 men and included heavy machineguns and artillery, all dug in to concrete-fortified defensive positions. As the fighting began more parachutists joined up, and after a hard action the German garrison surrendered. While the fighting at the garrison was taking place another small group of Canadians and Royal Engineers made their way to the bridge and destroyed it using demolition charges. The Canadians withdrew late on June 6th after being relieved by commandos marching in from the beaches. Below is the text from the two memorials, Varaville on the left and Robehomme on the right.       Le Mesnil At a crossroads in Le Mesnil, at the intersection of the roads from Varaville, Troarn, and Bréville, is a small park now named 'Brigadier Hill Square'. The square was named as a memorial to the commander of the 3rd Parachute Brigade. The memorial is shown here below on the left. The text of the two plaques is shown on the right.       In Brigadier Hill Square is also a memorial to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, shown in the pictures below. By noon on June 6th 1 Can Para had successfully completed all of its initial objectives, and so all companies moved to Le Mesnil, which was to be the rendez-vous point for the battalion.       The Potérie de Bavent at Le Mesnil, known as the brickworks to the Allied soldiers, became the headquarters for 1 Can Para at Le Mesnil. The Battalion set up defensive positions to help keep the vital high ground out of German hands and protect the extreme eastern flank of the Allied invasion. The Brickworks stands the same today as during the war, and is shown in the picture below. The Germans attacked in force on June 8th, using a battalion of grenadiers and tanks. The attack was stopped by the Canadians, who then sent the Germans into a hasty retreat by making a counter-attack with the bayonet. Several more attacks in the following days were made on their positions, none were successful. Nevertheless, the battalion sufferred over 150 casualties by the end of June. Just across the road from the Brickworks, and set back into the woods, is the Ferme de Mesnil. This farm was also where the 224th Parachute Field Ambulance set up the brigade's main field hospital. Over 800 serious casualties were treated here in the first two weeks after June 6th. Over sixty men of the medical services also became casualties during the Normandy campaign. Bois de Bavent The area in the Bois de Bavent near the Manoir du Bois, a chateau shown in the picture below on the left, was the southern-most area occupied by the 3rd Parachute Brigade after the initial fighting on June 6th. The 8th Parachute Battalion took up defensive positions here. On the road from Le Mesnil to Troarn is a memorial to the 8th Parachute Battalion, shown in the picture below on the right.       Also at this location is a memorial to Brigadier Alistair Pearson, who as a Lt.-Col. was the commander of 8 Para during the fighting. Brigadier Pearson fought with the parachute forces in Africa and Sicily, and won an astonishing four DSOs and an MC during the war.       Touring the battlefield sites gives the student of history a much richer understanding of the events of the past. Walking through the locations where history happened is both a rewarding and moving experience. Be sure to bring a tour guide, maps, and histories of the actions as reference. Give yourself plenty of time to stop and read about the sites you are visiting.