Revisiting the Falaise pocket....

[Funksammler]

This time in August it is 71 years since the Falaise pocket closed around the German army fighting in Normandy. Yesterday a number of historic German vehicles, including some horse drawn carriages, gathered to comemmorate events.

The vehicles (and horses) gathered in the centre of Trun:

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Included in the collection was this magnificent field kitchen:

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VW Kübels, Horch, Opel, NSU and BMW also gathered for the display:

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After gathering in Trun, first things first: Picknick in the Park!

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From Trun, the vehicles left for St Lambert sur Dives. The Horse drawn carriages took the direct route while the motor vehicles went for a nice circuitous route through the pocket area. We met up again at the monument in St. Lambert sur Dives:

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The 2 cm flak gun was recoved from the area and still bares witness of being strafed and shelled:

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Vehicle column on the side of the road:

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We continued our route, though the centre of St Lambert and took a scenic route to the ford across the Dives river at Moissy. Here a crowd had gathered to witness the historic crossing of the ford, one of the last crossing places across the river before the pocket was closed:

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A nicely restored Hf 7 "Stahlfeldwagen" participated, with a weight of over a ton (1000 Kg) !

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The event served as a poignent reminder that a large part of the German units still used horse drawn vehicles. Thousands of horses were killed when the German army was trying to escape the Falaise pocket. Certainly the pace of events was very much dictated by the needs of the Horses, it was fantastic to see them in action once again!

regards,

Funksammler

[JanC]

Very nice. I love the field recovered stuff.
Wish I was there to assist the event.

[hill112]

Very nice thanks for sharing.

[Etienne B.]

Looks great !!

[Lou58]

Yes thanks for posting this up. Nice restored vehicles, and damage flak that was strafed and shelled, it great that they didn't repair the damage.

Lou

[Willi Z.]

Thanks for posting these photos. I drove though Trun in June of 2014.

[dEVIL]

Great pictures !

thanks for sharing !

[Simon O.]

Great photos and as you say a reminder that the majority of the German army was horsedrawn.

[WWIIBuff]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing. I am glad there are people restoring and maintaining those vehicles and wagons.

[Bill Hermann]

Great pics, love the battle damage on the flak, real history there!
Regards, Bill

[kastensfh18]

Nice pics ! Thanks for sharing !

Eric

[monte cassino]

wow great! Thanks for sharing the pictures. Everything looks like it is restored with tender love and eye for detail.

[frank m]

nice pictures, a pleasure to see those cars and vehicles maintained very well

[tintin44]

My contribution

[grndevil44]

good photo's, have been to the crossing point a few times, lots of ammo and bits and pieces can still be seen laying in that dirt road, pulled a bullet ridden door from a hedge one year, should have brought it with me, but how peaceful it is today with the Kingfishers and giant grasshoppers you could not imagine the carnage back in 44