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The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village

The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village

  • Downloads：1568
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-12-08 17:21:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Stephen G. Rabe
  • ISBN：1009206370
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Reviews

Michael ，

I have always been fascinated to read something on the battle of Graignes。 This battle has been mentioned in many books I've read on D-Day invasion but not in detail。 The book is a very detailed accounting of the paratrooper drop at the beginning of the Normandy invasion。 Many missed their drop zones， including two companies that landed 15 miles away in the marshes of the Cotentin Peninsula。 After dawn， the soldiers noticed a village atop a nearby hill， and about 180 men drifted in during the fo I have always been fascinated to read something on the battle of Graignes。 This battle has been mentioned in many books I've read on D-Day invasion but not in detail。 The book is a very detailed accounting of the paratrooper drop at the beginning of the Normandy invasion。 Many missed their drop zones， including two companies that landed 15 miles away in the marshes of the Cotentin Peninsula。 After dawn， the soldiers noticed a village atop a nearby hill， and about 180 men drifted in during the following days。 The hope was that the town and paratroopers could wait until the Allied troops landing on the beaches reached them。 The hope was in vain。 When the SS Panzergrenadier Division arrived， they thought there was no one to oppose them。 They discovered otherwise。 When the US troops finally ran out of ammunition and had to retreat， everyone thought that a white flag would protect the townspeople， the injured paratroopers and the medical staff who remained。 That hope was also in vain。 Graignes and her citizens and the injured paratroopers paid a heavy and horrible price for what they selflessly did。 I was in awe of what the villagers bravely took on， knowing what the Germans might do in revenge。 The book is a heartfelt tribute to the aid given by the French。 The writing was little disjointed in parts， but it is hell of good story， and I really enjoyed it。 Every time I read another book on the D-Day invasion I find myself asking myself how many more can be written on this subject？ I have read so many books from both sides of this military battle and just when I think I have covered all the bases on this battle， out comes another book which had a tremendous impact on the events of that day。 Keep them coming because we must never forget those who have given their life for our freedoms。 Awesome book！ 。。。more

Darya Silman ，

Publication Date: November 10， 2022。 In The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance， Courage， and Solidarity in a French Village， Stephen G。 Rabe offers a moving story of the resilience and courage of the dwellers of the small French village of Graignes on 6-16 June 1944。 The author aimed to light up yet another piece of the puzzle called D-Day while paying profound respects to local French civilians who helped the US paratroopers。 In fact， if not for the villagers of Graignes， espe Publication Date: November 10， 2022。 In The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance， Courage， and Solidarity in a French Village， Stephen G。 Rabe offers a moving story of the resilience and courage of the dwellers of the small French village of Graignes on 6-16 June 1944。 The author aimed to light up yet another piece of the puzzle called D-Day while paying profound respects to local French civilians who helped the US paratroopers。 In fact， if not for the villagers of Graignes， especially the Rigault family， this book couldn't have been written: the family saved the author's grandfather， Rene E。 Rabe。 For the Headquarters Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 507th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division， severe fighting started on 11 June 1944。 On D-Day， they were dropped in the wrong place， around 31 km from the designated village of Amfreville。 After the debate， the paratroopers decided to fortify Graignes and wait for the advancing Allied forces。 French men， women， and teenagers helped paratroopers， knowing full well that Germans would retaliate for assisting the Allies。 Women organized feeding， and men and teenagers retrieved ammunition from the surrounding swamps; everybody spread disinformation and conducted reconnaissance in the adjusting areas。 On the 11h of June 1944， on their way to Carentan， the 1st battalion of the 37th regiment of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division attacked the village。 The story of Graignes becomes heart-touching， considering the fact that the paratroopers' children and grandchildren know who saved their fathers and grandfathers。 The traumas of WW2 prevented the surviving paratroopers from paying tribute to the villagers until forty years after the war。 With time， the paras （as Americans were called） and their family members established deep personal contacts with the villagers that last to this day。 In his book - and with the help of photographs - the author managed to reenact the events as if everything happened just recently。 The focus always stays on the people， paratroopers and villagers; there are few strategic decisions of the high command。 The author's decision to give the overview in the beginning and then go back to the training and then D-Day adds a chill to the bones because we already know the outcome: who will be killed， what atrocities the SS will commit in the village， etc。 The story of resistance in Graignes may not be as grandeur as the invasion， but it deserves to be remembered and cherished。 It's an essential point in understanding the French resistance movement， which mainly consisted of ordinary men and women。 I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Reference

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The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0