Americans, British, Canadians, no less than twelve nationalities, or more than 150 men, took part in Operation Neptune deployed on the beaches of Cotentin and Calvados. After four years of occupation, this much-hoped-for D-Day would mark the start of the Battle of Normandy and put an end, after tough fighting, to the Second World War.
In June 44, Operation “Neptune” was launched with the deployment of airborne troops behind the German lines followed by naval operations in the Channel Sea.
On the night of June 5, C-47 planes, taking off from England around 22:45 p.m., dropped more than 14 paratroopers from the 000nd and 82st Airborne on 101 landing zones called “Drop Zone” between Sainte Marie du Mont, Sainte Mère Eglise and Carentan. The mission is very complex and few paratroopers reach their objectives in the middle of flooded marshes and at night.
That night, around twenty men, soldiers of the allied forces of the 82nd Airborne, landed on the Sainte-Mère-Eglise square. Many shots were exchanged but at 4 a.m., finally, the American flag was raised on the town hall. From June 7, 1944 at noon, troops landed at Utah Beach came to lend a hand to the “paras”. It was imperative to free Sainte-Mère-Eglise. The resumption of this strategic crossroads would make it possible to reach and secure Cherbourg, the only deep-water port capable of receiving supplies.
necessary for the Battle of Normandy. Sainte-Mère-Église pays homage each year to its liberators. Among them, John Steele, the famous parachutist, remained clinging to the church tower, a misfortune which cost him his life. Terminal 0 opposite the town hall symbolizes the starting point of the Freedom Way. To understand how the events unfolded, Sainte-Mère-Église and
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, in Utah Beach, are essential memorial stops.
what to do in Sainte-Mère-Église?
John Steele, the famous parachutist from Sainte-Mère-Eglise
Dumped on the night of June 5 to 6, 1944, John Steele found himself strangely clinging to the bell tower of the Sainte-Mère-Église church, a few flights of seagulls from Utah Beach. Without imagining it for a second, the American paratrooper would contribute to the worldwide reputation of the Cotentin village when, at the beginning of the sixties, the American filmmaker Darryl Zanuck took the stage for The Longest Day.
Following the film, tourists regularly asked locals: “Is this the parachutist’s church?” »
Consequently, the Sainte-Mère-Eglise festival committee had a mannequin, regularly repainted, hung from the church bell tower. Was John Steele the real parachutist?
No doubt, even if several American soldiers claimed to be too. " What matters,
they say at Sainte-Mère, it’s the symbol. You can't imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower. Sainte-Mère and its paratroop, it's the same... » Rue Eisenhower, the Airborne Museum is one of the busiest D-Day museums in Normandy.
The longest day
On August 7, 1961, American director Darryl Zanuck arrived in Sainte-Mère-Eglise to shoot the main scenes of “his” The Longest Day with a host of actors including John Wayne, Sean Connery, Bourvil , Jean-Louis Barrault… and hundreds of extras. “We shot every night until the rooster crows,” remembers one of the assistant directors. It was complicated. The stuntmen had to jump from two helicopters, but they never landed on the square.
Finally, they launched themselves from a crane! » Written based on the book by Cornelius Ryan, the film was a colossal success... despite historical approximations. “When he was filming, Darryl Zanuck preferred to install the parachute on the side of the church square. It was better for the extremely theatrical image. We did the same to fit the film. But in reality, it remained hanging on the other side of the church, with a view of Koenig Street,” says a villager. And contrary to what the film tells us, John Steele never became deaf from the bells...
Sainte Mère Eglise is also a rural commune to discover by visiting the Ferme-musée du Cotentin, a former farm-manor, where you can discover the daily life and atmosphere of a farm from the beginning of the 20th century, common room the vigil, dairy where butter is made, press, stable, stable, bakery…. As well as the outdoor farmyard which presents different Norman breeds.