IF THE STONES COULD TALK

LA CAMBE

NORMANDY

VICTIMS OF THE LANDING 

By the end of july 1944 and in the face of strong German resistance, the Allies had only won the coast of Normandy and the Cotentin Peninsula.

Only then did they manage a strategic breakthrough.

By that time the Germans had lost 114 000 with a further 41 000 being taken prisoner.

The Allies had lost 122 000.

There are six German, seventeen British, two Canadian, two American and the Polish war cemeteries in Normandy contain the remains of over 100 000 war dead.

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The French dead are buried in the British cemeteries or in joint cemeteries.

The German tank ace and two of his crew members can be fount at square 47, row 3 grave 120.

Two short stories

"A fatal Favour"

The German POW Heinz Gnibl was to be released on 25th March 1949 from Rubercy (near Trovieres) to return to his home.

Since his train was not scheduled to leave until the afternoon he thought he would do the caretaker of his accommodation one last favour and burn all the old leaves and branches.

A shell buried in the ground under the leaves, exploded and killed him.

His grave can be found at Block 18, grave 352

Not recovered until 1983

On 29th May 1942 the plane being flown by Lieutenant Werner Stöckelmann was shot down at around 12.30pm by an English plane.

The English pilot was also shot down but reached the ground safely with his parachute while Stöckelmann wasn't that lucky.

In 1983 members of a Volksbund youth camp helped to recover his remains.

His grave can be found at Block 47, row 4, grave 121g