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Normandy beach, summer '46


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No wonder that a) there's still lots of rusty metal on the beaches & b) why no one bothered bringing stuff back from the Far East!

Hours of fun to be had browsing here!

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1407-norman-d-landing/page__hl__ general apathy__st__760

 

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Further inland.

Edited by Pzkpfw-e
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I was talking to a REME Mechanic and he told me that as vehicle spares were a major problem in 1944, they used to go to the beaches and rob parts from damaged vehicles abandoned there to repair vehicles in service.

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Awesome thanks !! Whilst over there a few years ago in one of the museums I visited was a grand collection of photos taken from 1946 up through to the late 1950's of the beaches and surrounding villages / lanes etc..........I was very surprised to see just how much kit languished for many years.........it's no wonder some switched on folk over that way built up such impressive collections of vehicles and memorablia , I know if I'd have been around then as a teenager I'd have filled every shed my poor old Dad had......:D........

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Not only the Military built from spares. I met a couple of old guys at Ver Sur Mer who had started thier transport buissnes back in 1945/6 by pulling in wrecks and buildoing up six working vehicles.

 

This is apparently how the invasion beaches were cleared: contracts were awarded (I believe by the French govt) to clear sections of beach. One lucky bidder of 1.5 km worth of junk (whose sons we met) found a large number of half tracks on their section and built up many running vehicles from the wrecks they dragged off the beach, even selling engines back to the U.S. army!!

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