Book contents
- The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy
- The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Introduction
- 1 Paratrooper
- 2 Overseas
- 3 Occupied France
- 4 Liberators and Friends
- 5 Days of Friendship, Hope, and Waiting
- 6 The Longest Day in Graignes
- 7 Escape, Exile, and Annihilation
- 8 Graignes in Historical Memory
- Afterword
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Unpublished Primary Sources
- Index
4 - Liberators and Friends
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2022
- The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy
- The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Introduction
- 1 Paratrooper
- 2 Overseas
- 3 Occupied France
- 4 Liberators and Friends
- 5 Days of Friendship, Hope, and Waiting
- 6 The Longest Day in Graignes
- 7 Escape, Exile, and Annihilation
- 8 Graignes in Historical Memory
- Afterword
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Unpublished Primary Sources
- Index
Summary
“Liberators and Friends,” recounts the dramatic events of D-Day – the airborne transit from England to Normandy, the jump, and the shock of landing in a place that was not on the maps of the paratroopers. The flooded areas, the marais, further compounded the problems the paratroopers encountered. The commanding officer, Major Charles Johnston, overruled subordinates, like Captain David Brummitt, and decided to stay and defend Graignes. That the paratroopers found themselves able to wage their own private war can only be explained by the astonishing commitment of the people of Graignes. Led by Mayor Alphonse Voydie and café owner Germaine Boursier, the village organized itself to support and feed the paratroopers.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Lost Paratroopers of NormandyA Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, pp. 91 - 112Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022