We have driven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. And company with the brave allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the german war machine. The elimination of nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of europe and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is welltrained, wellequipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. This is the year, 1944. Much has happened since the triumphs of 1940 and 41. The United Nations has inflicted upon the germans in open battle. Mantoman. Our air offensive has seriously reduced strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Has homefront has given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and ammunitions of war. And plaisted our disposal, great reserved fighting men. The freeman of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence
Questions. This is 40 minutes. At the beginning of august what could be concerned was towards the middle of the month, the germans chose to leave the city. Then on the 14th our police went on strike. That was the day when a police car opened fire and began the battle. After that, it seems the french flag was hanging from every women. The flags were made from curtains, everything it didnt matter. Four days later we heard shouting coming. As we ran, the french army had arrived. I kissed my husband. We began to realize how unhappy we had been for four years and how lucky we were to be alive. Mary Louise Roberts is a history professor at the university of wisconsin madison joining us here on American History tv in our focus on d day to talk about her book d day through french eyes normandy 1944. Professor roberts, we just showed some video from the liberation of paris later that summer. Take us back to before the invasion. What was normandy like on june 5. What were the citizens of normand
Anniversary of the normandy invasion, which is taking place this summer, and we thought it certainly fitting to commemorate that event and us putting on these old uniforms, wearing old equipment, it certainly gives us a better perspective and appreciation of what the greatest generation went through. And if we can impart even a small inkling of that to passers by and families who come visit this place, then we feel that weve done a fairly good job. The unit that we portray is the Fourth Infantry Division, and its a unit thats sometimes overshadowed in the realm of world war ii history, but nonetheless, it was one of the spearhead units that was involved in the normandy invasion. It was some of the first amphibious troops who were ashore, and they waded ashore on utah beach. Unbeknown unbeknownst to many of them at that time they had actually landed on the wrong sector. They had landed about a half a mile offcourse and there was a little bit of uncertainty, perhaps hesitation as to what
The thing that amused and entertained our boys who were stationed all over england was westminster abbey, and there were quite a few americans who came there to see the sites and see westminster abbey, and these are the scenes that i wanted to photograph on one sunday afternoon. Another area that intrigued me was marble arch. The marble arch on one sunday afternoon was full of people. You must remember that london was being bombed almost every night in this particular time, and i was photographing these speakers that were addressing the crowds. Every speaker was speaking on a different assumptiosubject, but police stood around and watched, and as long as there was no arguments, nobody was hurt, and the people in the audience were arguing back with the speakers, but these were just typical shots of how we passed the time waiting for dday. Most of the children who lived in england or a great may i should say were sent out of the city, but a lot of them had to remain behind, but in spite
50mile stretch of coastline defended by german forces. Allied troops suffered more than 9000 casualties but gained a foothold on french soil. Next, the author of the first way talks about the d day invasion and its impact on the war. This is one hour. Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied expedition wars, you are about to embark upon a great crusade for which we have driven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. And company with the brave allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the german war machine. The elimination of nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of europe and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is welltrained, wellequipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely. This is the year, 1944. Much has happened since the triumphs of 1940 and 41. The United Nations has inflicted upon the g