Note book 12-15 years old

Draw what much affects you, an artefact you especially like :
See you soon at the Airborne Museum !
14, rue Eisenhower - 50480 Sainte-Mère-Eglise
Tél. 02 33 41 41 35
infos@airborne-museum.org - www.airborne-museum.org
e
d
i
u
g
ld
o
e
t
i
Vis years
15
2
1
map of the museum
history check...
1940
May 10th: Nazi-Germany invades France
Belgium and Luxembourg.
France is overcome by the «Blitzkrieg».
You are about to visit the Airborne Museum.
This museum opened in 1964, in the heart of the village
of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.
Here, in June 1944, the very first combats between the
Allies and the Germans took place in the campaign to
liberate France from German occupation.
via
June 22nd: France is defeated, Marechal Petain
signs the armistice with Nazi-Germany.
June 18th: From London, England, General De
Gaulle appeals to the French people to join the
resistance.
October 24th: The French Vichy regime adopts a
policy of collaboration with Germany. The rest of
France is subjected to German occupation.
1941 1942
December 1941: The U.S. declares war on Japan.
The war becomes total and global.
The museum traces the story of the paratroopers of
the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions who
parachuted into Sainte-Mère-Eglise and the surrounding
countryside during the night of June 5th/6th 1944.
Enjoy your visit !
1941-1942: Battle in the deserts of North Africa.
1943
1944
FOcus on
June 6th to August
21st: D.Day landings and the Battle of
Normandy.
August 15th: Amphibious landing on
France’s south coast, opening of a second
front (Operation Dragoon).
August 25th: Paris is liberated.
September: Operation Market Garden in
Holland.
Décembre : Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.
1945
May 8th: Armistice - The end of the war
in Europe.
The Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch).
May: Arrival of the paratroopers of the 82nd
Airborne in Morocco.
July: Paratroops jump into Sicily (Operation Husky).
September: Assault jump spearheads the allied
invasion of Italy (Operation Avalanche)
3
Before starting your visit...
1
On the map of Normandy below, draw a circle around the red
dot at the location of Sainte-Mère-Eglise. (If you don’t know,
there are maps in the museum to help you). You need to know
that American soldiers who fought at Sainte-Mère-Eglise landed
by parachute and glider.
waco building
THE WACO GLIDER
2
The paratroops were the first to set foot on Normandy soil in
the night of June 5th/6th. They were followed a few hours later
by gliders towed by airplanes. What was the function of the
gliders?
Mer
de laChannel
Manche
English
H
AH
UT
AC
BE
..............................................................................
CH
H
EA
AC
CH
BE
AB
CH
H
D
EA
A
L
EA
B
OB
OM
GO
N
D
JU
OR
SW
.....................................................................................
3
When you look at the panels near the glider, what can you say
about the landing of gliders?
Why did this happen?
BAYEUX
..............................................................................
CAEN
Zones
de débarquement
Amphibious
landing zone maritime
Parachute drop zones
Avancée
troupes
au soir
juin
Advances des
of the
allied troops
bydu
the6end
Avions
C-47transporting
larguant lesthe
parachutistes
C-47
aircraft
paratroops
of June 6th
.....................................................................................
Zones de parachutage
..............................................................................
.....................................................................................
.....................................................................................
Airborne operations secured the eastern and western sides of the
invasion zone. During your visit, you will be able to fill in the names
of the landing beaches on your map. Keep your eyes open!
The mission of the airborne divisions* was
to gain control of the road and bridges
in the area in order to prevent German
reinforcements from getting to the beaches.
4
i
p
An airborne division is a grou
of soldiers which is transported
to the battle zone by aircraft
and parachuted, or by glider.
Supplies, medical equipment etc. also arrived by glider.
4
Look at the display cases and find a drink that the American
soldiers brought with them to France in 1944, French people still
drink it today.
What is it ? ..........................................
5
C-47 building
5
Go at the display cases containing first aid equipment.
In your opinion was this used for:
Minor domestic accidents
Treatment of wounds as quickly as possible, directly on the spot
THE ALLIES GO TO WAR TO LIBERATE FRANCE
6
Every soldier in combat wears a «dog tag». These metal plates
give indications about the identity of the wearer.
Try to find one. Why are there two tags?
TRAINING IN ENGLAND AND DEPARTURE
8
i
Find the display based on this photograph.
General Eisenhower is talking with a group
of soldiers. One of his missions was to
organize and command the Normandy
Invasion.
(Code
named:
Operation
Overlord).
Look at the display and the photograph,
which elements show that they are about
to go in combat?
England
ne is in
4 just
This sce
5th 194
re the
on June
fo
e
b
ours
a few h ps (including
oo
off for
Allied tr
ers) set
p
o
o
tr
para
y.
Normand
......................................................
......................................................
......................................................
......................................................
......................................................
..............................................................................
.....................................................................................
9
General Dwight D. Eisenhower had a very close relationship with
his men. Do you know why he came to meet them just before
their departure?
..............................................................................
7
Which airborne divisions came to SainteMère-Eglise zone?
Find the display with these two badges for
the answer.
- .......................................................
- ......................................................
6
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
10
Look at the paratroopers’ badges, can you tell which division
they are part of? .......................................
7
11
Use your knowledges to connect the names England, Normandy and
Calais to their right location on the map.
12
With the help of the map you completed, use these words in your
answers to the following questions (beaches, supplies, distance,
soldiers, England, the Atlantic Wall*).
- Germans believed that the invasion would have take place at Calais...
Why?
England
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
Normandy
-
Why did the Allies finally choose Normandy for the landings?
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
i
Calais
The coasta
l fortificatio
ns
built by G
ermans from
Norway to
Holland in
order to re
pel any Allie
d
invasion wer
e collectivel
y
called «The
Atlantic Wal
l»
OPERATION TITANIC
13
i
after
944, edrly 1
it
a
n
e
U
e
nd
s
43 a
in th
ision
In 19 rainings orne div r to
t
e
b
long , the Air nd in ord the
r
s
la
State p in Eng mandy fo ing
u
in
r
meet ser to No g. The tra
lo
in
c
d
.
n
e
e
r
la
b
erthe
soon
very inuing ov
t
n
is co
Find the Operation Titanic display.
What were the objectives of this action?
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
8
9
"opÉration neptune" building
Answer the next questions in the two rooms after the aeroplane
15
i
n
chose
was
d
n
h
a
t
6
June moonlight
e
f
r
o
e
date
oth w
ble
The
avora ions for b th. The
f
s
it
condit , 6th and 7 th but
for
ideal
5
th
tides, t for the 5 to go on rs due
s
s
hou
4
2
foreca l plan wa
a
ed by
origin was delay hannel!
c
y
a
e
D-D
in th
torm
to a s
i
SAINTE-MÈRE-ÉGLISE
Look at the maps showing the real and planned drop zones of
the airborne troops. What can you say about them?
« Opera
tion Nep
tune »
was the
codenam
e for
the assa
ult phase
of the
Normand
y landing
.
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
How does the battle seem to start for the paratroopers and
why?
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
16
John
Answer this question before
going into the aeroplane.
Why were flooded marshlands a problem for the paratroopers?
io
le rad
......................................................................................
When you see the signs with
John the radio operator, you
can get more information.
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
14
10
The American paratroopers had specific missions.
Why was it important to take control of the town of Sainte-Mère-Eglise?
(Tick the boxes with the right answers)
......................................................................................
17
.
To deny the Germans access to the coast (landing zone)
Large fields near the town of Sainte-Mère-Eglise were suitable for landing gliders.
......................................................................................
To take control of the main roads and bridges over the rivers in the area.
......................................................................................
There were many German generals in Sainte-Mère-Eglise.
Bearing in mind the answers to the previous questions and your
experience in the plane, how do you imagine the soldiers must
have felt on D-Day?
......................................................................................
11
18
Many of the paratroopers who landed in the
town square at Sainte-Mère-Eglise were killed
by Germans. What was the name of the soldier
who was caught up on the church tower?
........................................................
CIVILIANS
21
Go and take a look at this wedding dress. What
material do you think it is made of?
What can we deduce from this about the civilians
living conditions at the time?
................................................................
Now go through the Battle of the Hedgerows section.
..................................................................
...................................................................
THE BATTLE OF THE HEDGEROWS
19
The battle of the hedgerows leads all the way to Cherbourg in
the North of the peninsula. Why did the Allies need to achieve
this objective as soon as possible?
...................................................................
22
In what ways can we say that war was «Total»
for French people?
......................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
While waiting for the port of Cherbourg to be liberated, artificial
harbors were constructed on the landing beaches, can you name
one of them?
......................................................................................
20
ESPACE MÉMOIRE
23
Take a look at this photograph;
from what you have experienced and
learnt going through the Battle of the
Hedgerows section, can you say why this
battle was so long and difficult to win?
12
i
en civilians are
Total war is wh
e military.
ch
....................................................... involved as mu easUnthited States,
For example, in th
ed to the war
....................................................... civilians contributhig
her taxes to
effort by paying
l cost and
cia
an
fin
e
th
........................................................ help with
re in the
mo
ch
by working mu
industry.
g
......................................................... weapons manufacturin
In your opinion, why is it important to remember what happened
in 1944?
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
.........................................................
......................................................................................
.........................................................
......................................................................................
.........................................................
......................................................................................
.........................................................
......................................................................................
13
24
25
Many soldiers sacrificed their life to win back our
....................... . Using the clues, fill in the boxes and find the
missing words.
Write a letter that an American soldier could have written to his
mother, brother or friend (explain what you have done, what you feel,
etc.)
......................................................................................
?
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
1
......................................................................................
2
......................................................................................
3
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
4
......................................................................................
5
......................................................................................
6
......................................................................................
7
......................................................................................
1 : This is the country from where the Allies departed for the D-Day
invasion.
2 : Some of the airborne troops arrived by parachute, others landed by?
3 : The name of the museum you are visiting today.
4 : The long hard battle in the fields and lanes was called the battle of
the ?
5 : The name of the American general in command of Operation Overlord.
6 : A war which involves both civilians and the military.
7 : The region of France where the D-Day landings took place.
......................................................................................
The hidden word is what allies won back for French people in 1944 and
what we must preserve forever.
......................................................................................
Go to the last building
to watch the film !
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
......................................................................................
14
© Airborne Museum / Toute reproduction partielle est strictement interdite.
Crédits photographiques et sources iconographiques : © Musée Airborne, Archives départementales, NARA.
Typographies : «Verdana» et «Multilingual Hand».