Omaha beach 1951

[Peter Graham]

I've long been fascinated by photos of how battlefields look in the immediate years after the battle. Here's some very atmospheric photos of Omaha beach in 1951 apart from the first pic which was taken in 1947. Imagine the artefacts that could have been picked up in those days. If anyone has any similar photos I'd love to see them.

Nearly the same shot earlier this year.

 

[dujardin]

thanks for this brilliant post

amazing to see this amount of landing craft on the beach 2 years after the war.

if i found some photos like yours; will post

 

[bebel]

Thank you for the photos, Peter. Much appreciated. I am very interested by knowing how it could be in the past in normandy and other places. Here are some of old cards from Normandy (before and aftyer the war).
Franck

1) Arromanches - long time before the war
2) Omaha Beach: the same sector you were showing on yours (the most western side - Dog Green - Vierville/Mer) - about the end of the 50's
3) Vierville/Mer - 1903

 

[CHECK6]

GREAT PICS very fascinating post ,need more

Fab

 

[Peter Graham]

Bebel, I love the old postcard showing dog green sector. Is that an original photo that you own ?

 

[bebel]

Peter,

Yes, the 3 postcards are original.

Franck

 

[blackrat2]

Sorry no pics from me but talking about finds,I was a Farnham military show where one of the stalls was selling an American rifle,on a small plaque it had inscribed that the weapon was found on Omaha beach in 1956.

 

[flyboy]

When I was in Normandy 2004 - I also walked along Omaha Beach. I was lucky enough to find a piece of rusty barbed wire stand.
It had obviously been either cut off or dug up my local fishermen, for use as a wight to hold down their fishing nets, 'cause there were botn some wire and net attached to it, when I found it.

It's just a piece of iron turned into some eyelets. But when you know what it is and how it was used, it's a nice souvenir.

 

[ButteMT61]

We found a couple chunks of heavy, rusted steel that were obviously of the period, but before we left in the car, I put them in the sand. Didn't feel right taking them...although were indeed cool.
These pics are great. So much more meaning after having just recently walked on those same beaches. I'd imagine in 1951, nobody wanted to remember much about the previous 10 years there. But yeah, imagine if you had a truck, you could probably retire on the stuff you found lying around...great pics. Thanks for posting guys.

 

[Peter Graham]

Here are my Normandy souvenirs. I found them in a recently ploughed field beside the German radar station at Pointe de le Percee, between Omaha beach and Pointe du Hoc. The radar station suffered a naval bombardment in the early hours of D-Day so I reckon they are parts of naval shells. I'm researching the shells to find out the calibre so maybe I'll be able to find out what ship fired them.

 

[saunders]

Brilliant photos, gents!!! Thanks so much for posting. I also really enjoy seeing what battlefields such as this looked like not long after the events.

I've been looking for photos of the Omaha Beach defensive position network in good detail as were taken either by the Germans shortly before the invasion, or by the Americans or British shortly after the invasion. Good photos of each position one at a time in good detail, and pan shots up and down the beach. I know these photos were taken at the time but I've never seen them published. I must hit the National Archives one day ...

Saunders

 

[saunders]

Here are my Normandy souvenirs. I found them in a recently ploughed field beside the German radar station at Pointe de le Percee, between Omaha beach and Pointe du Hoc. The radar station suffered a naval bombardment in the early hours of D-Day so I reckon they are parts of naval shells. I'm researching the shells to find out the calibre so maybe I'll be able to find out what ship fired them.

Great work! The projectile at right certainly looks to be a naval 5" round; the 5" gun being the primary armament of a U. S. destroyer. Destroyers performed the close-in work and direct fire support for the invasion. There was likely only one destroyer assigned to target the radar station, so finding out which one should not be hard. I'm sure the National Archives would have the various ship logs, After-Action Reports and Orders-of-the-Day, of which the latter would have detailed target assignments, while the others would state targets more generally. Related documents, including the After-Action Reports, will also indicate targets the ships engaged per request on the scene.

Saunders

 

[Peter Graham]

The projectile at right certainly looks to be a naval 5" round; the 5" gun being the primary armament of a U. S. destroyer. Destroyers performed the close-in work and direct fire support for the invasion. There was likely only one destroyer assigned to target the radar station, so finding out which one should not be hard.

You're bang on the money. I sent photos of the shell to the Royal Armouries who confirmed that it's a 5" naval shell. After a bit of research I discovered that the destroyer assigned to target the radar station at Pointe de la Percee was USS Thompson which was indeed armed with 5" guns. Result !

 

[dujardin]

good investigation inspector

 

[Andrew]

Love that stuff. Next step Sherlock is to post pics of the Ship and then the guns, and then the crew who loaded the guns then the pile of shells about to be fired....

 

[dujardin]

DD-627

on wikipédia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Thompson_(DD-627)

on navsource
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/627.htm

a well knowed photo

and this one of the guns.....wich one fired your shell remnant :?:

 

[dujardin]

i found 2 photos in one of my file

LCT25 in 1946

Omaha beach 1947

 

[ButteMT61]

Very cool. Some of those appear to be in local places scattered around Normandy. Most just sitting outside rotting, so they won't be around too much longer.

 

[dujardin]

this ship is also an Hollywood's star

''Operating with MineDiv 11, she based on the west coast for the remainder of the year. Commencing on 8 June 1953, Thompson played the title role in Columbia Pictures's "The Caine Mutiny", the 1954 film version of the Herman Wouk novel of the same name. Operating out of San Francisco for one week, Thompson became the Caine, while at the same time serving as the model for many of the Columbia sets used in the filming of the on-board scenes.''

 

[dujardin]

another one, just found on the net

Arromanches in the 50's