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Ste Mere Eglise
American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division erroneously parachuted into the town square in the early hours of D-day. M. Hairon's burning barn, illuminated the scene making it easy for the Germans in the square to shoot the descending troopers. Private John Steele's parachute caught on the steeple. He survived by feigning death until the town was occupied in the daylight hours. His parachute effigy still hangs on the steeple. The airborne museum stands on the site of Hairon's barn. The town has been a gathering point for returning veterans of all divisions.
American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division erroneously parachuted into the town square in the early hours of D-day. M. Hairon's burning barn, illuminated the scene making it easy for the Germans in the square to shoot the descending troopers. Private John Steele's parachute caught on the steeple. He survived by feigning death until the town was occupied in the daylight hours. His parachute effigy still hangs on the steeple. The airborne museum stands on the site of Hairon's barn. The town has been a gathering point for returning veterans of all divisions.
Ste-Mere-Eglise was the first place liberated. As Zen says, the it wasn't liberated, i.e. the Germans no longer controlled it, until much later in the day. But Zen's on the right track; the first town liberated was by airborne troops in advance of the main beach landings.
The incredible glider borne assault on the bridges across the Orne just after midnight resulted in the liberation of the adjoining town of Ranville.
Ranville has the "First liberated town of France" plaque which reads (in part) first town of France to be liberated on 6 June 1944 at 2:30 a. m. by the 13th Lancashire battalion, the Parachute regiment.
this is link to picture of the plaque http://tinyurl.com/4bo5z
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