Ultimate Then & Now Compilation | Sainte-Mère-Église | D Day Normandy WW2
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- In this video I show you some of my favourite Then & Now locations to film.
In this video I show you four of my favourite then and now pictures and story behind them. If you enjoy this video let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
Sainte-Mère-Eglise was occupied in the spring of 1944 by the German soldiers of the 14th company of the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier-Regiment 1058 and by the artillerymen of the 4th battery of the Artillery-Regiment 191. This town is located on the national road 13 which crosses the Cotentin from north to south. It is also a necessary crossing point because of the convergence of several departmental roads in its center.
The Americans, during the phase of preparation of the airborne operations preliminary to landing in Normandy, place the village of Sainte-Mère-Eglise in the heart of the jump zones of the 82nd Airborne Division. It is the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (505th PIR) commanded by Colonel William E. Ekman who is in charge of seizing the municipality in the early hours of D-Day, which entrusts this mission to Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause commanding the third battalion. In order to simplify the taking of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, the Americans define a jump zone directly to the north-west of the village, between the Merderet river and the national road 13, coded drop zone “O”).
Ultimate Then & Now Compilation | Sainte-Mère-Église | Normandy WW2
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My father was in the 82nd, 505th PIR. He made all 4 combat jumps during WWII. Interestingly when jumped into Ste. Mere Eglise he landed in the alley next to the aid station. Another trooper and he joined up and went towards the aid station. As they went around back the glider crashed in front of them. They in fact crawled to the glider where they met up with another trooper. There were injured and dead aboard. They crawled back to the aid station while under small arms and mortar fire to get help. They approached an officer who was in the station and reported what they knew, dead and injured were on the glider. The officer would not send any men to assist because he said it was “ too dangerous “ to render aid to which my father promptly told the officer to “ go to hell I’m getting those guys out of there” which he and the fellow troopers did against orders. They got back to the glider went inside both pilots were dead but there were several badly wounded men. They managed to get the injured into the aid station and went back to retrieve needed equipment and supplies. My dad was injured ( shrapnel in his face and broken fingers) as was Joe the other trooper who was with my dad. I have the commendation letter as well as a photo of my dad, Joe and the other trooper in front of the glider. I am so glad I found your channel. My dad was a hero in the company of thousands of other heroes. Airborne all the way! Side note my dad lived a long and productive life, sadly he passed away 12 years ago… June 5 th almost to the hour he was jumping into Ste. Mere Eglise.
Wow. Thank you for sharing, that’s a fantastic story
What a wonderful story thank you for sharing. God Bless.
Yes, a wonderful story indeed. The more I look at those crucial events the more I’m convinced that God’s hand was in all of this. A coincidence that Rommel was absent in the critical first two days? Never.
@@christopherbrowne736 THE STARS WERE CERTAINLY ALIGNED THAT EVENING. WITHOUT QUESTION THE GREATEST GENERATION.
To the wonderful video you have added a touching personal dimension which is so engrossing and endearing. Thank you 👍
I love the way these Then & Now videos really make History come to life. Thank you for doing them and dodging the traffic for us.
Ha! Thank you
Rob, I sincerely thank you for bringing us this entire Before & Now program for all of us to see, leading up to the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. It has been a wonderful experience to watch them all, to honor the men who fought or contributed in any way to support the Allied Forces, and a special Touché to you for showing us so much of France, Belgium, Germany, or Poland. 🇺🇲 🇨🇦 🇬🇧
Janet the pleasure is all mine. I love visiting these places and I’m glad others enjoy the video. Thank you for the kind feedback
I love how so much of Normandy has remained unchanged since D-Day. Thank you for these then & now videos.
You are very welcome
Your work is fantastic. I get on UA-cam expecting to look at a lot of different things, but all I can do is look at your Then and Now photos. They are poignant in so many ways, the sadness of war, the bravery of these young men, the passage of time. It boggles my mind how you have found so many exact locations in France and Belgium. Many thanks to you.
A very kind comment. Thank you 🙏
I love then and now.
You have done these so well.
It is all so historically fascinating.
Thank you, from New Zealand
Looking forward to Eng vs NZ this summer. Thanks for the comment!
Totally amazing work!!!
I watched with amazement of how little some of the town has changed. I couldn't help but think as I watched that the only differences in some of the photos are the people. So many have left us now. They truly are the greatest generation of our time. From the very towns people to all the men who fought and gave it all back to them. The pictures are really extraordinary. Great work. I've shared this with all the men in my unit. I'm currently serving in US Special Operations for 17yrs now. All were just as amazed as I of the great work you did with this. Thank you.
You’re most welcome my friend
Exited for this! My great grandfather jumped into St Mere Eglise he was with the 82nd airborne
What did you think of the video? You must be so proud of your great grandfather
@@thehistoryexplorer I LOVED this video! Frankly I teared up a few times! These people soldiers and civilians suffered so much! I am so grateful for FREEDOM!
@@thehistoryexplorer I think you really did a great job on this. Really blended the photos well! I give it an A+ ❤️
Just outstanding. I believe your exceptional use of before and after pics is one of the very best ways to make history come alive. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it that’s awesome
Rob your work is fantastic and much appreciated- Especially today! I've never been to Northern France or had the opportunity to visit most of these cities and towns, but until that time comes I'm grateful for what you bring!
Cheers from Michigan, USA.
You are most welcome my friend. It is my pleasure and honour (Brit spelling!) to make these videos
Matey - that was a superb show. Thanks for taking time to explain the challenges of getting the photographic match.
Well done 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it mate! 👌
These photos morphing gives me goosebumps.
Same here.
Well done for doing”now..then.. and back to now” . I’ve watched a few like this and they go from now to then but going back again is a better viewing experience. Seeing pictures like these just really shows how transitory we are on earth and how we walk in the footsteps previous generations.
Life is short my friend
You've a real talent to take us back 80 years
That means a lot. Thank you
Love these...then and now. I keep looking for my grandpa.
These are wonderful examples. I am 81 and still appreciating all the sacrifices and effort of this war. Wonder examples.
I was at St. Mere Eglise too on June 6th 2024. Took my wife and youngest son to see where it all happened for my Dad. Going through the Airborne Museum was a very emotional time for me while there. I feel that if Dad had seen some of the displays there he would of had a emotional breakdown.
Another great video Rob! You just keep getting better like a fine wine.
Ha! Thank you very much
Your videos are so fascinating!!! Thank you so much. They make me feel very close to my father, he would never talk of his time there.
You are so welcome and I’m glad they help
Spectacular work!
Like yesteryear is alive, today!
You're creating history with history!
Just brilliant!
Thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed it
Really nice pictures - my father was liberated and joined the Canadian Forces in 1944 in the South of Holland - one photo mentions M (Muscles) is reading Meubles (furniture) - keep on going with this kind of great memories of D-Day / Operation Overlord.
Absolutely superb! Your efforts are to be commended; your tenacity in relocating the sites, the finesse with which you match up photos and the very educational and fascinating stories which align are very much appreciated, particularly on this most special of remembrance days.
Bless you for your skill and for sharing with those of us who truly enjoy your artistic work. I always look forward to seeing these videos and learning. 🇺🇸 from North Carolina
You are most welcome. Thank you for the fabulous feedback
Rob, I wish to thank you for sharing these amazing photos with us. Both my paternal grandpa, and my great-uncle, who doctored his birth certificate in order to join the fight, who was only 16 when he joined in 1942. They both joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor was attacked, but my grandpa fought on the Pacific, and my great-uncle fought on the Atlantic.
My great-uncle’s ship was torpedoed by the Germans, and he, along with his bunk buddy and many others, survived the attack. However, they had limited amount of life rafts, so they had to take turns floating in the ocean. When it was my great-uncle’s turn to go into the water, he couldn’t wake his buddy up. So, he began pulling him into the raft. He saw why his buddy couldn’t be awoken, and, from his waist down, his body was missing. Sharks swarmed around, and were attacking any and all sailors that were in the water. There was a never-ending sea of blood. My great-uncle never heard his buddy scream when he was being attacked by a shark, and that was due to the temperature of the water at night.
Since my great-uncle was only 16 when he enlisted, he had vivid nightmares about that day. His 2 sons had enlisted in the military (one, Danny, enlisting in the Navy, and the other, Ronnie, enlisting in the Army), but his son, Danny, had been killed by a shark attack off the coast of Florida while he was on furlough (August of 1970, the same day I was baptized). His other son, Ronnie, was sent to Vietnam for 2 tours. He sadly took his life in 2008. He was in so much pain due to the VA screwing up his ankle surgery, something he had injured in Vietnam, which they operated on the wrong ankle. He’s missed greatly.
I enlisted in the Army, which I’m the only female to enlist on both sides of my family. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who fought for our freedom, especially those who died for our freedom.
We must NEVER EVER forget D-Day, or Pearl Harbor.
Wow! What a comment. Thank you so much for sharing, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the channel,
@thehistoryexplorer I am thoroughly enjoying your channel, and the phenomenal work that you put into each of your videos.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart and soul, so very much for bringing these super brave young men front and center.
Seeing those amazing photos, from then and now, brings tears to my eyes. These young brave men sacrificed so much to fight against tyranny, oppression, genocide and the threat of people losing their God given freedoms, and we all do owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
June should NOT be “Pride Month,” but “Honoring the lives of those that fought and died ensuring freedom for all” month. Unfortunately, elementary, high school and college students cannot answer simple history questions regarding The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, WWI and WWII, and The Vietnam War; yet, they can easily answer questions about the Kardashians, rappers, and things that bear zero significance to their lives.
Again, thank you for sharing these photos, and for keeping their legacies alive and thriving. God bless you, your family, and every single one of these brave young men, and women!
Just makes me cry...for so many reasons.
Very powerful video! Thank you!!
💪❤️💗
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind feedback
I’m not sure that the building at 02.05 is a restaurant, the word on the left front is ‘Toiles’ which is canvasses, and the word on the right is ‘Meubles’ which translates to furniture. Either way they are interesting pictures!
WOW! Fantastic job of finding all these places!
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Rob, this set of photos are unbelievable. I wasn’t in the war. I was too young but they still make my heart ache, the brave brave soldiers thank you so much for the effort that you put into this channel it must take a lot of time and effort👏👏
Hello Paul, very kind of you to offer such thoughtful feedback. I genuinely love making these videos and I’d visit these places in my spare time regardless. I hope my passion for this work comes across because it really is a joy
Just amazing then and now. This is my favorite part of viewing history. Remarkable pictures. Thanks for sharing these moments in history.
So glad you enjoy them, I love it too
One of your best and touching videos. I love the way you lined up the pictures
Thank you so much!
Thank you for this. Bringing the past to life. I love this layering of past and present.
My pleasure. Hopefully you can tell in these videos I love visiting these places
@@thehistoryexplorerOh... we can tell. And we appreciate your great efforts.
I so appreciate your efforts in putting these video together. We should never forget the bravery and courage of the Allied Forces. Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Thank you, History Explorer. Well done!
So glad you enjoy these videos. I see your comments on the videos which makes me smile knowing that people are enjoying them 👍
Hi, This show blew me away! You take the then and now concept to the next level. Tom Mullen, Geneva, IL USA
Thank you Tom, you are most welcome my friend. So glad you enjoyed the video, I have lots more on the way
The effort you put into your vids is truly amazing!!! Thanks for the effort!!!
I appreciate that! Very glad you enjoyed it
@@thehistoryexplorer I enjoy EVERYTHING you post!! Glad I’m a subscriber!!!
Can't thank you enough for all of your hard work and your passion!!! Incredible to say the least!!!
I appreciate that! Thank you
thank you for all of these and the shorts as well. when i see the now and then i feel like the men are still there. and i think perhaps their spirits are . i am near tears when i see the photos. Ray Tonns
what a great history captured in time , then and now, what a scene must have been back then. Thank you. I love this videos.
Glad you enjoyed it, I’ve done more like this that I think you will like!
Great job matching up those amazing photos.
Thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed it
Well done, wonderful research and amazing photos. I cannot get over the fact, that it has hardly changed in eighty years.
Brilliant isn’t it, I love the town and the area. So glad you enjoyed the video
A lot of change in eighty years - and one day! 👍🏻
Really love the work you do! Bringing the WW2 past up into the present! Excellent!
Thank you for the very kind feedback. It means a lot 👍
Merci de refaire revivre ces moments intenses .. inoubliable..
You are very welcome
Wow!! That was such an incredible and soul-wrenching video. Thank you! 🇱🇷🙏🏻❤️
So glad you enjoyed it. I have many more to come
Il ne faut rien oublier tant d'hommes sont morts pour notre liberté. Nous avons connu dans le Maine aux Etats Unis un vétéran ( le beau frere de notre amie) il avait participé au débarquement en Normandie et a pu nous raconter . Il le faisait f'un facon humble sans se vanter , merci Henry.
La folie des hommes continue quand même . Ils n'ont rien compris et les marchands d'armes n'ont jamais aussi bien dormi sur leurs finances.
I love history and the fact that we never seem to learn from it. Your content is always amazing, thank you for sharing.
Thank you! It is my pleasure
Absolutely fantastic! I love how you do this, really brings to life the streets I walked.
Glad you enjoy it!
Excellent video....well done....and I just noted the parachute on the Church steeple.....likely a permanent one given the heroism of the US Airborne. And of the soldier who landed there in 1944.
Les Griffiths
The mannequin has been there a while. I have a video coming up on it
A beautifully narrated and presented video - please consider publishing a photo book of "then/now" sites.
The camera work in this video - moving/adjusting the photos on camera - was really superb.
I plan on making an app actually
Excellent stuff! Well done.
11:10 - those shutters on the 2nd floor are the same! They still have the exact same slats missing. Crazy!
It’s brilliant isn’t it! Love it
Photoshop and sloppy as well.
@@stevek8829 You think it was photoshop?! 😂
I’m sorry the images taken during WW2 are sloppy 🤦♂️ I spat out my coffee I laughed so hard at that comment
An excellent video presentation. You do a lot of research to reproduce these images. Thank you!
Many thanks! I really enjoy doing it
Very nice video…thank you and great work! I only wish that I had this when I visited Normandy from Texas a few years ago. It really is amazing how little these small towns have changed in 80 years.
Thank you very much!
Que gran trabajo. Muchas gracias por el esfuerzo. Tu canal es genial, permite ver la historia de los lugares “ no hay lugar pequeño” todos formaron parte de la historia. Tienes mi admiración por lo bien que haces tu trabajo. Muchas gracias.
Very welcome! Thanks
Thankyou for such a beautiful and powerful demonstration, lest we forget ❤
You are so very welcome!
Just brilliant thanks so much for making these videos..
Anytime Rambo!
Thank you for your work. It makes me feel closer to my dad.
Really enjoyed this one. Great work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
A very mesmerising beautifully shot video.,. I really appreciate your patience in what you do to make such haunting, poignant video's... Thank you so much.
You are so welcome. Glad you enjoyed it
Absolutely outstanding (again)!😮😊
Thanks again!
@@thehistoryexplorer No thank you .The pics are so precise .That takes time and WORK .
Watching yr clips is like reading my high school history textbook. History repeating itself especially in the current situations. So sad😢
Fabulous job matching the photos with the present.
Excellent video thanks for sharing the photos. I was there a week ago touring on my motorbike with my mates 😉
No problem 👍 I beg you had an amazing time
Amazing work, thank for sharing.
You are most welcome
We have been there several times and you have mDe a beautiful video…thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
TREMENDOUS CINEMATOGRAPHY, THANKS FOR SHARING. SALUDOS
Thank you very much!
What an amazing perfect work you have done with you photos, so well alligned ! It was for me a marvelous trip over 80 years.
Thank You
Many thanks! Appreciate the kind feedback
Thank you for a job well done. I have been to Sainte Mere Eglise and the church is beautiful, as well as the town itself. 🙏🇺🇸
Yep, I love it! You’re very welcome
Very cool video. It's so cool to see all these photos in the places they were taken. Just thinking what those soldiers were thinking in the early years of the war.
You’re very welcome!
Fantastic job with this. But, for ME, I prefer to see the Then pictures first, it's easier to line them up.
Thank you for the beautiful content. I wish you success
Thank you so much. What a lovely comment
@@thehistoryexplorer
I certainly agree with that viewer's comment. Thank you so much for these fantastic photos of then and now. We all appreciate the ton of work you and your team must put into finding the places all over Europe and comparing the old wartime photos with shots of the peaceful places they have now become. If walls could speak !
Great work, please keep it up, it is so important that the immense effort, heroism and bloodshed that went into liberating Europe in 1944 to 1945 is never forgotten. Wishing you great success from an expat Englishman living in Hamburg, Germany.
🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇲
I was there 3 weeks ago, on the 80th anniversary. It was incredible. There was a Sherman and an M-18 in the streets, surrounded by a mass of people, folks crowded on top of the tanks, as if it was 1944 all over again. Unforgettable images and memories.
Beautiful isn’t it
Obrigado pelo vídeo, e pelo seu excelente trabalho!!❤
You are very welcome
That brought back memories visited St Mere many times. I recognised all those scenes.
I hope you enjoyed it!
Fascinating! Thank you. Superb research 👍
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it
Brilliant video that is very moving. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bonjour, Toujours un aussi bon travail, pour ne pas oublier... Un Grand Merci à votre travail pour la mémoire de ceux qui ont donné de leurs souffrances et de de leur vie...
_Les jeunes de maintenant, (au 20/21è siecle), ne savent pas pourquoi, ils sont en vie aujourd'hui...
Thank you!
As a school boy studying organic chemistry’s chapter on alkanes, alkenes and alkynes I had devised a way to easily recall the sequence of methane, ethane, propane and butane where the M of methane was Mere , E was Eglise, Port Blair like wise. This video added much more to my other knowledge of St Mere Eglise. I still don’t know why Mere Eglise was my aid to memory ! 😀
Thank you for sharing your link to chemistry!
So well done & precise. Thank u.
Glad it was helpful!
Great work.
Thanks, from New Zealand.
Thanks for watching!
All of your videos are fantastic, and judging by the comments, very much appreciated by all who watch them. Thank you for all your great work.
Thank you very much! I appreciate that
Superb a very moving experience we should never forget what so many did and never returned 👏🇬🇧
Couldn’t agree more
Brilliantly done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Muy buenas tomas. Muchas gracias. Falto una foto donde sale un soldado ingles en una calle de Normandia. La vi cuando estuve allá el mes de mayo.
I just think it’s awesome of you to reply to every single comment on your videos. That is a feat in and of itself. Props to you for that and for the great videos. Just found your page and I’m excited to have more content to watch. Keep up the good work!
It’s my genuine pleasure. If I don’t read the comments I’ll never know how to get better, because believe me people will tell you 😂
@@thehistoryexplorer I get that, but actually taking the time to reply to each one is quite nice of you and I commend you for that. Thanks for taking me to places I probably won’t ever get to go see myself
Fantastic work. Really interesting how first you found the photos and then took the time and energy to find the actual modern-day location. Your alignment of the pictures is brilliant.
Many thanks! So glad you appreciate it
Thank you for this explorer.
Most welcome
I could only imagine being... 16,17,18 years old (yes many kids lied about their age) and getting dropped into that situation. Going from a normal life into actual hell, they truly are the greatest generation, without their sacrifices who knows how the world would be today. Never forget
Very brave men
I think these pictures are the best yet! You are superb and with such precision. I actually felt I was right there so intense it all was. It was indeed a wonderful tribute for the 80th anniversary of DDay. We will remember them. 🇬🇧 🙏 🇺🇸
Thank you so much Lady Anna!
@@thehistoryexplorer You're welcome..❤
I have no connections to WW2, I'm unaware of any of my ancestors/family having fought, but I have the deepest respect and gratitude to those who fought and died for us. God rest them.
Well said
Outstanding video! Why didnt this come up on my feed until now?!
UA-cam may be suppressing historical content at the moment, just a theory. Have you hit the bell icon? 🔔
Very, very grateful!
You're very welcome!
The work done on this is spectacular I can’t imagine the time you put into these
It was my pleasure. I loved making these
Went to Normandy last year for VE celebrations, visited sainte-Mere-eglise beautiful place to visit
We visited Normandy 6 years ago in late March, Early April, and of course Ste Mere Iglese. It was cold and windy, rainy. We enjoyed a bottle of wine at lunch there along with others on the tour. The weather being inclement made us somewhat uncomfortable, but it helped us understand in a very small way what our soldiers went through many years ago. One of the most emotional stops on our tour was at Angovill-Au-Plain. Very emotional.
extraordianario trabajo, gracias
Most welcome
درود بر شما. بسیار خوشحال شدم از اینکه میبینم چقدر به مکان و جاهای قدیمی ارزش قائل هستید و آنها را برای آیندگان نگه میدارید از شدت شوق بعضی از تصاویر اشک من را درمیآورد. سپاس❤
Afwan!
Excellent
Thank you very much 😀
82nd Airborne were based in Leicester UK before take off for Normandy. My wife's Mum, as a teenager had a boyfriend from those men.
He was very generous with cigarettes and foodstuffs for her family, in those months before June 6th. She never saw him again, or heard from him.
Sad story, but thank you for sharing
The 82nd was actually billeted in the small village of Husband Bosworth I believe it’s about an hour or so from Leicester.
Dannyg3949. The 82nd HQ was at Braunstone Hall in Leicester. I've no doubt Leicester airfield and Husbands Bosworth airfield were both used for take off. Men were in camp all over the county, including Leicester.
👍🏻🇺🇸
Amazing work. Thank you.
Our pleasure!
Excellent. Amazing. thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent work sir ❤
So nice of you. Glad you enjoyed it
Just brilliant thank you .
It is my pleasure James
Thank you and God Bless.
Thank you too!