and the 3 successive cemeteries on Omaha Beach
As early as 7 June, the American specialized stewardship services (a section of the "606th QM Graves Registration Unit") began to gather the bodies of the killed soldiers. There were hundreds on the only beach in Vierville and there were also Germans (e.g. 70 bodies in the defences of the Vierville descent).
A first cemetery had been planned on the plateau, but the land was not yet cleared or cleared, so it was decided to install a first temporary cemetery at the foot of the Vierville cliff for the entire Omaha Beach. He was in the vicinity of the villa Philippe Marchal. A monument perpetuates its memory.
About 15 days later, the construction of a permanent cemetery (originally called the cemetery of Saint Laurent by the Americans, because of its proximity to the village of Saint-Laurent and its access by the road built from the beach of the Ruquet) was undertaken on the cliff between Le Ruquet and Colleville, and gradually in 2 or 3 months, the bodies of 3797 American soldiers were transferred there and the first cemetery abandoned leaving there a memorial sign. The bodies of German soldiers were transferred to La Cambe.
Later, this "definitive" cemetery was replaced by a larger cemetery, the 3rd, located east of the 2nd cemetery called Saint-Laurent. This cemetery was called Colleville Cemetery, with direct access from the plateau road, leading from Colleville to Saint-Laurent. Its inauguration dates back to 1956 and more than 9,000 graves have been buried there, as several Norman cemeteries have been grouped there.
Loss statistics on Omaha
Provisional cemetery seen from the road, summer 44
