863
Memories of Michel Hardelay (8)
In Vacqueville on 8 June afternoon
FOR MEMORY, these memories have been dispersed into several chapters chronologically classified:
Vierville under occupation (0)
The day before and before June 6th (1)
The night of 5 to 6 June and the dawn of 6 June (2)
At the same time, at the bus station of Vierville, at the Colibeufs (2bis)
The morning of 6 June, from 6 a.m. to 12 noon (3)
Afternoon and evening of June 6 (4)
The morning of 7 June (5)
At the bus station on June 7, at the Colibeufs (5b)
In the afternoon and evening of 7 June with the bombardment of the crossroads (6)
On June 8, in the town of Vierville, with Captain Gardiner (of the Civil Affairs) (7)
June 8 at Than Manor and Vaumicel (8)
June 8 in Vacqueville (9)
June 9 and subsequent days (10)
"I decided then to push an exploration towards Vacqueville, a hamlet where I had lent my second bicycle to a worker and which he had promised to bring me back on Tuesdays (so on June 6). I therefore took the road of Formigny and passed the corners of Isles the first small road to the right. Between the two bends, backed by the slope, two Mongols (of the "OstTruppen" engaged as auxiliaries in the Wehrmacht) looked at the sun, their two small horses had been killed like them, but the beautiful red leather harness of Russia had already disappeared and no longer linked them to two small iron wheeled carts which served them to carry out the transport chores commanded to them.
Continuing my way, I arrived at the Vacqueville farm. She had burned and the house of our mantle also; in the rubble of her shed I saw the rusty remains of my bicycle.
Returning to my steps I pedaled on the road to Formigny, promising not to exceed the limit of the commune. At this precise place, at the wood of Saffray, a German armoured vehicle (probably a Marder assault gun of the 352nd "Panzerabteilung") was stopped by a projectile which had made a large hole in the place of the driver whose skeleton of the head was visible. The burning tank had been abandoned by the rest of its occupants, who were lying dead in the ditch when they left.
To my knowledge it was the only German armoured vehicle that managed to penetrate the territory of the three municipalities of Omaha-Beach after the D Day.
(Desiring to hear from the tasker, I repeat the same journey several days in a row. The next day, on Friday, June 9, the tank had disappeared and the two small wagons had disappeared; on Saturday, June 10, the horses were buried.
Sunday (11 June) the two Mongols always looked at the sun, but with their eyes without eyelids and worms groaning in their mouths without lips. Poor mercenaries who had lived only for their little horses and had committed themselves only to support them!
During the week I did not venture further south as we heard firing towards Trevières, still occupied by surrounded Germans; the fire of the warships continued and we heard large shells passing over our heads with a noise of torn cloth.)
I went back to our home to warn my mother that she would be without a man of day for a while and, wishing to complete my explorations, I entered the road to Saint Laurent."