TROARN Calvados - 13 km east of Caen
The incredible odyssey of Major Roseveare
In the night of 6 June 1944 in Normandy the 8th Parachute Battalion dropped in the morning hours east of the river Orne in an area between Ranville, Bavent and Touffreville. Around 4:00 a. m. the parachutists gathered in front of Troarn. Major Roseveare embarked with a small group in a jeep and its trailer. The team crossed the town under German fire which by a miracle did not hit the explosives packed into the trailer. Reaching the bridge in Troarn the paras blew it up quickly and withdrew toward Le Mesnil. The front line stabilised until 18 July when the Allied forces launched the Offensive Goodwood east of Caen, but Troarn was not taken. It was only on 17 August that the 41th Royal Marine Commando entered in Troarn evacuated by the Germans in retreat.
  
     
   
 
     
 
3rd Parachute squadron Royal engineers plaque
Plaque dedicated to the men of the 3rd Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers who destroyed several bridges over the river Dives on 6 June 1944.
Situation : on the tourist office wall, in the town center
  		 
  Major Roseveare stele
stele recalling the action of Major Roseveare's unit who destroyed this bridge on the river Dives on 6 June 1944.
Situation : on the N175 road, at the eastern gate of the town
 
ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES

Calvados departmental tourism office web site
http://www.calvados-tourisme.com/
Personal web site about Combined Operations Special Troops
http://www.combinedops.com/Combined_Ops_index.htm
Personal web site about D-day
http://www.6juin1944.com/
Personal web site about the 6th Airborne Division
http://6th-airborne.org
 
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