VARAVILLE/PETITVILLE Calvados - 5 and 8 km south of Cabourg
A successful mission for Major Mac Leod
They were a bunch of parachutists of the Company C of the 1st Canadian Parachutist Battalion to achieve their mission on 6 June 1944 in Normandy. Major Murray Mac leod and his men underwent a bombing from the RAF south of Merville, fortunately without casualties. Around 1:00 a. m., they reached their objective : Varaville, where they must destroy a bridge. In the castle of Varaville they struck against a small German garrison, but the bridge was blown up and the next day the parachutists withdrew to the west. During more than two months Varaville and Petitville remained in the no man' s land, until 17 August when General Montgomery launched the Operation Paddle. The N°3 Commando under Lieutenant-Colonel Young liberated Petitville and Varaville, the Germans had evacuated the population mid-July.
   
 
 
 
1st Canadian Parachutist Bataillon monument
Varaville
Monument in memory of the 1st Canadian Parachutist Battalion (3rd brigade) of the 6th Airborne Division who fought in this area on the D-day. Entrenched in Le Mesnil they pushed back all German counter attacks.
Situation : in the town center, on the church place
 		   
     
 
N° 3 Commando stele
Petiville
Stele in memory of the N°3 Commando soldiers of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Lieutenant Colonel Young, They liberated Petitville on 17 August 1944.
Situation : in the town center, near the cemetary, facing the town hall
 

British Engineers stele
Varaville
Stele in memory of the Engineers of the 3rd Parachute Squadron and the 1st Canadian Parachutist Batallion who destroyed this bridge on 6 juin 1944.
Situation : at the eastern exit of the town at the edge of the D27 road
   
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
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion reenactment association web site
http://1canpara-hq.org/html/history.html
 
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