Without a doubt one of the best military museums in the Normandy region. If you’re an airborne collector, the D-Day Experience is a must see.
5 June 1944. Lt. Col. Robert Lee “Bull” Wolverton, CO 3/506 PIR, checking his gear before boarding the C-47 “Dakota”, 8Y-S, “Stoy Hora” of the 98th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group at an airfield in Exeter, England. Original US Army press release photograph colourised by Johnny Sirlande.
On the evening of 5 June 1944, Lt. Col. Robert Lee “Bull” Wolverton, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, gathered his men in an orchard adjacent to what is now Exeter airport, and said:
“Men, I am not a religious man and I don’t know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask his blessing in what we are about to do.
“God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world.
“We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right.
“Oh Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.”
Then, his ‘stick’ of 15 paratroopers boarded a C-47 “Dakota”, nicknamed “Stoy Hora” for the flight to France. The invasion of Normandy had begun. But, within hours of that famous speech, Wolverton (aged 30) was dead. His feet had not even touched French soil. He was killed by ground fire around 00:30 hrs and left suspended by his parachute in an apple tree just north of Saint-Côme-du-Mont.
Paratroopers of the 506th PIR prepare for their flight aboard the C-47, 8Y-S ‘Stoy Hora’ at Exeter airfield. 05 June 1944. Of the 15 paratroopers in the ‘stick’ that flew in this aircraft, 5 were killed in action on D-Day, 8 were captured and 2 were missing in action. Photo colourised by Paul Reynolds
In 2015, Dead Man’s Corner Museum curators Emmanuel Allain and Michel De Trez, opened the next section of their museum in a large hangar just behind the original Dead Man’s Corner building. Previously called the D-Day Paratrooper Historical Center, the now renamed D-Day Experience encompasses both museums. Co-curator, Belgian collector, historian and owner of D-Day Publishing, Michel De Trez is well known in the collecting fraternity. He is the author of several collector reference books on WW2 US airborne equipment, assisting Steven Spielberg with Saving Private Ryan and the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. This second exhibition space reflects those interests and looks at the campaign from the perspective of the US paratroopers.
The D-Day Experience Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Upon entering the museum, visitors are briefed by a 3D hologram of Lt. Col. Wolverton at an airfield in Exeter on the day before the invasion. They then board the “Stoy Hora”, a C-47 Dakota of the 98th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group for the ‘flight’ across the English Channel to Drop Zone D, south of Vierville on the Cotentin (Cherbourg) Peninsula.
C-47, 8Y-S ‘Stoy Hora’ flight simulator that ‘transports’ visitors to the drop zones of the Cotentin Peninsula in the D-Day Experience. Photo: Julian Tennant
General Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses American paratroopers from E Co. 502nd PIR, on the afternoon before D-Day. The paratrooper with the number 23 around his neck is Lt Wallace C. Strobel who was the jumpmaster for that aircraft number in the packet. U.S. Army photograph. No. SC 194399
Insignia detail on the jacket of 2nd Lt George N. Wirtanen. 304th Troop Carrier Sqn, 442nd Troop Carrier Group. Photo: Julian Tennant
Pilot of the IX Troop Carrier Pathfinder Group just before departing England. Photo: Julian Tennant
Sgt. Joseph F. Gorenc from Sheboygen, Wisconsin, the assistant S3 of HQ/3, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division climbing aboard the lead transport aircraft C-47 Dakota 8Y-S “Stoy Hora” of the 440th Troop Carrier Group at RAF Exeter Airfield, Devon, UK on the night of 5/6th June 1944. Sgt. Gorenc was taken prisoner on June 8th at St. Côme-du-Mont and reported as MIA. He escaped from a Prison train on 20 July and he was in action again at ‘Operation Market Garden’. Photo: US Signal Corps.
Thompson sub-machinegun and copy of ‘Yank’ magazine featuring Sgt. Joseph F. Gorenc of HQ/3, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division climbing aboard the lead transport aircraft C-47 Dakota 8Y-S “Stoy Hora” of the 440th Troop Carrier Group at RAF Exeter Airfield, Devon, UK on the night of 5 June 1944. Photo: Julian Tennant
The seven minute ‘flight’ in the “Stoy Hora” is a great introduction to the exhibition space. Whilst, I am more of an ‘old-school’ kind of guy, more interested in examining original artifacts, the ride was a nice entry point which definitely appealed to the missus and the other visitors on board the simulator with us, particularly those with kids. The idea was born out of the Band of Brothers when Spielberg had transformed a real C-47 into a studio-space for the making of the series. The result is a high-tech simulator with 3D window screens, sound and amplified movements as the aircraft departs England for the bumpy ride, avoiding flak as it crosses into France to deposit its passengers into the exhibition space.
Unfortunately in real life, Lt. Colonel Wolverton did not survive his jump, he was killed by ground fire and left suspended by his parachute in an apple tree just north of Saint-Côme-du-Mont. The exhibition, however continues in his voice. He describes the men, their training, fears and (as all paratroopers would know, sense of immortality, giving a very human and somewhat sobering perspective to the exhibits.
The white scarf and armband identify this paratrooper as a member of the 3rd Battalion 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Photo: Julian TennantPfc. Jack N. “Hawkeye” Womer. HQ Co. 506 PIR. 101 Abn Div. A member of the ‘Filthy 13’, Jack landed in a swamp near St-Come-du-Mont and after extracting himself would end up fighting with the 501st PIR at Hell’s Corner. Photo: Julian Tennant.
Pfc. Jack N. “Hawkeye” Womer. HQ Co. 506 PIR. 101 Abn Div. A member of the ‘Filthy 13’, Jack landed in a swamp near St-Come-du-Mont and after extracting himself would end up fighting with the 501st PIR at Hell’s Corner. Photo: Julian Tennant.
Paratroopers Clarence C. Ware and Charles R. Plaudo from HQ Co. 506 PIR. 101 Abn Div, painting each other’s faces on the afternoon of June 5, 1944. This phot was printed in Stars and Stripes, and helped form the legend of “The Filthy Thirteen. US National Archives Accession Number: 111-SC-193551
Sleeve from the jacket worn by Pfc. Jack N. “Hawkeye” Womer, one of the legendary ‘filthy 13’ of HQ Co. 506 PIR. The sleeve is from the actual jacket he can be seen wearing in Carentan in the photo on the caption panel. He decided to keep the sleeve as a souvenir of his first combat experience. The signalling ‘cricket’ (no.2) also belonged to Womer, whilst the glove (no.3) belonged to another member of the ‘filthy 13, Pfc. John Agnew. Photo: Julian Tennant
Pathfinder of the 82nd Airborne Division. These men jumped in to mark the DZ northwest of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, one hour after the 101st drop. At the time there were around 300 qualified pathfinders and according to the caption, the Pathfinder camo suit that this individual is wearing is the only original of its type left in the world. Photo: Julian Tennant
An example of the exhibit captions, written in the voice of Lt. Col. Wolverton. This one featuring the Pathfinder brevet of Captain Frank L. Lillyman of I Co., 3rd Bn, 502nd PIR. Lillyman was the first American paratrooper to hit French soil. Photo: Julian Tennant
US Airborne Pathfinder qualification badge. Photo: Julian Tennant
The layout of the museum is superb, captions are bilingual (French/English), making it easy to navigate with good contextualisation of the content. For decades prior to the opening of Dead Man’s Corner Museum and the D-Day Experience, Michel de Trez had been travelling to the USA, interviewing and cultivating relationships with US Airborne veterans. This long-term engagement with the subjects of the museum has resulted in exhibits that are both unique and personal. Visitors can view objects and also discover the identities of the soldiers that used them. Unsurprisingly there are several items attributed to Dick Winters and his ‘Band of Brothers’ of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, but also several other unique pieces such as a leather jacket worn by General Eisenhower, items from Pfc. Jack N. “Hawkeye” Womer, one of the legendary “Filthy 13” and a jacket worn by 1st Lt. Wallace C. Strobel who featured in the famous pre-invasion press photo talking to Ike just prior to boarding the aircraft.
Leather jacket worn by General Eisenhower whilst a 4 star General from 1943 until December 1944. Note the rank insignia detail. Photo courtesy of the D-Day Experience management team.
Nose of a Waco CG-4A of the 434th Troop Carrier Group piloted by Lt. Col. Michael C. Murphy as part of a 52 glider flight serial named “Chicago” which carried the only 101st Airborne Division glider troops to enter the battle via glider on the morning of 6 June 1944. Photo: Julian Tennant
Detail of a Waco CG-4A glider that has been stripped of it’s canvas skin to reveal the support struts, control cables and cargo of the glider. Photo: Julian Tennant
US 101st Abn Division paratrooper and C-47 Dakota transport crew member. Photo: Julian Tennant
M42 paratrooper jacket of Maj. Richard D. “Dick” Winters, CO of the 2nd Battalion, 506 PIR. Photo: Julian Tennant
Jacket of Maj. Richard D. “Dick” Winters, CO of the 2nd Battalion, 506 PIR. Photo: Julian Tennant
Pathfinders of the 101st Airborne Division. Photo: Julian Tennant
Display featuring objects belonging to Francis L. Sampson, the 501st PIR’s “Parachuting Padre”. Photo: Julian Tennant
Various uniform and personal items belonging to paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division at the D-Day Experience museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Waco CG-4A Glider pilot. Photo: Julian TennantDetail of the jacket belonging to Lt James C. Cox. 1st Pl, C Co. 326th Airborne Engineer Bn. His parachutist badge features both the ‘invasion arrowhead’ and combat jump star. Photo: Julian TennantParachute badge with rigger’s “R” worn by Staff Sgt. Russell F. Weishing leader of the parachute maintenance & rigger section of the 1st Platoon, C Company, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion. Photo: Julian Tennant
Exhibit detail at the D-Day Experience Museum, Normandy, France. Photo: Julian Tennant
American paratrooper James Flanagan (2nd Platoon, C Co, 1-502nd PIR), among the first to make successful landings on the continent, holds a Nazi flag captured in a village assault. Marmion Farm at Ravenoville, Utah Beach, France. 6 June 1944. Source: US-Army history images
The selection of exhibit material supported by good informative (and at times blunt) explanations makes this a really engaging museum for collectors. If your interest is airborne militaria, I suggest setting aside at least half a day to visit both exhibitions on the site. If you have a car, the museum’s Historical Trail map outlines a 40km circuit featuring 13 key sites in the battle for Carentan and takes about 3 hours to cover. When combined with the time spent at the museum, this is a good one day itinerary for the area. But, regardless, if you are planning to visit Normandy, the D-Day Experience should be high on your agenda, it is, in my opinion, the outstanding museum that I visited on my trip, surpassing even the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Eglise, which was another ‘must see’ and will be covered in the near future.
D-Day Experience
2 Vierge de l’Amont
50500 Carentan les Marais
France
Open: Every day. From October to March, the museum is open from 10h00 till 18h00 (the ticket office closes at 17h00). From April to September, the museum is open from 9h30 till 19h00.
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D-Day Experience Historical Trail map covering 13 key sites related to the fight to secure Carentan. It can be downloaded from the museum website, see the main body text above for the link.
The Dead Man’s Corner Museum at Saint-Côme-du-Mont focuses its attention on the German paratroopers who used the building as their Regimental Command Post and first aid station at the time of D-Day invasion. For those interested in the exploits of the fallschirmjägers this is one of the best museums that you’re likely to find.
Dead Man’s Corner Museum. The two B&W photographs show the knocked out M5 Stuart tank commanded by Lt. Walter T. Anderson whose body was slumped over the turret for several days during the fighting.
Situated at a strategic intersection on the route to Carentan, Dead Man’s Corner Museum takes its name from the name given to the crossroads after the first US tank to reach this point was knocked out by a Panzerfaust fired by 19 year-old German paratrooper, Bruno Hinz in the early morning of 7 June 1944. Hinz’s Panzerfaust hit the rear side of the turret killing all four crew members immediately. The crew commander, Lt. Walter T. Anderson, who was standing upright in the hatch fell forward and was left slumped over the turret where he remained for several days until his body could be recovered. The Germans had previously removed all the road signs to confuse any advancing troops and so the intersection was referred to as “the corner with the dead man on the tank” but was soon shortened to “dead man’s corner”. Lt Anderson who served with the 80th Tank Battalion, is buried in the St Laurent cemetery.
Overlooking the intersection is the building which has remained little changed since 1944 and is now the home to the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. At the time of the invasion it was used as the Regimental Command Post and first aid station for the paras of the German Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 commanded by Major Friederich-August von der Heydte.
Major Friederich-August “The Baron” von der Heydte, commanding officer of the 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment during the battle for Normandy. Von der Heydte initially joined the army but after being promoted to Hauptmann, in May 1940, he transferred to the Luftwaffe, joining the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment as one of its company commanders. He commanded the 1st battalion of the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment during the Battle of Crete in May 1941 and his battalion was the first to enter Canea, for which he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. He went on to serve in Russia, North Africa and Italy before being given command of the newly formed 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division in January 1944. Interestingly, he is not wearing his Luftwaffe parachutist badge in this picture.“Green Devils” in Normandy, June 1944. The average age of the German paratrooper in Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 at the time of D-Day was seventeen and a half years old.
Portrait of a Fallschirmjäger with MP-40. France 1944. Photo: Höss Bundesarchiv Accession Number: Bild 101I-680-8254-10A 101I-680-8254-10A
German paratrooper with Fallschirmjäger-Gewehr 42 (FJG 42) and stickgrenades. France. June 1944. Photo: Arthur Grimm. Source: Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-738-0289-18
Fallschirmjäger resting in Normandy. June 1944. Photo: Slickers. Bundesarchiv Accession Number: Bild 101I-586-2225-11A
The museum, which is co-located with the excellent D-Day Experience (the subject of next week’s post) concentrates on the German paras as seen through the eyes of Major von der Heydte. Upon entering the museum, the visitor is thrown into his chaotic command post exactly as it would have appeared on the morning of the 6th of June 1944. Co-curator, Emmanuel Allain explained that when setting up the museum they spoke to the grandson of the Marie family who owned the house and had lived there in 1944. With his help they recreated the rooms as they were at the time, including details such as the family portraits, damaged painting, grandfather clock and other specific furniture.
Dead Man’s Corner Museum exhibit displaying Major von der Heydte, commanding officer of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 and members of his command group, in the room that he used as his command post during the fighting around Saint-Côme-du-Mont. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Museum exhibit displaying Major von der Heydte, commanding officer of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 in the room that he used as his command post during the fighting around Saint-Côme-du-Mont on the 6th of June 1944. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 Regimental Command Post exhibit detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 Regimental Command Post exhibit detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 Regimental Command Post exhibit detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 Regimental Command Post exhibit detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 first aid station in the kitchen of the Marie House, which later became the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 first aid station exhibit detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner Museum Regimental Command Post detail. Photo: Julian Tennant
Radio room of the Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 Regimental Command Post in the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
The Marie family left the house at noon when the kitchen (the second room display) was commandeered as a first aid post to supplement the main aid station downstairs in the basement and the rooms are a faithful reproduction of what they looked like at that time. The attention to detail is such that many of the faces of the mannequins on display were modeled on participants who were present at the time. To say it is an impressive setup would be an understatement, as an airborne collector who has had a fascination with the German paras since I was a boy, I was overwhelmed by the number of Fallschirmjäger artifacts on display. Upstairs the exhibits include even more German para uniforms, helmets, insignia and equipment but also some of the other German units plus several American objects, many of which have been donated by veterans of the battle.
Fallschirmjäger weapons including a rare Fallschirmjäger-Gewehr 42 (FG 42) assault rifle and paratrooper issue gravity knives. The Fallschirmjäger-Gewehr 42 was captured by Sgt. Louis A. Frey, a scout for the regimental S-2 section of the 2nd Battalion 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, who jumped on Saint-Côme-du-Mont on the 6th of June 1944. Photo: Julian Tennant
American uniforms and captured flag on display at Dead Man’s Corner Museum, Normandy, France. Photo: Julian Tennant
German Luftwaffe para helmet with wire camouflage net on display at Dead Man’s Corner Museum, Normandy, France. Photo: Julian Tennant
German paratrooper helmet and stick grenades on display at Dead Man’s Corner Museum, Normandy, France. Photo: Julian Tennant
German paratrooper on display at Dead Man’s Corner Museum, Normandy, France. Photo: Julian Tennant
Returning downstairs and adjoining the museum, is Paratrooper, a shop almost as large as the museum itself which sells both authentic and reproduction militaria. The shop is really impressive, although I must admit that I found some of the prices for the original pieces to be more expensive than what collectors would usually expect to pay. Fortunately, I did not find any insignia that I ‘had to have’ for my collection as I had already picked up some quite rare badges in Paris a few days before, but I was tempted.
The ‘Paratrooper’ shop. Photo: Julian Tennant
The ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
The ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
The ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Reproduction uniform for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Reproduction items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
US 101st Airborne patch for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop. Photo: Julian Tennant
Items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
A selection of the original items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Original US and Allied items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
German insignia for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Reproduction German caps for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
WW2 period cigarettes for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Reproduction items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Plastic German MP 40’s for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Original USAAF wings for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Original German paratrooper gravity knives for sale Reproduction items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
A selection of Allied items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Reproduction items for sale in the ‘Paratrooper’ shop at the Dead Man’s Corner Museum. Photo: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner, was the first of the museums that I visited during my trip to Normandy and already I felt that my expectations had been exceeded… and that was before I had even walked the 50 meters to the next building, the D-Day Experience for the American perspective. But that is the subject of my next post.
Luftwaffe Paratroop badge in my collection. This example was made by the C.E. Juncker company. Instituted on 5 November 1936, the recipient needed to undertake the parachute course, completing the 6 training jumps to qualify for the award. Collection: Julian Tennant
Dead Man’s Corner 3 Vierge de l’Amont 50500 Carentan les Marais France
Open: Every day. From October to March, the museum is open from 10h00 till 18h00 (the ticket office closes at 17h00). From April to September, the museum is open from 9h30 till 19h00.
If you like what you see here, please FOLLOW this page via email or by using either the buttons below or in the column on the right and feel free to contact me here, via email or by visiting my Facebook or Instagram pages.
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