Letter Letter from Leterrier Caen-23 June 44

7302
Letter from Fernand Leterrier (one of the mayor's sons) to Mr Poivre

(given by Mr. Poivre to our families on 1 January,^ir July 1944, during the marriage of François and Nicole)

CAEN, 23 June 1944

Dear Sir

I think you've been deprived of communication with Vierville since June 6.

I have just had some unexpected news of our poor country, but if it is hard for me to tell you, I assume you are eager to know what has happened.

But before any narration, I give you my source: Mr. Aristide Lefauconnier, a farmer in Deux-Jumeaux and especially his 23 year old son Paul. Two twins are 4 or 5 kilometers from Vierville, and also Mr. Lefauconier are reliable.

It was so ill-informed in Two Twins three days ago about the situation of the front, that Messrs Lefauconnier took the road on Tuesday morning to Caen in Simca, an American officer staying with a neighbour to them who had told them that Caen was taken and the road was free. They easily arrived at Bayeux, which they crossed without trouble, and without stopping. On their way, they almost met no one. But when they arrived 6 km from Caen, a German sentry stopped them and led them to his officer. In vain, they asked to turn around. They were only allowed to continue their journey to Caen. It was a coincidence that I met them at the Good Saviour or found myself a refugee for the entire health service of the city and also for many homeless families, in total a population of 4 to 5 thousand souls. I often had the opportunity to go there, having engaged me in the Passive Defense from the first bombardments.

Paul Lefauconier went to Vierville on Sunday, June 18. So what he said was that he saw or heard from the inhabitants themselves.

The landing took place on Tuesday, June 6 in Vierville, St-Laurent and Colleville around 9 a.m., by tanks and semi-amphib trucks that had to leave their barges with about a meter of water.

They climbed through the cliff under a ceiling of planes. The mines had to do some damage at first, but relatively little. The battle had to take place mainly in the country. Besides, I did not know the details and I retained mostly the negative results: military victims, in total about two thousand dead. Civilian victims, 4 dead: Mr Julien ELIE, the baker's little girlJacqueline LEROUX and his relative Pauline X., called Bouboule.^ndPaul LEFAUCONNIER did not know these people, he may still have made a mistake. I therefore give you this information with all the reservations. The material damage must be great, but I know only the main ones and those that touch us more closely.

As a machine gun was installed in the bell tower, it was shot down without forgiveness and must be a memory. The church itself had to suffer well.

The post was shot down by shells from a German navy in charge of keeping the crossroads and placed in Formigny.

The property of the Ygouf ‐ the house alone I suppose – was burned by the occupants before they left, as did your poor Than mansion.

Louis' house (Ormel) was set on fire by the Americans in order to dislodge German hypothetics. The other buildings in Ormel would have nothing.

The castle of Vierville would be intact.

My parents' house would have been a little damaged.

Besides, my brother. (Louis Leterrier, farmer at the Ormel) would have lost a horse and 15 or 30 cowsKilled or missing.

This damage is enormous, but I am still happy to know that his life and my parents' lives are safe.

The battle of Vierville would have lasted almost a day, while in Formigny there would have been little resistance. In Trevières, however, the fighting increased with violence: I could not know exactly what the material damage was. I only know that my friend CHAPRON's house (physician) and his neighbour's house Mr FEUTRY are about to be destroyed. That's all I know. Besides, there would be 17 civilian victims among whom Mr ANGELIN, the only name given to me, was given. I am therefore reassured about the fate of Mr and Mrs POMMER, because their name had been the first one to speak.

Marius CHAPRON who first went for death fortunately saved his life and his family.

In Longueville, there was no damage to the Babeurs. Miss Marthe Babeur was supposed to be in Vierville to see the landingrtSunday, June 18, with Paul Lefauconier.

I know, from the same source that we fought with grenade in Mr. Henri LENEVEU's house where you went with Dad.

Between La Cambe and OsmanrIn Cardonville, in a large farm, the white-armed men were beaten in the house before the farmers knew where to go and were reduced to hiding under the kitchen table. After the fight, they found five or six corpses in this room, and a hundred in the yard of the farm.

In Maisy: 23 civilians dead. In Isigny, 26 civilian victims, the ends of the city did not suffer but the center had to be subjected to aerial attacks and would be very damaged. I have reason to hope that our friends BOULAND were spared.

Beyond, towards the Channel, I know little else than that a landing took place in St Marie du Mont.

To Bayeux, I only know that troops landed in Port-Bessin which was very damaged, in Ver and in Arromanches. summer taken saI'm not gonna be a big deal. German troops, few having failedfighting took place in the castle, which was completely destroyed.

I do not know anything about Mosles. Mr Lefaunnier believes that there has been nothing; but I am not entirely reassured.

I hope to be set soon, because everything suggests that the road will be free in a short time. The British troops have overflowed the city to the southwest and south-east and ensnared it into threatening pits. So believe that the battle of Caen is virtually over although the original intention of the current occupants was first to defend the city house by house, until the last.
The aerial attack on Caen lasted as it were only two days but was extremely painful. The city is destroyed three quarters, but less because of the bombardments, which are severe than fires that have been lit during the first two weeks of its siege, all over the city.

The most painful thing was to witness the destruction of many neighborhoods and works of art without being able to do anything. The fire pumps were indeed several days, more than a week, without functioning, for various reasons: some pumps left in Rouen, others destroyed or damaged from the first bombardments, finally lack of water, and lack of pipe to take water to Orne, then lack of fuel, then lack of firefighters, mark of dynamite and permission to use it.

For the moment, we are living in relative calm, but a calm that no one appreciates. The unanimous desire would be to end even at the cost of new sacrifices, although from the food point of view the situation is not alarming at this time.

I think the newspapers in Paris have overstated the facts. streets, especially in the Church of St John, and devoured by dogs!! etc.

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ADVANCED

(Prepared in September 44 for information from the Hausermanns in Buenos Aires)

TOWN.‑ She got a shell. She's shaved from all her pointed roof up to the first floor ceiling.
CHATEAU.‑He received three small-calibre shells, one of them crossing the turret at the ceiling of the 2nd.^nd - I'm in the middle of a building.

The gable still holds but the frame has been moved and will have to be re-established. This can wait, because we found that the rain that penetrates does not wet the floor below. Another shell entered through a window of the billiard room, destroying the fireplace, the woodwork, the azulejos, a small corner of the ceiling, and making a hole in the mosaic.
One 3^nd shell broke the 2nd mansard^nd floor above the kitchen.êThere is no longer a has a hole in the hall floor and the aviages of the frame have suffered. For the rest of the roof the frame is intact, but a large number of, which made it a kind of After many difficulties, the cover comes d’êrepaired, and câThe water is now completely out of the water, except for the turret. All the big work has only someâts

Interior damage. 8 or 9 windows missing, all other closures evil, cremones torn out, unsealed gonds, deconsolidated embrasures. for the shutters that are all there, but all deconsolidated.The woodwork is usually intact except for 2 panels missing on a door in the dining room, and a bottom is not covered by the door.liend removed above the door The library and theminced in the dining room and library ayThe chimneys are damaged, marbles broken and blackened by fire. The staircase and wrought iron ramp are intact, but large pieces of the cloth have been torn off. All the paintings are to be done. Electrical installation is almost torn away everywhere. Installation of water, lack of taps and pipes; the bathtub and washbasins had been removed by us and parked in the barn of the presbytery where I think we will find them.
COMMON - The two pillars of the large gate are very damaged; the large gate has been found, very damaged; the bell has been stolen. The Pompon field has no fence. The wall of the counter-espalier is there with some murderers. The lawn behind it is high. There are about 1/4 of the trees of the wood and no slashes; 2 holes in the wall of the bottom.
TERRES - The entire west wall of the greasy ditch is razed and a road crosses it. The Brixard is also crossed by a road and is amputated with a good corner to enlarge the turn of the post; damaged fences. The upper part of the wood herbage is mined and the lower part is more than a vast esplanade partly emptied, more fences, the pond is completely filled.
PLAGEThe beach itself didn't suffering but There is nothing left of the villas and gardens. It is only a huge land that expands the boulevard de la mer. The casino and the houses of Legallois are razed.
VILLAGE. The church is almost completely destroyed, our parents' grave is intact, the cemetery has almost not suffered. The Than mansion is razed. The house of Ygouf and the house of Louis Leterrier are burned down.
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