Figure 1.--This is a colorized image of the Signal Corps black and white photograph on the previos page. We are fascinated by modern colorization technology. It seems to have a more accurate a caption. "French women and children pose with US Army soldiers in Saint Laurent sur Mer, one of the villages directly off of Omaha beach. This photo shows Private John Livingstone (without a helmet) holding little Gilbert Desclos, a 7 year old orphan living in the village. The soldier wearing a helmet is Private Donald Sheneman, 19 years old in this photo, of the 302nd Military Police Escort Guard Company holding an 8 year old girl named Georgette Godes, a refugee who had fled to Normandy to live with her grandmother in Saint Laurent sur Mer. This photograph was taken when Madame Godes was doing laundry for the soldiers camped around her home. One day the water pump broke and two American soldiers showed up to fix it, when they arrived a war correspondent who was passing by asked them to stop and smile for a picture with the children in their arms. This photo resurfaced for the 50 year anniversary of D-Day and resulted in the three surviving members of this photograph, Donald, Georgette and Gilbert meeting again in 1996, 52 years later."

Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy. The villafe is located just inland from what we now know as Omaha Beach. It is just west of Vierville Sur-Mer. Saint Laurent sur Mer was the site of a British Commando raid - Operation Curlew (January 1942). Much more important of course was the D-Day landings. Omaha was the key beach because it turned a narrow lodgement into an expansive one. After the bloody beach fighting, at about 4:00 pm, the Americans began the 'E-1' exit of the Ruquet toward Saint Laurent sur Mer. By nightfall, however, the Germans still held the village. They set up a line of defense at the height of Les Fossés Taillis. The 3rd battalion of the 115th IR commanded by Major Victor P. Gillespie in the morning seized Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer (June 7). The last Germans were driven out. The Americans had the support of naval artillery. The Germans failed to bring up needed reinforcements. The Americans by 9:00 am were in complete control of the village and began attacking toward Vierville-sur-Mer. Bringing in reenforcements and supplies was critical. The installation of a breakwater line (codenamed “Gooseberry 2”) in front of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer began and continues until 12 June. It was part of the construcyion of Mulberry A. This is a colorized image of the Signal Corps black and white photograph on the previos page. We are fascinated by modern colorization technology. It seems to have a more accurate a caption. "French women and children pose with US Army soldiers in r, one of the villages directly off of Omaha beach. This photo shows Private John Livingstone (without a helmet) holding little Gilbert Desclos, a 7 year old orphan living in the village. The soldier wearing a helmet is Private Donald Sheneman, 19 years old in this photo, of the 302nd Military Police Escort Guard Company holding an 8 year old girl named Georgette Godes, a refugee who had fled to Normandy to live with her grandmother in Saint Laurent sur Mer. This photograph was taken when Madame Godes was doing laundry for the soldiers camped around her home. One day the water pump broke and two American soldiers showed up to fix it, when they arrived a war correspondent who was passing by asked them to stop and smile for a picture with the children in their arms. This photo resurfaced for the 50 year anniversary of D-Day and resulted in the three surviving members of this photograph, Donald, Georgette and Gilbert meeting again in 1996, 52 years later."

Created: 2:39 PM 9/6/2019
Last updated: 2:39 PM 9/6/2019