I asked Henk to post the new forum picture for me in the hope that someone might possibly have a better copy with a higher resolution. I want to try and identify the location so that we can visit it on a ride out on the NOBS tour in 2018. Any assistance in identifying the location would be very much appreciated. Thanks also to Henk for agreeing to post it as the forum picture. I hope you all have a great Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Best wishes, John Tinley

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

Well the sign says Caen. But it's a big city much rebuilt since operation Goodwood :confused: Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

sign would suggest the armour is coming south away from Caen. Caen looks to be 47kms away

Looks like a 3 figure N number on the Michelin sign, looking on older Michelin maps the N158 ran south to Falaise which is 47kms from Caen, so that might give a starting point?

Shame a higher res cannot be got for the sign.

Those houses do not have enough damage to be near Caen.

Only other 3 digit RN through Caen is 175 which ran east west.

I think the sign says Villers Bocage + Caen, could it be the N175 or N177?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Max asked me to put this here :wink:

48°55'47.0"N 0°48'32.6"W

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Well done Max !

email (option): garys339@hotmail.com

The photo has been taken at what is now the crossing of the D577A and D56 roads, looking in North-Easterly direction towards the towns of Villers-Bocage and Caen.

Coordinates according to Google are 48°55'47.0"N and 0°48'32.6"W

This photo can also be found under IWM B 8487.
The IWM information says: made in Saint-Charles-de-Percy, France on August 2nd, 1944 by Sgt Laing of the No.5 Army Film and Photographic Unit.
This location according to IWM is misleading, as the photo was not made in this village, but about 2 km from there at the crossing. But apparently the name of the village Saint-Charles-de-Percy was then on a sign on the crossing (as it still is today). So Sgt Laing may have noted this for his records as being the nearest identifiable location.

@JohnT, I hope you guys will have a nice tour this summer and of course we would appreciate a picture of you taken at this same spot.

Regards,
MaxF

Good evening Happy Christmas to all,Could this picture be taken on the Rue de Pasteur in Villers Bocage ,I am wrong have just seen Max's Post

Max, wonderful, thank you. I was sure one of you chaps on the forum with a 8 1/2 hat size would know the answer but I’m genuinely surprised how quickly The answer came up. Many thanks, JT

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

That's not far from nigel hay , (milweb) I live on the 924 when in france not far from st sauveur,that was taken by the yanks on my birthday 17 august lots of history, max, well researched,

email (option): warbikes@gmail ditt cumm, work it out folks

It was a real pleasure to try and find this spot, and a far better after-dinner pastime on Christmas Eve than the annual quiz in the local newspaper…

Actually, the current forum picture (part of IWM B 8488) was also taken by Sgt Laing on the same day, August 2nd, 1944 at roughly the same spot as the picture in the posts above. For this photo Laing turned his camera about 90 degrees to the left, so now we are looking in north-westerly direction. However, when comparing to Google this view has changed dramatically over the years. The orchard in the background has been cut and replaced by some sort of shed. And behind the orchard, just aft of the third Sherman, is now the bypass in the D577 main road.

Apart from the roads all that has remained from this picture (according to Google) is the concrete telegraph pole on the left, where the WM20 is leaning to. And I guess the presence of that bike is the reason why Henk likes this picture so much. :relaxed:

There are more photos known that have been taken around this location on the same day. These indicate that the chaps on this photo are not having their afternoon tea break, but presumably wait to cross the Souleuvre river during the advance to the town of Vire.

Regards,
Max

Hi Max,
like you I also spent some time looking for this location, if you like a challenge, see the link below, another Normandy photo, that the Wheatcroft collection are trying to locate, there are plenty of details in the photo and in the link, the photo appears to be looking north-ish looking at the shadows, with wooded high ground behind the village.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=940612&page=2

Regards Gary

email (option): garys339@hotmail.com

That’s a nice one, Gary. And quite a brainteaser.
Reading what effort has already been put into it, I doubt if I could crack this one. But I will give it a try.

Regards,
MaxF

Is that photo really Normandy with those steep rough-hewn stone roofs ? Not Alsace or half way up Italy ?