Normandy - item #1, church where care was given

[a425couple]

One year ago today, we had the great pleasure of doing
the Bayeux shuttle Normandy tour, D Day tour, of Normandy Beaches
http://www.bayeuxshuttle.com/d-daygrouptour-american.htm
http://www.bayeuxshuttle.com/american-tours.htm

One of the many interesting sites we visited is described here:
http://www.normandythenandnow.com/the-scars-of-angoville-au-plain/
The scars of Angoville-au-Plain
"On the night of 5/6 June the 101st Airborne division parachuted in behind
Utah beach. One objective was to destroy a route essential to the German
forces, the Cherbourg to Paris road near tiny Angoville-au-Plain.
Surrounded by the infamous 'bocage', a flattened countryside that hid bogs,
dips and snipers, Angoville became the centre of intense battle before being
briefly captured by the Americans.
Two medics of 'Screaming Eagle' 101st Airborne, Robert Wright and
Kenneth Moore, with Lieutenant Ed Allworth, quickly went into action
setting up an aid station inside the 11th century church at
Angoville-au-Plain.
They braved open countryside to search for the injured, taking them back to
the church to carry out life saving aid.

The battle intensifies
Shortly afterwards the Americans were forced to withdraw from the
village. As the battle intensified Lt Allworth left the medics, aware
that as a soldier if he stayed he would endanger the medics, and those
in their care.

Kenneth Moore described that first evening:
"By the evening we had 75 of them (wounded personnel and one local
infant, in the church). Our own folk had come to tell us that they could
not stay any longer. So we we're left with the wounded. A German
Officer soon arrived and asked if I could tend to his wounded too.
We accepted. During the night the churchyard was the scene of another
battle.
Two of our casualties died. But among those I could tend, none lost their
lives. I tended all sorts of wounds, some were skin deep but others were
more serious abdominal cases."
The battle for Angoville-au-Plain raged around the church for three days,
with possession lurching back and forth between the two sides.
At one stage German troops forced their way in, but seeing the medics were
impartially treating injured from both sides, withdrew and placed the
international symbol of medical aid on the church door. The red cross flag.

A mortar hit the building causing further injuries but the medics struggled
on.
To their shock on 7 June two German observers surrendered to them, after
hiding all that time in the church tower!
By 8 June the battle was finally over

At the above site, you can see pictures of a stained glass window
in the church,
"Inside the Church the shattered glass has been replaced, thanks to kind
donations, and remembers the bravery of 101st Airborne Division. The
windows illustrating parachutists, and of course an eagle, are unlike any
we have seen before in a Normandy church."
and the still blood stained church pew.

> Angoville-Au-Plain
> Situated approximately 5 miles from Carentan, the small village of
> Angoville-Au-Plain witnessed heavy fighting between the German
> Paratroopers and American Paratroopers that dropped close by at dropzone
> D.
> You will learn about the overall plan for the American forces on D-Day and
> then the heart warming story of two Airborne Medics. Kenneth Moore and
> Robert Wright displayed not only courage but also humanity during the
> desperate struggle to take this small area of Normandy.
> Please note that we stop here for around 30 minutes. Restrooms are
> available at this location.