There were actually two paratroopers hung up on steeples on the dark side of the church that night. I was fortunate enough to visit this church as well. Our tour guide told us the story of the “other” paratrooper. Nice kit regardless. Thank you for the overview.
The story as told by Mr. Ronald Drez was mainly about a Sgt. John Ray. Mr. Drez was a combat veteran, Author and Stephen Ambrose’s research assistant. The second paratrooper, whose name I can’t remember was closer to the ground. A German soldier had just walked around to the dark side of the church and was about to shoot the two defenseless troopers when Sgt. Ray landed on the small outbuilding next to the church. Ray tumbled off the roof and hit the ground. The German turned and shot Ray, mortally wounding him. The soldier then turned to finish off the other two but Sgt. Ray wasn’t dead yet. He pulled out his .45 and shot and killed the German. The trooper that was closer to the ground was able to free himself and get in the fight. That trooper went on to earn two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star through the end of the war. I can’t remember for sure, it could have been two Silver Stars and one Bronze Star. Mr. Drez told us this story in 2006 as part of a D-Day Museum history tour. I have often wondered how many men that trooper went on to save after this fateful event.
@@The_Male_Modeller yes, I hope to go there again sometime in the next couple of years and see the British sector and Canadian. We had a brilliant tour guide and hope to get him again.
I don't know where they filmed Sainte-Mère-Eglise in the movie 'The Longest Day' but the church is completely different, also the surrounding town looked completely different to this diorama. In the movie, the church is in the middle of the town surrounded by cobblestones and houses, there was no grass close to the church. It would be interesting to find out which is more accurate, but looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.
I did wonder about that trench. Did the Germans really desecrate a graveyard, and why? Who were they thinking would be attacking them that necessitate a trench there? IIRC you are right, although the church was in the centre of the town (ish), it is in a fairly open space. There was a large market square on one side. It is/was not the most densely built of towns, mostly houses down the main drag.
