Warbird Information Exchange

OK...you asked for it. Just to clarify, our tour went from Belgium to Luxembourg to Germany.


This is the town square, in Bastogne, in1944. The tall building is now the Giorgi restaurant. A very good restaurant in the center of town.


This is a Km marker. Patton had one of these placed every Km from *St Mere-Eglise to Bastogne. This is the last one. It's on the town square. *Starting point corrected for me by FAFG-xav. Merci!


A memorial, (one of many) to Easy Co. IF you look closely, second and third from the top, you'll see a couple of familiar names on it.


A memorial to the 2nd Inf. Div.


The back of the 2nd Inf. Div. Memorial. I found the inscription very poignant.


One of the MANY memorials to Georgy Patton. They're everywhere. This was in a really hard to get to place. This picture was taken just after the workmen finished moving it to a more accessible spot. A piece at a time, obviously. They had just gone to lunch and we were able to get up close to it. As you can see, it needs a bit of cleaning up.


The Malmedy massacre happened just beyond that hill. It was actually near a town by the name of Baugnez. Baugnez was so small that it wasn't on their maps so they referred to the location by the name of the larger town, Malmedy.


This is the site of the Bodarwe cafe where some of the American prisoners ran to and tried to hide when the Germans started killing. The Germans set the place on fire and shot the guys when they ran out. It's, obviously, been rebuilt and is a private residence.


Shrine to the victims of the massacre.


Entrance to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg.


My favorite uncle.


No explanation needed.


We all know this guy.


And this guy.


Some of the "Dragon's Teeth" (tank traps) along the Siegfried Line. This one got rooted out by a large artillery shell hit.


More "Dragon's Teeth". These went on for 390 miles.


These are some that had been covered by the bulldozer tanks. They are actually about 5' high from the base. The ground has just eroded away around them.


Gives you an idea of the size of these "Teeth". Lin's 5'2".


Look closely. You'll see this guy's fence is topped with unexploded artillery shells. This is actually in Germany.


Last but not least, a King Tiger. This sucker is HUGE. I stood beside it and stretched my arm up (that's 8') and still didn't reach the top of the turret. I'm sure it was more than a bit unnerving to meet one of these.

There are NO memorials like these in Germany. Only the remains of pill boxes and bunkers and there are plenty of those.

Hope you liked 'em

Mudge the traveler

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Land of the free because of the brave

thank you Mudge! wonderful pictures

Great Stuff ! Did you have a tour guide or just wing it?

Please post more pictures.

Jiggers the curious.

Hey Mudge,

thank you for sharing those photos. I appreciate you sharing your trip with us. It must have been quite fascinating while at the same time quite haunting to be in some of those locations. Years ago I went to an allied cemetery in Arnhem, it is was eye opening to say the least. It was beautifully kept, and had the head stones of many young men that perished in the battles. Obviously a lot of them were quite young, but at the time I was 18 and seeing some 17 and even 16 year old soldiers final resting places... was very sobering.

Thanks again,

David M

Thanks, Mudge. Well done and interesting.

Michael the enlightened

Great photos, I'd love to go on that tour someday.

very nice, thanks

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Did you visit the Bastogne Historical Center?
How about the German cemetary just down the road from the one in Luxemburg?

I visited the Luxemburg Cemetary on New Years day in 1988(?) with a coating of frost on everything reminding you of what these men went through. I got chills being there and not from the cold weather.

Our tour guide was Henri Mignon. Recommended by Paul and Meriam Woodage at Battlebus.
Henri was 8 years old when the battle started. He grew up around Bastogne and knows the area like it was his own yard.
His father (a "woodsman" as he calls it) was killed during the action.
He's only a year younger than I am. He seemed to take to us as we knew more about the battle than most of his customers and he could relate facts that others might not understand. He took us to places that large groups can't go because they're too small to get tour buses in and out of. Henri is fluent in English, German, Flemish, and Luxembourgish, (Yes, that what it's called.) and maybe a few others.

Yes, we went to the Historical Center and the German Cemetery.

I particularly liked him because he drives like I do. Pedal to the metal. I'll post some more pictures when the blurriness in my eyes clears up. You can only look at this screen for so long.

Mudge the bleary eyed

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Land of the free because of the brave

Thanks for sharing these Mudge. It's hard to imagine the violence that took place in these small towns and pastures. It's hard to put in perspective, even when you are there in person.

jim

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www.spiritof44.com

Thanks for sharing those with us.

Powerful stuff. This ties right in with Pat Carries visit to the Somme trenches, kinda makes you think doesn't it?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I would like to do a tour like that someday.

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

just for the info, the km markers of the "path of freedom" ("La voie de la liberté") don't start in Paris but in Ste Mère Eglise, in Normandy.

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Thanks, Mudge. Looking forward to more.

I just did Gettysburg last week. I had the same thoughts while standing at the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge..

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto