In the work Cliff, live and rebuild, published by the Falaise heritage association in November 2024, we can see Guibray under the snow, during the winter of 1944. This photo unearthed by the volunteers of the association, including Katia Guyomard, the president, is illuminated by the quote from Paul German in the history of Falaise: “So began this long, this terrible winter of 1944-1945, the most painful of the entire war”.
Falaise, and more broadly the whole of Calvados, has been free since August 1944 and the end of the Battle of Normandy. But the residents have not finished paying the consequences. The bombings left ruins. Life in the barracks is not made easier by this harsh weather.
What memories remain of this period?
What traces did this period leave in the collective memory? This is what we would like to know. But beyond the history books, we are looking for testimonies from those who remember this time in the Calvados department. via this form.
If you would like to share your memories of the reconstruction, or have your grandparents or great-grandparents testify in our columns, you can also contact the editorial staff at [email protected]. You can click here, if the form is not displayed.
