Liberty Road

Liberty Road is the commemorative way marking the victorious route of the Allies, after D-Day in June 1944. It starts in Sainte-Mère-Église, in the Manche département in Basse-Normandie, France, travels across Northern France to Metz and then Northwards to end in Bastogne, on the border of Luxembourg and Belgium. At each of the 1,446 kilometres, there is a stone marker or 'Borne'. The first lies outside the town hall in Ste Mere Église.

History

After the momentous events of June 1944, Guy de la Vasselais conceived a grandiose memorial to the Liberation, the "Voie de la Liberté".

It follows one of a number of routes taken by the allied forces, during the Second World War. The chosen route was certainly one of the most glorious, following the penetration by General George S. Patton and celebrates his historic cavalcade, which travelled from Normandy to Metz.

The opening of "Liberty Road", when it was finally finished, took place on 18 September 1947, at Fontainebleau, France.

Route

These are the towns, villages and notable places along the route:
* Sainte-Mère-Église (liberated during the nights of 5 and 6 June, it is the starting point marked by the first kilometre 'borne'.
* Utah Beach
* Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche is the town where the first German blockhouse was taken.
* Neuville-au-Plain was the first village liberated by the U.S. paratroopers.
* Montebourg liberated on 19 June 1944.
* Cherbourg liberated on 26 June 1944.
* Carentan liberated on 12 June 1944.
* Pont-Hébert liberated on 17 July 1944.
* Saint-Lô liberated on 16 July 1944. General Patton launched his offensive towards Avranches, towards Brittany and towards the Loire.
* Marigny liberated on 25 July 1944.
* Coutances liberated on 28 July 1944.
* Lengronne liberated on 29 July 1944, a scene of a violent tank battle.
* Avranches liberated on 30 July 1944, subjected to the German counter-attack. It is known as the "Breach of Avranches".
* Saint-Servan liberated on 17 August 1944, where the Germans occupied the powerfully armed city fortress.
* Saint-Malo liberated on 16 August 1944, which was completely destroyed (especially the part within the walls).
* Rennes liberated on 4 August 1944.
* Angers liberated on 10 August 1944.
* Le Mans liberated on 8 August 1944.
* Chartres liberated on 18 August 1944.
* Saint-Symphorien, Cher, almost midway between Sainte-Mère-Église and Bastogne, had the honour of receiving the first 'borne'. On 25 August 1946, its mayor, Guy de la Vasselais was the proposer of Liberty Road.
* Étampes liberated on 22 August 1944.
* Fontainebleau liberated on 23 August 1944.
* Épernay liberated on 28 August 1944.
* Reims liberated on 30 August 1944. The Germans signed an unconditional surrender, at what is now Grand Quartier Général Eisenhower. The "Salle de la Reddition" is just where it was.
* Valmy liberated on 30 August 1944.
* Verdun, Meuse, became in October 1944, one of the two largest American supply depots.
* Gravelotte liberated on 13 December 1944.
* Nancy liberated on 15 September 1944.
* Rozérieulles liberated on 20 November 1944 and noted as among the most stubborn German resistance.
* Metz liberated on 19 November 1944.
* Thionville liberated on 12 September 1944.
* Luxembourg City liberated on 10 September 1944.
* Arlon liberated on 10 September 1944.
* Bastogne, the end of the "Voie de la Liberté", at 1,145 Km from Sainte-Mère-Église. It was liberated on 10 September 1944.

Activities

A bicycle ride of the "Voie de la Liberté" has taken place every other year, since 1986, in order to remember the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice so that Nazism would be for ever banished.

References

* "This article is based on a translation of an article from the French Wikipedia".
* "VOIE de la LIBERTÉ - Historic and Tourist Guide - Grandes Editions Françaises - Paris - 1947"

External links

* [http://www.bastogne.be/vdl/index.html La randonnée cycliste de la Voie de la Liberté]