Section 4. Liberation of Flers de L'Orne August 16, 1944

The success of "Operation Overlord" begun on June 6, 1944 saw the establishment of a toe-hold on the continent of Europe for the invading Allied forces and no matter how tantalizing it might have been to chase the Germans out of Normandy all the way back to the fatherland, it just would not be an overnight reality. The initial weeks following the D-Day landing successes saw a steady building of supplies, troops, and support personnel.

By August the of '44 the war went into high gear with the Nazis abandoning towns and villages throughout Normandy.  August 16 saw the Liberation of Flers de L'Orne by the British 11th Armoured Division.

Top: Allies Enter Flers (Source: unknown)
Middle: A British Churchill Tank enters Flers (Source: unknown)
Bottom: Town Crier Announces Flers Liberated! (Source: Tips Images, #RDA00108973)
Note the level of destruction in each of these images.