a bracelet that belonged to a Colonel brings the story of the D-Day landings to life

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France 3

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M. Lebrun, M. Lahuppe, E. Desrame – France 3

France Televisions

A bracelet, dating from the time of the Landing on the beaches of Normandy, was found by chance. The discovery takes us back to the heart of the story of the history of the Second World War.

On the bracelet is his nickname, “Bull”, but also his initials: WLR which means Wolverton LeeRobert. With this jewel, a part of history reappears. The Colonel’s Wolvertonan American paratrooper killed on the night of June 6, 1944. 78 years later, his bracelet pierced by a bullet has just been found. Sylvain came across it by chance in a field in Saint-Côme-du-Mont (Calvados) last April. “I was pulling a stump with colleagues (…) and this appeared while pulling the stump”he says.

A former paratrooper himself and collector of the Second World War, he immediately perceived the inestimable value of the jewel. “We can find anything and everything (…) but a personal bracelet from someone who jumped in Normandy on June 6, we will only find one”assures Sylvain. At the Museum D-Day experiencea statue bearing the likeness of Colonel Wolverton was already enthroned. The bracelet becomes a centerpiece. “We were very moved with my partner, we sat down and then we contemplated the bracelet for a few minutes and said to ourselves: there, we have a piece of history in the palm of our hand”says Emmanuel Allain, co-manager of the D Day experience.


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