Published
Video length: 6 min
Second World War: the Gondrée café, the first place liberated by the English
Second World War: the Gondrée café, the first place liberated by the English
(France 2)
On June 6, 1944, the Gondrée café was the first house liberated during the Normandy landings. Arlette Gondrée, then a child, remembers this day and celebrates it every year.
On June 6, 1944 at 7:25 a.m., on South Beach in Colleville-Montgomery (Calvados), notes, amidst the noise and horror. To the sound of the only bagpipes present on D-Day, 28,000 British soldiers and 177 French marines, led by Commander Philippe Kieffer, threw themselves headlong into the battle. The advance of the troops was facilitated thanks to a commando operation carried out by glider during the night: the capture of the Bénouville bridge (Calvados), a strategic passage for armored vehicles.
The Gondrée café, in black and white during the occupation, regained, on Liberation Day, the colors of better days. Arlette Gondrée was one of the first women liberated from Normandy. The British lion, the lady of Normandy and her little girl’s memories. “We were frightened by a loud creak of wood, and by footsteps that were different, around the café. Dad opened the door and there they came in, said to my father: ‘Don’t worry, we’ve arrived‘”, she recalls.
Arlette welcomes thousands of British tourists to its café-museum every year. Once again this year, as on the day of their liberation, Arlette and her guests will toast over a glass of champagne. 400 bottles are expected.
