Ranville () is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Calvados
Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears.
History In France
Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...
department in the
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
in northwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Ranville was the first French village liberated on
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
. The village was liberated by the British 13th Parachute Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Luard. The ''château du Heaume'' in the village was subsequently used by the headquarters of the
British 6th Airborne Division.
The village features prominently in the book ''13 - Lucky For Some'' which is about the history of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. There are many then and now photographs as well as maps and diagrams of battles that took place in the region.
Population
Sights
*
Château de Guernon-Ranville
The château de Guernon-Ranville is located in Le Bas de Ranville in the village of Ranville, in the Calvados region Calvados of Lower Normandy in France.
This private 18th century domain carries the name of the family who were for a long perio ...
*
Memorial Pegasus
Memorial Pegasus at Ranville in Lower Normandy is a museum and memorial to the 6th Airborne Division in the Normandy landings and particular the capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges.Memorial Pegasus Ranville-Benouville Guide Book, Eng ...
*
Ranville War Cemetery
Gallery
File:Bailey bridge element, Ranville 01 09.jpg, A Bailey bridge
A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units. ...
section at the Memorial Pegasus
Memorial Pegasus at Ranville in Lower Normandy is a museum and memorial to the 6th Airborne Division in the Normandy landings and particular the capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges.Memorial Pegasus Ranville-Benouville Guide Book, Eng ...
museum in Ranville
File:1 Château de Guernon-Ranville, côté cour.jpg, The Château de Guernon-Ranville
The château de Guernon-Ranville is located in Le Bas de Ranville in the village of Ranville, in the Calvados region Calvados of Lower Normandy in France.
This private 18th century domain carries the name of the family who were for a long perio ...
File:FranceNormandieRanvilleCimetiereMilitaire.jpg, Ranville War Cemetery
File:Lavoir Ranville.JPG, Lavoir
A lavoir (wash-house) is a public place set aside for the washing of clothes. Communal washing places were common in Europe until industrial washing was introduced, and this process in turn was replaced by domestic washing machines and by laun ...
See also
*
Communes of the Calvados department
References
Communes of Calvados (department)
Calvados communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
{{Calvados-geo-stub