Just months before D-Day: T57K in Martin de Fresnay spring 1944
and in July 2018.
I*n the summer of 2018 your editor visited France with the T 57K. Somehow, in the war days, the German occupiers in France used a lot of T 57k’s. One T 57K was spotted in St Martin de Fresnay, in Normandy. After D-Day, the T 57 Ks, mostly used for police and supporting duties by the Germans, suddenly had to fulfil front duties.
As I realised that the scenery in St Martin de Fresnay had hardly changed, it became a challenge to photograph the T57K at the same spot, in 2018, 74 years later! Already present in Normandy after the 2018 TRUK rally, we managed to find the spot and tried to manoeuvre the T57K on exactly the same sport. The result is seen on the photos.
Being in Normandy, it was nice to visit the D-Day beaches and all rememberance sites.
Many German vehicles including the T 57Ks were destroyed by the Allies in the weeks after D-Day, especially in the so-called Falaise-gap.
Some served as booty vehicles for the British and Americans though.
Booty T57K used as an ambulance by the British forces. 1944, South East of Caen.