Canadian M4 Sherman tank from the Sherbrook Fusiliers advancing through an abandoned and devastated village in Caen in July 1944, colorized by Alex Y. Lim

Here is my colorized take on a famous photo of a Canadian M4 Sherman tank from the Sherbrook Fusiliers advancing through an abandoned and devastated village in Caen in July 1944, a month after the Normandy invasion. Caen was a critical main objective in the Allied invasion as its capture would effectively disable quick response by the Germans. The battle for Caen saw old enemies, Field Marshals Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel smack each other. Erwin gave Bernard a difficult time taking Caen and delayed the allied forces timetable in liberating France, but after the fall of Caen, the liberation was a sure thing.

Colorized photo of American liberators as they watch the Eiffel tower fly the French Tricolors again

This is a colorized photo taken after the liberation of France in Aug 1944, as the tricolors were hoisted back to its rightful position atop the historic Eiffel Tower. Hitler had earlier ordered this land landmark destroyed along with the entire Pari when he heard about the upcoming liberation of the country. The City fell to German occupation on June 14, 1940, French resistance fighters allegedly cut the elevator cables to the Eiffel Tower. This meant that if Hitler wanted to hoist a swastika flag, a soldier would have to climb the roughly 1710 stairs to the summit platform.

As Allies neared Paris in August 1944, a Frenchman scaled the tower and hung the French flag. When it became obvious that the Germans would lose Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to turn the city into rubble – including the Eiffel Tower. General von Choltitz did not carry out the command. Reportedly, within hours of the Liberation of Paris, the Tower’s lifts worked again.

U.S. Army Pfc. Fred Linden with a French Boy after the Battle of Normandy, 1944

Colorized a photo of U.S. Army Pfc. Fred Linden of Detroit, MI, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, holding and talking to a young French boy following the liberation of the village of Trévières during the Battle of Normandy 10 June 1944.

After the war comes the remembrances, 1945, France

Colorize a photo of a French woman tending to the grave of 23-y.o. Everitt Ivan Hill of the 2nd AntiTank Reg 2nd Infantry Div Royal Reg of Canadian Artillery, who was killed in action 18 Jul 1944 in during the Battle for Caen. Under his name and date of burial is written ”The French Will Never Forget the Canadians.” Beneath a paper: "Rest in peace under the beautiful French sky. You have given your life for our deliverance. May your name be forever blessed in Heaven.” Hill (Little Britain, Ontario), landed in Normandy on D-Day. He was later reburied at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery