1. Dead Mans Corner Museum
The Dead Mans Corner Museum’s name was derived from an event which took place on 8th June when an American Stuart tank was knocked out on the intersection outside a building. The tank commander Lt. Walter T. Anderson tried in vain to escape, but died as he was half out of the turret hatch. The body remained slumped in that position for several days, and the tank was used as a point of reference for other American soldiers – “the corner with the dead man” or “dead man’s corner”.
The Dead Mans Corner Museum has as much historical significance as it commemorates the night when the American paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division of General Maxwell D. Taylor parachute were dropped in Normandy, thus becoming the first soldiers to reach the French territory. Their operation was to capture Carentan. For the operation to be successful, they had to pass through the village of Saint Come Du Mont, a small town which was occupied by elite German paratroopers (Fallschirmjagers) and who were heavily armed and instructed to hold off the Americans at all costs. Since this was the only way from the beach for the American troops to reach Carentan, they had to wait for the support of the light tanks of the 70th Battalion that landed on Utah Beach in a sole house that stands at this crossroads.
This amazing museum houses a unique collection of authentic German and American uniforms, equipment and other artifacts from World War II.