Located in the shadow of William the Conqueror’s impressive castle in the centre of town, the Memorial de Falaise museum tells the story of the daily life of French civilians caught up in the second World War.
Spread over three floors and across nine spacious display areas, the museum takes you through a journey from the occupation of France, the hell of the bombings, and the Liberation with a mixture of graphics, archive photographs, and some fascinating objects.
Particularly poignant are the images of nearby Caen, devastated by Allied bombing, the stories of deportation of families, as well as children’s toys, and a collections of military cap badges collected by children caught up in the conflict in this devastated area.
Standing outside, near to the statue of William the Conqueror, you can see the M4A1 Sherman known as ‘War is Hell’.
This M4A1 Sherman is a hybrid of the ‘worst’, damaged parts of several wrecked Sherman tanks and has been created as a piece of artwork as a tribute to all those lost during the Second World War.
Inaugurated on May 8, 2019, for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, ‘War is Hell’ is a unique work of art created by Jef Aérosol, an internationally renowned French street artist.
Covering the hull and turret are stencilled portraits of men, women, and children, civilians and soldiers, along with the word ‘peace’ in multiple languages and peace symbols.
The tank itself was reconstructed from parts of different tanks and was previously used as a range target, hence the panels riddled with bullet holes and damage from explosives. During the project, the chassis was cleaned up and the markings of General Leclerc’s 2nd Armoured Division were discovered, suggesting a link to the vehicle originally being used during the Second World War.