Popular World War II lectures returning to D-Day Memorial

The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford will feature a series of lectures this month on medicine and WWII. Bringing back two of its more popular lectures, the Memorial will present "Women on the War Front: The Rochambelles" at noon on Jan. 18 and "The Medicine of War: Combat Medics and WWII" at noon on Jan. 25. [image error] "Women on the War Front" spotlights the only women's group assigned to a combat unit on the European front during WWII. The Rochambelles served under the French General Leclerc's famed Second Armored Division. In July 1944, they crossed the English Channel to Normandy and worked tirelessly to save soldiers' lives by providing an ambulance service that lasted until the end of the war. They were among the first to enter Paris in August 1944 during the liberation.



From November to February 1945, the Rochambelles assisted soldiers at the front line at Strasbourg, Erstein, Lorraine, the Colmar Pocket, and Grussenhein.



The Rochambelles faced constant danger. Driving ambulances at night without proper directions or the use of headlights, in territory that constantly shifted hands, proved treacherous throughout their time in Europe. Mortars, shrapnel, and machine gun fire were everyday occurrences - not to mention the other horrors of war. At the end of the Alsatian campaign, one of the Rochambelles' remaining ambulances had thirty-nine shrapnel holes. Miraculously, only one Rochambelle was killed during the war; however one went missing and was never found and six were wounded.



By the end of the war in Europe, the Rochambelles were held in high esteem by their comrades and considered invaluable to the division even though they initially faced resistance.The National D-Day Memorial encourages guests to hear more about these extraordinary women, how the Rochambelles came to be, and how they earned the respect of their comrades. The program includes a lecture, slide presentation, and discussion led by April Cheek-Messier, Vice President for Operations and Education at the National D-Day Memorial Foundation.



"The Medicine of War: Combat Medics in WWII will show that the importance of medics in WWII cannot be overstated. Soldiers during the war had an 85% chance of survival if they were treated by a medic within the first hour of their injury.



first seen here.