Nazis' secret base found (Omaha Beach battery contains 40 buildings "untouched" since D-Day)

The Sun (U.K.) ^ | January 24, 2006 | TOM NEWTON DUNN

[JLS]

but also reflects a stunning ignorance of history and a gnat-like degree of patience where if success is not instantaneous then it must mean failure.

or reflects that they are on tv, ie ignorant of everything else and no patience.

[JLS]

My guess is that Hemingway wouldn't even recognize modern day Paris and would instantly leave in disgust.

You maybe need to read up on Paris in the day of Hemingway. Progress happens every year. It was almost a century ago Hemingway was in Paris. It was a much much more primative place than it is now. Big old cities seem old and decaying to Americans in part because they adapted modern conviences when they were first invented and in other societies they don't so quickly throw out the old but still usable to get the newest. [I am not suggesting this is good or bad, but just a difference.]

[Stoat]

Having traveled extensively throughout Europe over the course of decades, I’m well aware of the historical nature of the cities. When I referred to what would surely be Hemingway’s disgust at modern Paris, which is commonly remarked upon by modern Europeans as being remarkably filthy even for a city of it’s age I was meaning to take into account the entire ambiance of Paris which is worlds away from the way it was in Hemingway’s time.

[JLS]

Possibly if you meant Hemingway would be repulsed by the Islamic suburban areas, though he might have liked the exotic nature of them. I too have been to many old European cities and then recently read some about his time in Paris. Central heat would have been a luxury to him. Cold water limted heat flats did in fact exist in large cities even in the US at least through WWII. So I still say be careful about projecting modern views back to the early 20th century. Life was much rougher then with only the rich having central heat etc.

[Stoat]

So I still say be careful about projecting modern views back to the early 20th century

No need for such a warning, as I have never done this.  You appear to be reading considerably more into my words than what I actually stated.

[todd4x4]

I was lucky enough to have a personal tour of this site in March of 06. This is not an untouched site as some have hoped for. You can see where after the war all the metal doors were cut off and the hospital in the back was used as a dump for a number of years. The more interesting fact that I think Gary was trying to figure out is why was it forgotten about and not discovered until 60 years later. The only artifacts that I found were expended German machine gun rounds.

[Stoat]

WOW! I appreciate the update, thanks very much. That must have been quite an experience, both the personal tour as well as finding shell casings....

It is indeed quite a perplexing question. A facility with 40 buildings including a hospital, presumably occupied by hundreds of Nazi soldiers that just ‘goes off the map’ in that way, particularly in the twentieth century, is quite strange. I’m guessing that the doors being cut off and the dumped garbage could be attributed to nearby locals, but it seems to have ‘disappeared’ as far as those outside the immidiate area are concerned. I hope that Gary will one day be able to figure out exactly what happened.

Thanks again for your post :-)

[todd4x4]

I was a great experience. I think I took close to 100 + pictures (thanks to digital cameras).

Basically it was an open air artillery battery with approximately 4 round concrete pads for the large artillery carriages. These were all supported by the many bunkers for fire support, ammo, mess hospital etc. There were several small pill box lookouts along the road leading west away from the compound. Also along the road there were 2-3 fixed and concrete encased gun batteries. The guns were long since scraped but very interesting to walk into.

Todd