Open 10 am to 5:30 pm
Open 10 am to 5:30 pm
In 2023, Lilian Jolivet, the daughter of Bernard Dargols, and Caroline Jolivet, his granddaughter, generously agreed to lend personal belongings that once belonged to him. These unique items trace the extraordinary journey of Bernard Dargols, a Frenchman who served in the U.S. Army, and highlight his significant role during the Battle of Normandy.
Rich in history and memory, these artifacts pay tribute to his courage and commitment to freedom during one of the most pivotal operations of WWII.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lilian and Caroline Jolivet for this invaluable gesture, which helps preserve and pass on this legacy to future generations.
A piece displayed in one of our windows is surely one of the most mythical artifacts ever exhibited in a Normandy Museum. It is the only intact grappling hook that survived the assault on Pointe du Hoc.
Acquired in May 2019 at an auction from a well-known Norman collection, the grappling hook was discovered in 1944 by Jean Beck, a young man of 19 years of age at the time, living 500 meters from where Lieutenant Colonel Rudder’s 225 Rangers climbed the cliff. A few days after the assault, the young man went to the battlefield where he owned lands with his father and came across the impressive grappling hook caught in barbed wire. He decided to take it home as a souvenir. This almost innocent gesture allowed the preservation of this object, whose historical significance certainly escaped him in June 1944.
During the visit, in an area dedicated to aviation, there is an engine from an American P-47D Thunderbolt fighter-bomber along with its eight .50 caliber machine guns. In front of it, almost touching this exceptional piece, a display case holds three medals: a Purple Heart, an Air Medal, and a Distinguished Flying Cross. The case also contains official documents, a parachute, and an American flag—symbolizing the honor and sacrifice of soldiers—carefully folded.
All these items, sourced from different locations, share a common thread: Marvin J. Rosvold.
In 1992, Michel Leloup and Michel Rainfroy unearthed the engine of a P-47D south of Falaise, previously located by the latter. At the time, the pilot remained unidentified.
In 2011, Stéphane Duchemin, president of the French Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, discovered a parachute belonging to an officer of the 9th Air Force, Lieutenant Rosvold, near the crash site. He conducted extensive research to learn more about the lieutenant but was unable to pinpoint the crash site.
Five years later, Michel Rainfroy and Stéphane Duchemin combined their findings. Through the machine gun serial numbers, they were able to determine that the P-47D found 24 years earlier was the one flown by Marvin J. Rosvold.
On August 17, 1944, while returning from his 65th mission in the Orne region, the lieutenant was shot down by Flak (German anti-aircraft defense). In extremis, he bailed out of his aircraft, which crashed in Saint-Pierre-du-Bû, south of Falaise. Once on the ground, he left behind the wreckage of his Thunderbolt and his parachute and rejoined his unit in Cardonville near Grandcamp-Maisy the next morning. He went on to complete 12 more missions before returning to the United States in October 1944. After the war, he became an architect and passed away in 2008 at the age of 87.
Contacted by Stéphane Duchemin, his family agreed to share “Marv’s” personal treasures so they could be preserved alongside his P-47D and the parachute, also loaned by Stéphane Duchemin. Exhibited together in the museum since June 2019, the reunion of these extraordinary artifacts was made possible through the relentless efforts of enthusiasts and the trust placed in the museum by Lieutenant Rosvold’s family.