Artwork : ArchiveNo00173

German Minefield Sign 1944


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Artefact

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Contributor

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ContributionForm
Contributor Name D-Day Museum
Contributor Image a.whitmarsh_dday.jpg
Profession

Location Southsea
Collection Date 29.09.08 10.56am
Artefact Name German Minefield Sign
Artefact Description Wooden sign (made up of three boards) with skull and crossbones painted on to it. The word ‘Minen’ (mines in German) has been painted on to it. Sign is white with black lettering over the top. The sign has a bullet hole in the right-lower middle of the sign. Dimensions 38cm height x 50cm width
Artefact Date 1944
Artefact Stored In display case - the D-Day Story
Artefact Form

Artefact Image 00173_dady_web.jpg
Sample Taken Wooden splinter from back strut
Sample Image

History of Artefact It was from Juno beach in Normandy which is were Canadian troops landed. It was collected by Captain Ted North (Royal Warwickshire regiment). He brought it back as a souvenir. The reason it had been placed on Juno beach was because the Germans were laying minefields in the area just behind the beaches to make it harder for the allies to land. There would have been obstacles on the beach that would have made landing difficult, then coupled with adding minefields behind the beach made it even harder. Areas would have been marked with these signs to prevent German soldiers or French civilians entering the area. According to a pencil note on the back of the sign, the hole (two - thirds of the way down) was caused by a bullet from a Bren Gun (a British light machine gun).
Historian Andrew Whitmarsh
Previous Owners Captain Ted North
Special Memories

Artwork Image 00173_web.jpg

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