A one-tonne statue of a piper in the 51st Highland Division during the Second World War was stolen from Bréville-les-Monts, north of Caen, a week before D-Day anniversary commemorations.
A bronze monument to British soldiers killed during the liberation of France has been stolen - a week before D-Day anniversary commemorations. The one-tonne statue of a piper in the 51st Highland Division during the Second World War at Bréville-les-Monts, north of Caen, vanished on Friday.
It was a tribute to Scottish infantrymen who had stormed on to Juno Beach, in Normandy, on June 6th 1944, before dying in a fierce fire fight a few days later. Visitors from Britain were due to gather around the statue next Saturday, on the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. Instead, French police are now involved in a criminal investigation, as they try to find the statue, and bring the thieves to justice.
The statue was reported missing early on Friday morning - it was forced off its plinth, and clearly loaded on to a vehicle. An early theory is that scrap metal dealers intended to smash the statue to pieces, so as to sell off the bronze. The statue was erected some 15 years ago in the grounds of the Château St Come, where 51st Highlanders fought alongside elements of the 6th Airborne Division, against German troops.
The spokesman said Bréville council had filed a report to police at Merville-Franceville, who were leading the investigation. The site is close to Pegasus Bridge, the memorial to British paras who landed in France in gliders, before later being supported by troops who arrived from the invasion beaches. Such scenes - including a famous one with a Scottish piper - were depicted in the classic war film, The Longest Day, featuring stars including Richard Todd, Sean Connery and John Wayne.
Scottish units were famous for taking pipers into battle, as they played tunes such as 'Highland Laddie', 'The Road to the Isles', and 'All the Blue Bonnets are Over the Border'. As well as helping to keep units together in the chaos of the battlefield, the sound of the bagpipes also lifted morale. In turn, enemy veterans later recalled how frightening the sound of the pipes could be
Theft Scrap Metal Dealers D-Day World War Two Second World War 51St Highland Division 51St Highland Infantry Division Black Watch Regiment Juno Beach Normandy River Orne Death Alley Pegasus Bridge Scottish Infantrymen Pipers Tribute Theft Of A Statue Criminal Investigation French Police Investigating Source Statue Plinth Vehicle Effort Planned Theft Huge Amount Of Effort Effort To Conceal Theory Scamper Metal Dealers Smashed To Pieces Sold Off The Bronze Tribute To Scottish Infantrymen Stormed On To Juno Beach Died In A Fierce Fire Fight Loss Of 110 Men Bridgehead Across The River Orne Death Alley Memorial To British Paras Depicted In The Classic War Film Famous One With A Scottish Piper Played Tunes Such As 'Highland Laddie' Played Tunes Such As 'The Road To The Isles' Played Tunes Such As 'All The Blue Bonnets Are
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Bronze Monument to British Soldiers Stolen in FranceA bronze monument to British soldiers killed during the liberation of France has been stolen - a week before D-Day anniversary commemorations. The statue of a piper in the 51st Highland Division during the Second World War at Bréville-les-Monts, north of Caen, vanished on Friday.
Read more »