Liberation of Cannes Anniversary
Cannes liberation staged again on the Croisette
On August 24, on the occasion of the celebration of the 67th anniversary of its liberation by allied forces on August 24, 1944, the City of Cannes commemorated this day in honor of fallen Americans and French. In the morning, Mr Bernard Brochand, Mayor of Cannes, and many personalities placed strays of flowers at the Francis Tonner and Henry Borgia stele, in Cannes-La Bocca, first part of the city to be liberated by Allied forces. For this commemorative day, many military vehicles from the time of the Second World War were faithful to the appointment, such as tanks, jeeps, trucks and other vehicles from the group "Historical Vehicles", that came for this day full of history and that the boccassiens could discover the very morning. Then it was at the war memorial in Cannes that events unfolded. The emblems of World War II allied countries were laid by the consuls of various countries: USA, Canada, Great Britain and Russia. Deputy Mayor Bernard Brochand and Deputy to military affairs, Chantal Azemar-Morandini, laid the French strays of flowers. The mayor said, "Resisting was for them obvious, fighting the evil, an absolute duty, achieving the victory, a necessity." With these words, the Deputy Mayor of Cannes made a moving tribute, to the courage of French Resistance and allied forces that allowed the return to freedom. Then the 15 Scottish from the 51st Highland Division Memorial (51st Infantry Division) sang the british anthem "God Save The Queen", at the poignant sound of bagpipes. The U.S., Canadian, Russian and French anthem then resounded at the foot of the Cannes war memorial. One could also see, among others, the presence of teams from the Brussels Royal Museum. Meanwhile the procession had grown with a dozen extra tanks at the great satisfaction of Alain Sauvan, the source of this spectacular event for ten years, who marveled at his outstanding success with the arrival of new military vehicles such as Sherman tanks, bicycles, motorcycles, all dating back to 1942-1945, and the costumes of the participants. It was a total of more than a hundred vehicles and over 250 participants, purists and enthusiasts, who set out again, engine roaring and in a friendly atmosphere along the Croisette to move towards the Espérides stadium, where they stationed to give visitors some time to admire them while they took refreshments in this day of overwhelming heat, awaiting the next street parade that took place Rue d'Antibes in the late afternoon. And it was joy tinged with a certain emotion that reigned rue d'Antibes, during the passage of the convoy of American vehicles, a symbol of liberation. Jeeps decorated with French and American flags, distribution of sweets and chewing gum to children... There was a taste of August 24, 1944. The purists and collectors who provided the show have reconstructed the Allied armada of Americans, Canadians, Russians, Australians, Senegalese riflemen and other auxiliary forces present in Cannes at the time. Everyone could remember this day of August 24, 1944, like the grandmother telling that at the announcement of the arrival of American tanks which would liberate the city, the entire population was jubilant, and all had left the French flag flourished at windows, and those who had not, made up one in haste with pieces of cloth painted with the colors of France and America.
