The 6th Airborne Division
Ranville, General Gale Headquarter
The Headquarters
There are two Châteaux at Ranville:
Château Rohan-Chabeau.
Château du Hom.
- Château Rohan-Chabeau located General Leclerc Street. This one is the largest one, it was the first house liberated in France, and not Café Gondrée as most of the people think. It had to be use as Command post by the 5th Brigade, and then was the first objective of the 13th Bn's men. They arrived only few minutes after their drop and took the position a little before 2.00 am. Café Gondrée was liberated by the 7th Bn's men at 5.00 am.
- Château du Hom, property of Suzanne Doix, eyewitness at the time, remember seen thousand of paratroopers falling all over the place. The house was used at 3.30 am as General Gale's Command post, he was commanding 8 000 men. During three weeks the château was the Head Quarter of the 6th British Airborne.