Polish resistance in Mont-Ormel 19-22 août 1944 (≈ 21)
2,000 men hold the key position.
6 juin 1944
Allied landing in Normandy
Allied landing in Normandy 6 juin 1944 (≈ 1944)
Beginning of liberation, initial goal: Caen.
19 juillet 1944
End of the Battle of Caen
End of the Battle of Caen 19 juillet 1944 (≈ 1944)
The Germans are gradually moving south.
12 août 1944
Release of Alençon
Release of Alençon 12 août 1944 (≈ 1944)
Allied advanced towards Argentan and Falaise.
16 août 1944
German evacuation order
German evacuation order 16 août 1944 (≈ 1944)
Late attempt to leak the pocket.
21 août 1944
Closure of Falaise pocket
Closure of Falaise pocket 21 août 1944 (≈ 1944)
A decisive allied victory in Normandy.
1965
Inauguration of the exterior monument
Inauguration of the exterior monument 1965 (≈ 1965)
20th anniversary of the battle.
1994
Opening of the museum-memorial
Opening of the museum-memorial 1994 (≈ 1994)
50th anniversary, underground museum space.
18 août 2019
75th anniversary of the battle
75th anniversary of the battle 18 août 2019 (≈ 2019)
Celebrations highlighting the German cavalry.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Général Maczek - Commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division
Directed the troops to Mont-Ormel (19-22 August).
Origin and history
The Coudehard-Montormel Memorial is a historical museum located on Mount Ormel, on the border with the communes of Coudehard and Mont-Ormel (Orne, Normandy). It commemorates specifically the Battle of the Falaise Pocket (August 1944), the last significant episode of the Battle of Normandy. The site, located at the top of Hill 262, marks the place where the Allies officially closed the pocket on August 21, 1944, trapping nearly 40,000 German soldiers. It consists of an outdoor monument erected in 1965 and an underground museum inaugurated in 1994, on the occasion of the 20th and 50th anniversary of the battle.
The battle of the Falaise pocket was part of the continuation of the Allied landing of June 6, 1944. After weeks of fierce fighting, especially around Caen and during the invasion of Avranches, the Allies surrounded German troops in the south of Lower Normandy. Despite Hitler's order to hold to death, the Germans attempted an urgent evacuation on 16 August, but the pocket was finally closed on 21 August 1944 at Mont-Ormel. This site, nicknamed Maczuga by the Poles, pays tribute to General Maczek's 1st Polish Armoured Division, 2,000 of which were resisting German assaults from 19 to 22 August.
The outdoor monument, located in a quiet countryside, offers views of the Dives valley and the plains of the last fighting. It has been used as a space for gathering since 1965. The museum, dug in the hillside, details through exhibitions the history of the battle and the unknown role of certain units, such as the German cavalry. In 2019, the memorial hosted the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the battle, highlighting less well-known aspects, such as the use of horses by German infantry, in partnership with the Pin's national stud.
