In preparation for my October school battlefields tour to Normandy a friend has sent me his father's war memoirs. Corporal Albert Bromley was Brigadier John Currie's personal driver during the Western Desert Campaign and Italy. Shortly before D-Day Albert was hospitalized with a recurrence of malaria. Eventually landing in Normandy on D+19 he arrived at 4th Armoured Brigade HQ only to discover that the Brigadier, together with his temporary driver, Albert's replacement, had just been killed by German artillery fire. Albert mentions revisiting the site of the Brigadier's death , at a level crossing south of the village of Bretteville, on a pilgrimage to Normandy in 1985. His memoirs include a photograph of Currie's original grave, in a nearby field. He was subsequently reinterred at Bayeux Cemetery. In my usual fashion I would like to visit the exact spot if possible. Could anyone help me in identifying the precise location of this gallant officer's death? Albert Bromley went on to be the driver for Currie's replacement, Brigadier (later Field Marshal Sir) Michael Carver. Casualty Brigadier CURRIE, JOHN CECIL Service Number 11446 Died 26/06/1944 Aged 46 Commands and Staff, H.Q. 4th Armd. Bde. Royal Artillery D S O and 2 Bars, M C Son of Brigadier-General and Mrs. A. Currie; husband of Marianne Charlotte Currie, of Elworthy, Somerset. Buried at BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY Cemetery/memorial reference: XV. G. 12.
Unless you can blag the information out of CWGC, I reckon the best bet would be the local Mairie. You might be able to find some contact details for them online. Another thought: if there's a Heimdal title covering this area/time, they often have a good selection of local photos.
Thanks. I'm contacting the local authorities at Ranville, where we're planning to do a parade so I might ask them for contact details.
Epsom is not my expertise and not clear on how much or little you know of the area, but this sounds like the crossing between Bretteville l'Orgueilleuse and Norrey-en-Bessin, though there were several level crossings along that stretch. There were many Canadian burials at the SE corner of Bretteville, near the current local cemetery.