A report on the history of the Willys jeep, which has become the symbol of disembarkation. In 1940, the American army quickly needed a small, flexible and robust all-terrain vehicle. Of the three companies that are taking up the challenge, small business Willys wins the contract. Alternately, comments on jeeps and interviews with specialists.
About fifteen enthusiasts of the Willys jeep, and former miners of the town of L'Hôpital, decided to organize a jeep tour, from the Moselle to the landing beaches in Normandy. They want to follow in the footsteps of one of their peers, who was Commander Kieffer’s second in command at the June 1944 landing. We follow their passionate preparations.
Meeting in his workshop with Jean-Claude Ducouret, a retired mechanic. Like many others, he discovered the Willys jeep in the army, and vowed to make one of his hands: for his grandchildren, he made a replica of it on a scale of half. He designed it for a maximum speed of 15 km/hour, with a lawnmower engine to which he adapted a starter and a gearbox. His 8-year-old grandson is enjoying himself!
The Resistance Museum of Saint Marcel has just received a Willys jeep dating from 1942. It is a gift from Jean Nivès, who was 18 years old when the Americans of the Patton army entered Vannes on August 5, 1944. Impressed by these military vehicles, he promised to acquire one. During his life he owned four, including the one he offered to the museum and which had to touch French soil in Normandy.
In 1944, the Americans sent 640,000 jeeps to liberate the old continent. Today, they are often found for historical re-enactments, restored and pampered by collectors. In a gathering of jeepers in Chambon-sur-Lac, one of them evokes the "spirit of freedom" represented by this car. Another explains that the mechanics of this car were designed to be repaired on operational ground.