2004 Bré Original Artwork Map of Auray and Vannes, Brittany, France

This is a c. 1950 map and with additional original c. 2004 artwork commemorating the French SAS (Special Air Service) operations in Brittany, France, in June 1944, both before and after the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings in Normandy. Bré, a French artist and historian, combined 3 Institut Géographique National maps, upon which he added his own artwork. The map directly references 3 of these SAS missions: Operation Dingson, Operation Cooney (also known as Operation Cooney Parties), and Operation Lost.

Operation Dingson

Operation Dingson occurred between June 5 and June 18, 1944. Eighteen SAS paratroopers were dropped in the vicinity of Plumelec, France, on the night of June 5. Their mission was to contact local resistance groups, arm them, and delay German reinforcement of the Normandy beachhead from Brittany as much as possible. The SAS paratroopers established a base of operations near the village of Saint-Marcel and fought the German troops (mostly Georgians and Ukrainians) as best they could. An attack by German paratroopers on June 18 forced the Operation Dingson troops to disperse. A few weeks later, at dawn on July 12, 1944, Captain Pierre Marienne (who was one of the commanding officers of Operation Dingson) and 17 others were executed after they were captured.

Operation Cooney

Operation Cooney (also known as Operation Cooney Parties) began when 58 SAS paratroopers were dropped into Brittany on the night of June 7-8, 1944. These paratroopers broke into 3- to 5-man teams to undertake sabotage operations on the railway and communications networks in the region. After their sabotage missions were complete, these paratroopers joined those taking part in Operation Dingson.

Operation Lost

Operation Lost was a reinforcement of Operation Dingson. 7 SAS paratroopers were dropped into Brittany on the night of June 22-23, 1944, with the original mission of discovering what happened to Operation Dingson after it was dispersed by the German attack. The Lost team armed and fought with local resistance fighters until late July 1944.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled and illustrated by Gilles Bré c. 2004. The map consists of 3 c. 1950 Institut Géographique National maps, upon which Bré added manuscript illustration. This is a unique piece blending the art world with that of cartography.