WWII in Nicorps: Local Stories, Panzer Divisions & Operation Cobra 🇫🇷⚔️
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Last updated: August 2025
📣 This blog was featured in September 2025 as part of our Regular Featured Blog Series, updated every two weeks with hand-picked highlights from the Normandy region.
📲 As well as being published on our website, it was also shared across our Socials:
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and
TikTok.
When you stay at Holidays-Normandy, you’re stepping into a village full of stories—including some from World War II that still echo through Nicorps today.
Our neighbour often shares memories passed down through his family. One of them involves our own house, La Ruche, right next to Ursula Gîte, where locals hid in the cellar to survive the war.
Nicorps: "The Crow's Nest" in WWII 🪖🪶
Did you know? The name Nicorps comes from the Latin Nidus Corvorum, which means "The Crow's Nest".
It’s a fitting name for a village that, during WWII, found itself perched in a strategic spot—watching history unfold from the hills near Coutances.
In 1944, Nicorps became home to the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen", part of the Waffen-SS. They used small villages like Nicorps to position troops, tanks, and supplies while they tried to resist the Allied advance.
Why Nicorps?
- Nicorps sits on high ground, like a crow’s nest, with views over the surrounding countryside—perfect for spotting troop movements. 🐦
- It was close to Coutances but tucked away, making it ideal for defensive positions. 🛡️
- The fields around Nicorps were used for hiding tanks and vehicles out of sight from Allied bombers. 🪖
Operation Cobra: The Allied Breakout 🚀
After the D-Day landings in June 1944, the Allies needed to break through the tough German defenses inland. The solution? Operation Cobra, launched on 25 July 1944.
The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division was tasked with defending areas like Nicorps—but the massive Allied bombing raids and American ground forces eventually forced the Germans to retreat. 💣🌍
Hiding in La Ruche’s Cellar 🕯️
During these dangerous times, our neighbour’s family and other villagers would hide in the cellar of La Ruche, just steps away from what is now Ursula Gîte.
- They sheltered from air raids ✈️
- German tank convoys rumbling through the village 🚜
- Battles happening in nearby fields ⚔️
La Ruche’s thick stone walls and hidden cellar provided a safe place when the outside world was too dangerous.
Liberation of Nicorps 🕊️
After Operation Cobra, the German forces retreated south. By early August 1944, Nicorps—"The Crow’s Nest"—was liberated along with Coutances. Peace returned to the village, but the stories live on.
Stay Where History Happened 📖
When you stay at Ursula Gîte, you’re not just booking a holiday—you’re stepping into a place where history happened:
- The cellar of La Ruche is still here, just steps from the gîte
- You can walk the same fields where tanks once rolled
- Discover both Normandy’s big history and small village memories