Ranville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Ranville was the first French village liberated on D-Day. The village was liberated by the British 13th Parachute Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Luard. The château du Heaume in the village was subsequently used by the headquarters of the British 6th Airborne Division.
The village features prominently in the book 13 - Lucky For Some which is about the history of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. There are many then and now photographs as well as maps and diagrams of battles that took place in the region.
Population
Sights
- Château de Guernon-Ranville
- Memorial Pegasus
- Ranville War Cemetery
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Bailey bridge element, Ranville 01 09.jpg|A Bailey bridge section at the Memorial Pegasus museum in Ranville
File:1 Château de Guernon-Ranville, côté cour.jpg|The Château de Guernon-Ranville
File:FranceNormandieRanvilleCimetiereMilitaire.jpg|Ranville War Cemetery
File:Lavoir Ranville.JPG|Lavoir
</gallery>
See also
- Communes of the Calvados department