Chambois, Orne
Chambois is a former commune in the Orne département in north-western France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Gouffern en Auge. Its population was 425 in 2017. The town is remarkable for its 12th-century Norman keep and was involved in the closure of the Falaise pocket in 1944 during the Battle of Normandy.Norman keep
The Norman keep or Donjon was built in the 12th century. It is one of the rare surviving examples of a square keeps in Normandy.The Battle of Chambois was the scene of some of the bitterest fighting during the Normandy campaign. In August 1944, the Falaise pocket was closed when Canadian, Polish and US, taking thousands of prisoners. The battle ultimately was ended as Allied air support finally destroyed what was left of the German forces.
The Coudehard-Montormel Memorial on the neighbouring Hill 262, details the history of the battle and closure of the Falaise pocket.
