Dead Man's Lane (Wesley Peterson)

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Golden Hill is one of the highest points within the Bristol City environs and is located across the Horfield, Bishopston and Henleaze districts. It is said that the name Golden Hill derives from the fact that it was a pre-Christian beacon hill. It has also been suggested it has an ancient pagan origin and the remains of a tumulus nearby could well support this theory.

In 2012, we took Mr. Burgett to the field, where he confirmed that the terrain matched what he remembered. Without hesitation, he pointed out where the tank had entered the field and the corner where it later left the field and moved onto the N-13. Exiting the field in the northwest corner is quite simple, since the banks level off to road level at that point. Still, we now know the identity of the unfortunate driver who gave his life at Dead Man’s Corner—Aaron D. Curry—and probably that of his tank commander—Anthony I. Tomasheski—as well. For over 70 years, the two men were mere statistics among the casualties from Normandy, but now their story and their sacrifice are at least a bit clearer, as is the story of Dead Man’s Corner. The name “Dead Man’s Corner” is old. It was already mentioned in the combat interviews of S.L.A. Marshall, conducted in the summer of 1944. The general public likely first learned the name through one or two books: either S.L.A. Marshall’s own Night Drop (1962) or the highly acclaimed account of A/506th PIR trooper Donald R. Burgett’s Currahee, A Screaming Eagle in Normandy (1967).

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The gripping new mystery in the DI Wesley Peterson series from Kate Ellis, the award-winning author of the 2019 CWA Dagger in the Library. The 1844-1888 OS 1st Edition Map in Figure 2 shows the Golden Hill area centred around Quabs (or Quabb) Farm, at the southern corner of Horfield Common where Highfield Grove is now. The row of cottages to the west is the start of what became Kellaway Avenue. Figure 2: Golden HIll on OS 1st Edition Map But none are as sinister in their peculiarity as Deadman's Hole Lane. The name features two of our biggest fears, death and burial. It is hard to review this book without giving away any spoilers! Although I read it in sizeable chunks, I did find it hard to work out who-was-who at the start. There are a lot of characters, but there is a good reason for this, and murder mysteries do need a good choice of potential suspects and victims! Once I got into the book, I was completely gripped and read the last half in one go! Dead Man’s Corner,”at a road junction south of Saint-Côme-du-Mont, has become one of Normandy’s most famous landmarks. The story of what happened there has become legendary: an American Stuart tank was destroyed at the intersection and remained in place for several days, the dead body of the commander hanging out of the turret. The troops started to refer to the spot as “the corner with the dead man in the tank” and later simply as “Dead Man’s Corner.” As with all legends, the true story is much more complicated. This article is an attempt to separate fact from fiction and explore what can be proven and what remains a mystery to this day.

Dead Man’s Corner (DMC) lies at the fork of the D-974 and D-913 roads, a few hundred yards south of the center of Saint-Côme-du-Mont. In 1944, the intersection was strategically important. The D-974 was the most direct route to Carentan and part of the N-13, the highway between Paris and Cherbourg, while the D-913 was significant since it was the southernmost road connecting Utah Beach (via Sainte-Marie-du-Mont) to the highway. The terrain itself was also important, as the intersection lies on the ridge overlooking the German-flooded fields north of Carentan. When Samuel Loxton completed his drawing of Horfield Prison (Figure 5), he must have been positioned in the very spot referred to as “Allotment Gardens” in the OS map (Figure 6). Here you can see the Prison, which was built in 1883, and in the foreground there are workers on the Allotment Gardens. They appear to be working on the land planting or sowing vegetables. Figure 6: OS Map 2nd Edition, 1894-1903 Does this analysis mean that the unfortunate commander left sitting in the turret for several days was Sergeant Tomasheski? No, not necessarily. The evidence this ever happened is quite weak. It does not match the story in the combat interviews nor the evidence presented in Rendezvous with Destiny. In the end, it hinges on Don Burgett’s story and the earlier book of S.L.A. Marshall. Burgett was, however, very clear that he indeed saw the body of a tank commander. But which tank was it?Whatever the truth about how the lane was named, the walk along South Undercliff to reach it is certainly worthwhile. The bluebells along the adjoining Float Lane leading up to Udimore are stunningly lovely and at their best just now. To see them is a reward for your efforts!