Orglandes (French pronunciation: [ɔʁɡlɑ̃d]) is a commune in the Manche department in the Normandy region of north-western France.
Geography
Orglandes is a rural commune situated on the Cotentin Peninsula, approximately 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Cherbourg and 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Sainte-Mère-Église. It covers an area of 9.26 km² (3.58 sq mi) and is traversed by the Merderet River. Elevation ranges from 5 to 38 m (16–125 ft) above sea level.
Administration
Orglandes belongs to the arrondissement of Cherbourg and the canton of Bricquebec-en-Cotentin. It is part of the Communauté d'agglomération du Cotentin. As of 2023, the commune had a population of 346 inhabitants, with a density of 37.4 per km². The current mayor (2020–2026) is François Lefauconnier.
Demographics
The population has fluctuated over time. The 2023 figure of 346 represents a modest rural community typical of the Manche department.
World War II History
Orglandes was liberated on 17 June 1944 by the 9th and 90th United States Infantry Divisions during the Battle of Normandy, following the D-Day landings.
Orglandes German War Cemetery
Located on the northern edge of the village, the Orglandes German War Cemetery is a German World War II cemetery containing the remains of 10,152 German soldiers. It is the second smallest of the six German war cemeteries in Normandy.
The site was originally established on 20 June 1944 by the U.S. 603rd Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, initially containing both American and German war dead. After the war, American remains were either repatriated or re-interred at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer (Omaha Beach). The vacated plots were then used by French authorities to consolidate German war dead from over 1,400 locations across the Normandy region.
Between 1958 and 1961, the cemetery was redeveloped by the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge). It was officially inaugurated on 20 September 1961. The graves are arranged in 28 rows, each marked by stone crosses, with most crosses marking multiple interments (typically six or more soldiers per cross, three on each side).
A single mass grave contains the remains of 22 German prisoners of war who died on 25 October 1945, believed to be members of a mine clearance team killed by an accidental explosion in Asnières-en-Bessin near Bayeux.
A plaque at the entrance reads: "In honour of the 9th and 90th United States Infantry Divisions who liberated Orglandes on 17 June 1944."
See also
- Communes of the Manche department
- List of military cemeteries in Normandy
