The normandyjug is a traditional design that is still produced on the islands of Guernsey and Jersey. These are a very special type of copper cream jug and there are several different makers who make them. The stamps on the bottom of these jugs usually show the maker’s name, date and capacity in either pints or ‘pots’.
Origin : Normandy, Brittany or north west France
The first example illustrated here was discovered in a midden in Kidwelly castle during excavations in the 1930s and is decorated with a vine scroll motif typical of Saintonge jugs. It was most likely made between 1275 and 1320.
A fine example of the French style with applied and incised decoration to the body and a molded lid. The body is rounded and has a short cylindrical stem joined to the base by a collar. The jug is textured with a scalloped collar and the neck has a rolled lip with a protuberant ridge along its circumference.
Historically the Guernsey cream jug is a longstanding design, with an appeal to tourists and it has been continued on the islands of Guernsey, Channel Islands, which are now popular holiday resorts. It is based on the traditional French design and was used for milk delivery long after other areas of Europe switched to using glass bottles.
The German invasion of Normandy in 1944, known as Operation Overlord, will long be studied as a classic in military planning and logistics. Unlike William the Conqueror’s land-based invasion, which had been successful in the past, this Allied campaign relied to a remarkable degree on air power. A combination of weather delays, enemy snipers, and the slow pace of amphibious landing craft meant that airborne attacks were hampered by a lack of visibility and the presence of antiaircraft fire from the Germans. Without these airborne forces, the invasion would not have been possible.