I live in Normandy and did some historical touristing in the vincinity. Lemme tell you a story: after the fall of Falaise Pocket (Aug 1944), where 10000 germans, thousands of horses (and the local iconic cows), hundred of vehicles were obliterated, air soil and water were so polluted kids as young as 5 were given cigarettes and alcoholic cider in order to bear the stench and stay "hydrated". Fields, woods, were so saturated with destroyed military hardware authorities granted "mining" rights for scrappers in order to clean the country.