D-Day in a Day: A Trip Through the WWII Military History of Normandy

Normandy is a region of France that definitely deserves exploring. We were returning from Parc Asterix, which is just North of Paris, and we stopped in Normandy for a night and a day on our way to catch the ferry home from Dieppe. We stayed in a pleasant bed and breakfast in Colleville-sur-Mer. This was close to Omaha beach and not far from Bayeux of ‘tapestry fame’. Upon arrival we headed straight to Omaha Beach to walk and take in the atmosphere and some much-needed fresh air. There is a large free car park there. We walked right along the beach. It was hard to imagine what it was like ‘back then’. We sat and watched a group on horseback along with a land yacht club zipping back and forth on this beautiful stretch of coastline.

Then you spot some remnants of Mulberry Harbour poking out of the sea. The partially-completed Mulberry Harbour at Omaha Beach was damaged on 19 June 1944 by a violent storm and was abandoned.

There is a monument on Omaha Beach …

… along with a more recent monument called Les Braves.

Museums

If you are a military history buff, intending to visit Normandy during the 75^th Anniversary celebrations in June 2019, please be aware there are a LOT of museums and at 7-8.50 euros each for entry it can get expensive.

On our way to the beach we passed five museums and they are probably all worth visiting. However, if you have only limited time, and to do a museum justice, you have to take about 1-1.5 hours to get around it. The Overlord Museum at Colleville-sur-Mer opened in June 2013 and this had some brilliant displays of military artefacts, an excellent video presentation and a good collection of tanks and some sections of Bailey bridge.

We also visited the Omaha Beach Museum, which had video presentations in English, displays of equipment and vehicles as well as an excellent gift shop.

Both of these had large free car parks. There was also an interesting museum on the outskirts of Bayeux. This was the Museum of Underwater Wrecks, which was showing a collection of rusty military equipment (mines, tanks and shipping) retrieved from the sea.

The Colleville-sur-Mer Area

But its not really about museums is it? It’s about the country and seeing where people fought and died with such heroism. So, we went off to visit Pointe du Hoc. This is where the US 2^nd Ranger battalion had to scale 100ft cliffs to capture German guns that could have fired upon the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach. There is a visitor centre there and an excellent self-guided walk around the entire site, which explains the whole engagement. We visited in the evening and so the visitor centre was closed. However, we were able to see the remnants of the German gun emplacements, the observation bunkers and the famous cliffs.

It is an extremely peaceful and beautiful area now, which is somehow hard to process given the past history. It does retain the features of a proper battlefield with shell holes and damage to the concrete emplacements and casements, the result of bombing and shelling by Allied Forces.

The Rangers did prevail but there were only 90 men left at the end, out of 225. And they did find and destroy the guns, which had been secreted away by the Germans to a farmhouse a couple of miles away. We walked back to the car after our visit in silence that was only broken by the tweeting of birds. There was no one else around and, in my view, the perfect time to visit.

Arromanche and the D-Day Mulberry Harbours    

The next morning, we headed out bright and early for Arromanches-les-Bains. Here you can see the remnants of the famous Mulberry Harbours. These floating concrete and steel structures were specially invented for the Allied invasion of Normandy. They were built in Britain and towed across the Channel to form artificial harbours for landing men and supplies after the initial D-Day landings. The concept was that an army needs good supply lines. All of the ports in Northern France were very well defended by the Germans and it would take weeks if not months to take them and then repair them. The Allies could not wait and at Arromanches in France they constructed one of three artificial harbours.

Arromanche is a lovely pretty little coastal town. The D-Day Museum on the sea-front explains all about Mulberry Harbours and the landings. There are also some decent souvenir shops just across the road from the museum and some nice cafes to get morning coffee and a croissant. For a D-Day visitor this is a nice relaxing, informative stop.

The Grand Bunker

The “Grand Bunker” or the Museum of the Atlantic Wall can be found at Ouistreham and is a 17-metre high tower that housed the German HQ in the area. The tower was a German “SK Hochleitstand”, which together with the surrounding artillery battery, formed Stützpunkt 08 HKB Riva Bella.

The purpose of the Stützpunkt with 6 pieces of 155mm artillery was to cover the entrance of the river Orne and the canal. The tower provided an observation post. With a range-finder it provided a panoramic view over the Channel within a 25-mile radius. It also overlooked Sword Beach. In the tower you can see the generator room, gas filters-room, first aid post, ammunition store, arms store, telephone operation room, radio transmission room and the observation post.

You can also go on the roof. There is a huge array of German arms equipment and memorabilia. The museum gives a real feel of occupation. There is also a display documenting the building of the Atlantic Wall, a fine souvenir shop and a huge array of vehicles, and tanks on the outside. The parking is a bit challenging (on road, pay by meter) but the museum is well worth a visit.

The Final Stop: Pegasus Bridge

I also would have liked to visit the Museé du débarquement nº 4 Commando in Ouistreham but sadly we had to move on. The final stop was Pegasus Bridge. This was the site of the famous British airborne attack to capture and hold two important road bridges. Operation Deadstick was part of Operation Tonga in the opening minutes of the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. This saw the road bridges at Ranville and Benouville captured and held by troops commanded by Major John Howard that landed from six Horsa gliders.

We parked in the ample car park behind the Pegasus Bridge visitors centre. You can walk across the new bridge to see the famous Café Gondree (now the Pegasus Bridge café). There is a memorial on the other side of the road from the visitor centre. Of course there are plenty of souvenir shops further back into the town. Again, a good D-Day stop to make.

And, anyone who says that the Pegasus Bridge raid was made famous by the film ‘A Bridge too Far’ is wrong. They are referring to Arnhem and Operation Market Garden. The two bridges at Ranville and Benouville were captured and held.

Advice if Visiting Normandy

There is an awful lot to see in Normandy to do with World War II. You need to be selective as there are no free museums. But, you can see D-Day battle sites, war cemeteries, and defences without spending much, if any.

The most poignant visit we made was to Pointe du Hoc, during a balmy evening. Reading all the plentiful info boards, and walking around and through the battlements alone, and in silence, cost nothing. And, we didn’t feel we missed anything by not paying to visit the visitor centre.

Colleville-sur-Mer is a small village along the coast mid-way between the famous landing beaches. If you base yourself here, you can venture south to the museums close to Utah Beach. Colleville-sur-Mer is literally at Omaha Beach, with Gold Beach and Juno Beach on the 30 minute drive to Arromanches-les-Bains. A little further on, Grand Bunker overlooks Sword Beach. You can see a lot in a day-and-a-half, as we did.

Enjoy the 75^th Anniversary of D-Day. Remember that Normandy is a beautiful part of France away from all the military history. Famous for dairy produce, growing apples and making apple brandy (Calvados), Normandy is known for its seafood, especially oysters.

10 miles inland is the city of Bayeux, known for the famous Bayeux Tapestry, but also a beautiful 13^th Century cathedral.

It’s a lovely region of France – enjoy exploring it x