DIY: WWII Normandy D-Day Beaches
When I was growing up, almost every Sunday afternoon after church, my father would watch an old war or western movie while ironing his uniforms for the following week. One of my favorites was the 1962 classic "The Longest Day." Modern classics like "Saving Private Ryan" and the mini-series "Band of Brothers" also really bring to life this period of history.
My first opportunity to travel to Normandy was as a lieutenant stationed in Germany. Our battalion did a Battle-Staff Ride to Normandy. A retired British Brigadier General turned military historian led the trip. His stories, accompanied by the prerequisite reading requirements, made the journey an immersive and memorable experience. Moving back to Germany for my final assignment on the eve of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, I wanted to re-create this trip and share it with my wife.
We made our journey over Memorial Day weekend 2019, less than two weeks before the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. We decided to pre-empt the actual anniversary to avoid the congestion and traffic detours caused by all of the visiting dignitaries.
We stayed in the historic village of Bayeux for its proximity to D-Day beaches and the bonus of the Bayeux Tapestry of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The 70-meter long tapestry is a UNESCO Worldwide Heritage Site and a worthwhile experience. I recommend the audio tour that walks you through every scene depicted on the tapestry.
Tool 1: Map with D Day Battle of Normandy Sites.
When I plan a trip, I start with a map recon and build an itinerary that maximizes time at the sites I want to see, considering proximity to other sites, opening times, and mode of travel. The easiest and best way to explore Normandy is by car. I found a great “Google my Maps” page that breaks down critical sites by proximity to the five invasion beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword).
Beach 1: Utah.
The United States Army’s 82nd Airborne “All American” Division liberated the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise in the early morning hours of D-Day. A parachute with the likeness of a paratrooper commemorates the well-known story of Private John Steele’s entangled parachute hanging from the spire of the Church of Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Small airborne themed cafés surround the town square. A tavern called the “Auberge John Steele” filled with his memorabilia lies just around the corner. The Airborne Museum of Sainte-Mere-Eglise lies directly across the town square from the church. The museum walks visitors through the firsthand experiences of American paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.
Just about 8.5 miles away is Utah Beach and the Utah Beach Landing Museum. This is an exceptional museum built into a German defensive bunker's remains that chronicles the landings of the 4th Infantry and 90th Infantry Divisions. Displays include landing craft and a B-26 Marauder (one of six remaining worldwide). It is hard to fathom that 836,000 soldiers, 220,000 vehicles, and 750,000 tons of supplies came across this beach and moved eastward along the "Liberty Road" from Utah Beach to Bastogne (marked by milestones starting with milestone 00 at Utah Beach). Other memorials and monuments in the area include an American Monument dedicated to all American soldiers that participated in the invasion from Utah Beach. A Higgins Boat Memorial, memorials to the 1st Engineer Special Brigade, the 4th Infantry Division, the 90th Infantry Division, and the United States Navy. The Brecourt Monument is dedicated to the “Band of Brothers” from “Easy” Company 506th Infantry Regiment. There is also a monument to Danish sailors that supported the invasion at Utah Beach.
This area has so much to offer, and undoubtedly after your visit, it will leave you craving for more. If I ever get the opportunity to visit again, I want to visit the "D-Day Experience" in Carentan.
Beach 2: Omaha.
The 2nd Ranger Battalion scaled the 100+ foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc to take out gun emplacements that could range Omaha Beach. One of the most striking features of this place is the terrain. Craters from the preparatory naval and aerial bombardment cover the bluffs. It was a remarkable military feat to scale these cliffs under intense machine gunfire. There is also a new visitors center (built-in 2014).
Tool 2: Pointe du Hoc Smartphone App.
The American Battlefield Monuments Commission (ABMC) put together an app with an interactive guide as you walk past points of interest along the bluffs and gun emplacements.
Further down the road is the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum. It’s a great museum that shares stories of the landings of the 1st Infantry and 29th Infantry Divisions. A self-paced audio tour covers all of the exhibits in about an hour. The bloodiest fighting occurred on Omaha Beach, with 2,400 soldiers losing their lives that day. Approximately 2 miles from the museum lie several memorials and monuments along Omaha Beach. The monument Les Braves consists of three elements "The Wings of Hope," “Rise, Freedom!" and "The Wings of Fraternity." There are also memorials commemorating the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, the 1st Infantry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 29th Infantry Division, the United States Army National Guard, and the 5th and 6th Engineer Special Brigades.
Atop the bluffs above Omaha Beach lies the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The cemetery contains the remains of 9,385 American soldiers, most of whom, lost their lives during the D-Day landings. There are many instances where brothers’ remains lie buried side-by-side. One famous example at Normandy includes sons of President Theodore Roosevelt - Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (Medal of Honor) and 1st Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt’s (killed in WWI and reinterred after WWII). It is a solemn place and a truly moving experience for anyone visiting the Normandy area.
Beach 3: Gold.
Moving eastward from Omaha Beach toward Gold Beach lies a well-preserved portion of the German Atlantic Wall fortifications and a Coastal Artillery Battery at Longues-Sur-Mer. It's a great example of how well the Germans improved their defenses in the four years separating the German invasion and Allied liberation of France.
The British XXX Corps, consisting of the 50th Infantry Division, the 8th Armored Brigade, the 56th Infantry Brigade, and the 47th Commandos, came across the shore at Gold Beach. Their mission was to capture the towns of Arromanches and Bayeux. The remnants of an extraordinary engineering feat remain outside the village of Arromanches on Gold Beach. Temporary portable harbors called "Mulberry Harbors" were developed and built in the United Kingdom, floated across the English Channel, and sunk in sections to create artificial harbors to speed the off-load of troops and military equipment. In the ten months following D-Day, the Mulberry “B” harbor at Gold Beach allowed the onward movement of 2.5 million soldiers, 500,000 military vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies. Parts of it remain a testament to the incredible engineering and logistical efforts required for the invasion and to sustain the forward momentum of troops across France into Germany.
In the town of Arromanches is the Arromanches Landing Beaches Museum. It's a small museum, but the exhibits expertly convey the massive undertaking to build and operate the harbor. A path that winds up the bluff above Arromanches to a 360-degree cinema that floods the senses with a movie experience that covers the first 100 days following the invasion.
Beach 4: Juno.
The Canadian I Corps, consisting of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 2nd Armored Brigade, the British 48th Commandos, Free French forces, and a Norwegian contingent, invaded Juno Beach. The Juno Beach Center is a great museum and memorial that provides visitors with an appreciation of Canadian contributions during the D-Day invasion and World War II. Less than 4 miles from the Juno Beach Center just outside the town of Reviers is the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery with the remains of 2,044 Canadian soldiers.
Beach 5: Sword.
Continuing eastward, about 14 miles or a 30-minute drive from the Juno Beach Center, due south from Sword Beach lies the Pegasus Bridge. Originally called the Benouville Bridge, but later renamed after the soldiers of the British 6th Airborne Division, the bridge was the first objective seized on D-Day. On the night of the 5 June 1944, “D” Company, 2nd Airborne Battalion, 6th Airborne Division with 181 men, led by Major John Howard, seized and held the strategic bridge across the Caen canal linking Caen and Ouistreham. The museum contains the original bridge, several static displays, and other key exhibits. I highly recommend this museum, and it was refreshing to see busloads of British Army Cadets touring the museum while we were there. Caddy corner across the bridge from the museum lies Café Gondrée at Pegasus Bridge. George and Therese Gondrée purchased the café built-in 1865 in 1934. The Gondrée family and their café was the first family and house liberated on 5 June 1944, and their café became an ad hoc field hospital in the early hours of D-Day. The current owner Arlette Gondrée was 4-years-old when the invasion took place. It was great to hear a first-person account of someone liberated on D-Day.
Bonus Daytrip: Mont Saint-Michel.
We saved a day to explore Brittany American Cemetery and Mont Saint-Michel. Both are about 1.5 hours from Bayeux and are about 15 miles apart from each other. We added this day trip for two reasons. First, I wanted to pay my respects to the 4,405 soldiers buried at the Brittany American Cemetery. Additionally, throughout my three-year assignment in Germany, I wanted to visit every ABMC cemetery in Europe. Second, and most importantly - despite how wonderful and easy-going my wife is, adding a stop to the fairytale island and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mont Sainte-Michel was a fantastic way to balance out a trip filled with WWII history.
The tides at Mont Saint-Michel vary greatly (about 46 feet between low and high water marks), allowed the island to remain unconquered during the Hundred Years War, but an elevated causeway makes the trek to the island reasonably simple today.
Mont Saint-Michel is a vision to behold. It is one of those places you see in Instagram photos that you stop and stare at and wonder how much photoshop was used to create this magical photo. Well, I'm here to tell you NONE! It is truly unique. Depending on the tide, it can appear to be a floating city from a movie set, and when the tide is out, it is a mirage in the sands that beckons you to explore. I am saying it is a MUST stop if you are anywhere in the area. There are three options to enter Mont Saint-Michel: walk the causeway, take a horse-drawn carriage, or take a shuttle bus. Jason and I opted to walk there since I was in such awe of the place and had to stop and take at least 5000 photos, then we took the shuttle back. Once we arrived, we wandered around the windy streets and began to explore.
No trip here would be complete without exploring the historic landmark, Saint Michel Abbey; the architecture is beautiful, and I'm pretty sure no two photos are alike taken on this tidal island. Naturally, while exploring, I worked up an appetite and happened upon a bakery that sold these buttery-looking cookies with 1888 stamped on them. I became curious and bought a small package. OMG! These La Mere Poulard French lemon shortbreads are the most amazing buttery lemon cookie I have ever eaten. I went back in and bought four more tins to take home.
Tip 1:
For more information about the history and retail locations of the 1888 La Mere Poulard French shortbreads the website.
While walking and enjoying my shortbreads, I noticed white and blue sweaters called fisherman's sweaters in several stores. These fisherman sweaters are made in a nearby factory in Saint-James. These iconic sweaters are a great fashion piece that would double as a remarkable memory of this beautiful place.
Tip 2:
For more information about the fisherman’s sweaters check out this website (and you can do a little shopping)
Oh, and by the way, if Mont Saint Michel is on your list, but you can't get on a plane right now, there are specific retailers in the US that sell the 1888 La Mere Poulard French lemon shortbreads, sit back, close your eyes and imagine you are there now!
