Walking the D Day Landing Beaches
- juliethanson64
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
The Normandy beaches that made up the D Day landing zones are places of both great beauty and interest and while the excellent books on the subject can meet the interest, it is only being there that you can appreciate the huge, complicated and ultimately successful endeavour undertaken by the Allies on 6 June 1944.
It is while standing on one of the vantage points above Arromanches-les-Bains or Omaha that the scale of the operation becomes clear and the years of planning prior to 1944 makes sense.
Any tour of the D Day beaches can only cover a small part of the extraordinary venture and a walking tour covers even less, but what it does better than any other method of viewing is give an understanding of what the soldiers and officers went through to get on, across, and off the beaches as quickly as possible to enable the follow up troops to do so safely and with as little loss of life as possible.
This three-day tour looks at all five beaches and includes five walks of between 5 and 7 kms each, and one afternoon of driving.
Day 1
Day 1 focuses on 6 June 1944 and follows the exploits of two of the lead Allied assault forces: 6th British Airborne Division (airborne) and the 3rd British Division (beach landings) behind, and on, Sword Beach respectively.
We take in Old Pegasus Bridge, the Landing Zone memorial, Horsa Bridge, the Ranville War Cemetery and then return to Bénouville to the Glider Memorial and gun pit, before a quick coffee at Café Gondrée (the first to be liberated), before ending at Pegasus Museum.
The afternoon walk begins at Montgomery’s Statue and the memorial for the first British Graves. We take in memorials and exhibit to the Commandos, including the Kieffers’ Commandos before visiting the first of a few German Wilderstandsnest and on to Piper Bill Millin's statue and ending at Strong Point COD.
Day 2
Day 2 looks at Gold Beach and Juno Beach: Gold Beach was stormed by the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, a veteran division having fought in France, North Africa and Sicily. Juno Beach was the site of the Canadian contribution (3rd Canadian Division), and this stand will also examine the contribution of the other allies.
Our first walk begins at Bernièrs Railway Station, and we then walk to Queens Own House before looking at a few of the bunkers and memorials that line the short on Juno Beach. We take in the North Shore Landing areas and then walk to the viewpoint to Tailleville. (If the party is fit enough, and willing to walk a few extra kilometers, its possible to fit in a quick hike to Tailleville itself). We finish with a look at the memorial to the First Nations Canadians and the War Correspondents House, just a block back from the frontline action.
On route to the start of the afternoon walk we will pass Hollis’ Hut (Stan Hollis was the only recipient of a VC on 6 June), the relics of the Mount Fleury battery and the British Normandy Memorial.
The second walk of Day 2 begins on the east side of Asnelles Beach where we view German Bunkers, the Hampshire’s landing areas, two more Wilderstandsnests and then end up with a view over Arromanches-les-Bains and the famous Mulberry Harbour.
Day 3
Day 3 is dedicated to the American participation, starting on Omaha beach. The day also includes a stop at the Longues-sur-Mer battery on the way to Omaha beach, and a visit to Pointe-du-hoc on the way to Utah beach.
Our morning walk starts at the Normandy American Cemetery and then takes in a lookout over Omaha beach before descending onto the beach for a walk westwards, taking in beach defences, two Wilderstandsnests and the site of the first airfield created on the coast on 6 June. The circular walk takes us back through the forests to the American Cemetery, where there is time to visit some of the more famous graves, including those of the Niland brothers of Saving Private Ryan fame.
The afternoon drive takes in a visit to Brecourt Manor and the looks at Dick Winters and the Band of Brothers. It also passes the memorial to the Danish and ends on Utah Beach where the range of the Pont-du-Hoc guns becomes obvious.
Comments