Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Graham & Jane
- Blog
-
Location Date Paris 1476745200 Cannes 1476054000 Avignon 1475708400 Tournon-Sur-Rhone 1475622000 Lyon 1475535600 Tournus 1475362800 Chalon-Sur-Saone 1475276400 Conflans Sainte Honorine 1475103600 Rouen 1475017200 Normandy 
1475017200 Caudebec-En-Caux 1474844400 Vernon 1474758000
Today we had 3 choices of tours:
1. The American landing beaches, followed by the American Cemetery
2. The Commonwealth beaches, centering on the Canadian involvement
3. The Bayeaux tapestry and tastes of Normandy
Graham chose option 2 and these are the pictures attached to today's blog, Jane chose option 3 but unfortunately forgot to take her iPad or phone to take any pictures.
The day started in Ranville near where the first action of D-Day took place, Benouville, it was here that the first casualty of the war HD Brotheridge is buried. The church is next to one of the Commonwealth War Grave sites and it is interesting to note there are 18 Commonwealth War Grave sites, but only 1 American, this is because the Americans had a program to consolidate all their casualties into a single site, but the Commonwealth decided to leave them be. It was very sombering to read some of the headstones and see the ages of the fallen, many were just 18yrs old.
In the church are a number of memorials to the men who took the Pegasus bridge which was one of the main subjects in the movie "the longest day" and an extremely strategic bridge in the context of D-Day.
We then moved on to the museum of the taking of the bridge which had as one of its main exhibits the actual bridge taken from the river, with the results of gun and shell damage clear to be seen.
On then towards the beach at Arromanche where the Mulberry Harbour was built and it is in between Gold and Sword beaches. Only some 20 pieces of the harbour are left to see, the rest being appropriated at the end of WWII before anyone thought they should be left as a memorial. The original harbour had over 80 pieces manufactured in the UK and towed out straight after D-Day.
The last 2 stops on the day were the Canadian museum at Juno beach which is absolutely excellent and a credit to the veterans who raised the money and then managed to get the Canadian government to match their efforts. The museum is staffed by people who are in the age group of the servicemen who took part in the landings.
All in all a very moving day.
1. The American landing beaches, followed by the American Cemetery
2. The Commonwealth beaches, centering on the Canadian involvement
3. The Bayeaux tapestry and tastes of Normandy
Graham chose option 2 and these are the pictures attached to today's blog, Jane chose option 3 but unfortunately forgot to take her iPad or phone to take any pictures.
The day started in Ranville near where the first action of D-Day took place, Benouville, it was here that the first casualty of the war HD Brotheridge is buried. The church is next to one of the Commonwealth War Grave sites and it is interesting to note there are 18 Commonwealth War Grave sites, but only 1 American, this is because the Americans had a program to consolidate all their casualties into a single site, but the Commonwealth decided to leave them be. It was very sombering to read some of the headstones and see the ages of the fallen, many were just 18yrs old.
In the church are a number of memorials to the men who took the Pegasus bridge which was one of the main subjects in the movie "the longest day" and an extremely strategic bridge in the context of D-Day.
We then moved on to the museum of the taking of the bridge which had as one of its main exhibits the actual bridge taken from the river, with the results of gun and shell damage clear to be seen.
On then towards the beach at Arromanche where the Mulberry Harbour was built and it is in between Gold and Sword beaches. Only some 20 pieces of the harbour are left to see, the rest being appropriated at the end of WWII before anyone thought they should be left as a memorial. The original harbour had over 80 pieces manufactured in the UK and towed out straight after D-Day.
The last 2 stops on the day were the Canadian museum at Juno beach which is absolutely excellent and a credit to the veterans who raised the money and then managed to get the Canadian government to match their efforts. The museum is staffed by people who are in the age group of the servicemen who took part in the landings.
All in all a very moving day.
- comments