Normandy Part I

25-28 June - We all packed up and drove to the Normandy Region of France. It was a nice drive except for the traffic in Paris!! Motorcycles drive between cars - while the cars are moving!!! really fun!! 25 Jun - We arrived and checked into the hotel in Caen and started our tour of the WWII D-Day sites. We began at Pegasus Bridge on the Orne River in Benouville. This was the first place liberated by the Allies (British 6th ABN Division) at 0030 on 6 June 1944. It was critical to secure this bridge to allow the British to cross the river after landing and to ensure the enemy did not cross it to attack the landing beaches just 5 miles N of the bridge. The British landed in 3 gliders from 25-50 and 75 meters from the bridge and captured the bridge in 15 minutes and held against 2 enemy counterattacks until later in the day when relieved by the British forces landing at Sword Beach. Jamie and Chandler enjoyed it and got to see the original bridge replaced in 1995, a full side model of the Horsa Glider, the landing sites of the gliders and a very nice museum. From there we travelled to Merville battery. This is a battery of 4 155mm artillery guns that could range the landings on Juno and Gold beaches. 900 British paratroopers and gliders landed to capture the battery manned by 144 of the enemy. The successful capture of these two sites and 5 bridges over the Diver River ensured the success of the landing on the Eastern part of D-Day. the battery has a DC-3 that was used to drop paratroopers on D-day, then sold to Czechoslovakia then Serbia finally rescued and restored and placed at the Merville Site. They have a really realistic sound and light demonstration of what it would be like inside one of the artillery bunkers with 1000lb bombs dropping, the guns firing, small arms fire outside, explosions, anti-aircraft artillery fire, shouting - pretty realistic. For dinner, we ate at Juno Beach and had muscles and ice cream - no not at the same time!!!! Then a really great lightning storm over the beach with ALOT of rain. Jamie and Chandler at the site of the first glider landing at 0016 on 6 June at Pegasus Bridge. the commander was MAJ Taylor, 6th British Airborne Division. Merville Battery - see the 4 hardened artillery bunkers. It is a very interesting site that is pretty much exactly as it was on D-day. Over 1,500 British paratroopers died in the area capturing bridges and this battery. Jamie and Chandler enjoying muscles in France :))))) yummy 26 June - We drove toward St Mere Eglise behind Utah beach on the Carentan Peninsula. On the way we stopped at the German Soldier Cemetary south of Isigny sur Mer. The Cemetary is where German Soldiers killed in the Normandy area are buried. The Deutschsoldatfriedhof (cemetary) is very well done. It is very different than the American Cemetary. German Soldiers are buried mostly 2 to a grave. It was very moving to see several flower wreaths layed at the mononent on 6 June this year. One of the wreaths was from the 9th Battalion 6th British Airborne Division. This is the unit that attacked and Merville battery we visited the day before. This unit lost personnel to the enemny and took the lives of many of the Soldiers buried in the ceremony. The wreath was placed in the spirit of rememberance and recolsilidation for lives lost and taken. Afterwards, we drove to Saint Mere Eglise. The 82nd Airborne Division jumped in the area around Saint Mere Eglise to secure the main road from Cherbourg and Carentan. One of the companies of the 82nd AA Division landed in Saint Mere Eglise. Unfortunately, a house was onfire in the city center. People were out fighting the fire and of course the enemy occupying the town were out as well. As the planes flew overhead and the paratroopers fell, they had no option but to fall within the downtown where many were killed immediately or taken prisoner by the enemy. The town was liberated the morning of 6 June. The parachute you see on the church is a replica of the paratrooper John Steele who landed on the church. The 101st Airborne Division jumped just Southeast of this town into Saint Marie du Mont to secure the road in that sector. The 82st and 101st Airborne Divisions secured their objected with heavy fighting. They suffered approx 2,500 killed on D-Day. Next, we travelled the 7 miles to Utah beach were the 4th and 90th Infantry Divisions landed. There is a very nice museum and film with many artifacts. The beach is very vide a low-tide which is when the Allies landed. There are several remaining bunkers along the beach. After lunch, we travelled to the US Cemetary at Colleville. This is the top of the cliff of Omaha beach where the toughest fighting was on D-Day. The 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions landed here. The entire D-Day landing hinged on the main effort at Omaha Beach. The beach was not secured and troops not off the beach until late in the day on D-Day. The cemetary is very pretty with an ocean view with many of the soldiers buried within 100yds of where they died. Soldiers buried in the cemetary died in the Normandy Campaign that lasted approx 2 months. From the cemetary we went to dinner in Port en Bessen - a small port city. We walked thru a small outdoor market and had dinner. We then went back to the hotel and the kids played in the pool.

German Soldier Cemetary in Normandy - Flowers remain from 6 Jun Ceremonies

James and Jamie outside the church in Saint Mere Eglise.

James and Jamie on Utah Beach where 197 US casualties died on D-Day.

Judy, Jamie, Chandler and Kim at Colleville American Cemetary, Normandy.

Jamie and Chandler on Omaha Beach where approx 2000 US soldiers died on D-day. Port en Bessen where we had dinner.