D-Day   Paris

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.normandiememoire.com/histoire.carte.front.php?lang=en

 

 

 

How to travel to the D-Day Beaches in Normandy from Paris

Commemorate D-Day Where it All Began

Bayeux British military cemetery, the burial place of almost 4000 soldiers who took part in the Normandy Landings in 1944.

British War Cemetery

The peaceful Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest of the 18 Commonwealth military cemeteries in Normandy. It contains 4,868 graves of soldiers from the UK and 10 other countries (including Germany, in contrast to the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer). Many of the soldiers buried here were never identified, and the headstones are simply marked 'A Soldier Known Unto God'. The bodies of 1,807 other Commonwealth soldiers were never found, and are commemorated on the memorial across the main road.

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(Map Below)

"A" Colleville sur mer American cemetary

                                                                        The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II cemetery and

                                                                        memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, that honors American soldiers who died in

                                                                        Europe during World War II.

                                                                        The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the

                                                                        Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 172 acres (70 ha), and contains the

                                                                        remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy

                                                                        and ensuing military operations in World War II. Included are graves of Army Air Corps crews shot

                                                                        down over France as early as 1942.

 

Pointe du hoc landing near Grandcamp-Maisy

Bayeux - England (and others) cemetary

 

About
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

History
On June 8, 1944, the U.S. First Army established the temporary cemetery, the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. After the war, the present-day cemetery was established a short distance to the east of the original site.


Like all other overseas American cemeteries in France for World War I and II, France has granted the United States a special, perpetual concession to the land occupied by the cemetery, free of any charge or any tax. This cemetery is managed by the American government, under Congressional acts that provide yearly financial support for maintaining them, with most military and civil personnel employed abroad. The U.S. flag flies over these granted soils.

The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 172 acres (70 ha), and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. Included are graves of Army Air Corps crews shot down over France as early as 1942.


Only some of the soldiers who died overseas are buried in the overseas American military cemeteries. When it came time for a permanent burial, the next of kin eligible to make decisions were asked if they wanted their loved ones repatriated for permanent burial in the U.S., or interred at the closest overseas cemetery.

 

 

 

                                              La Cambe is a military war grave cemetery, located close to Bayeux, France. Presently containing in excess of 21,000

                                             German military personnel of World War II, it is maintained and managed by the German War Graves Commission.

 

Orglandes German war cemetery

                                             Orglandes War Cemetery is a German World War II cemetery in Normandy, France. It is located on the northern edge

                                             of the village of Orglandes, about 25 km west of Bayeux. The burials come from summer 1944, immediately following

                                             D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

 

 

What is D-day?

On June 6, 1944, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of French coastline to fight Nazi Germany. The cost was high, with more than 9,000 soldiers wounded or killed. By day’s end, the Allies gained a foothold in Normandy, and more than 100,000 soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler and eventually win the war. This short description clearly cannot do justice to the sacrifice of these brave young men.

To see where this act of courage took place nearly 70 years ago is for many, a dream fulfilled. Getting here is easy, thanks to France’s highly developed railway network, and is a very doable day trip from Paris.

Visit Normandy for D-day celebrations

The beaches of Normandy will commemorate this 68th anniversary with a full slate of events from June 1-June 8, including:

  • Reconstruction of US military camps in Sainte Mère Eglise and Sainte Marie du Mont Utah Beach

  • Reconstruction of the advance of 101 Airborne – participants in uniform set off at 9h00 in military vehicles

  • Parachute jump over marais de La Fière

  • Photo exhibition “Our Dear Deceased US Veterans” in Amfreville, Salle des fêtes

  • “The Longest Night”: On the 50th anniversary of the film “The Longest Day.” Meetings with local extras of the shooting of the movie in Ste Mère Eglise and in other places.

 

Calvados Pegasus bridge

 

To the Allied Beaches Memorial Museum in Caen:

If your plans include a visit to the Allied beaches, Memorial Museum or you plan to rent a car and explore on your own then you’ll want to select Caen as your destination.

The award-winning Caen Memorial Museum is regarded as the best World War II museum in France and only 15 minutes away from the D-Day beaches. Thanks to this proximity, the museum runs guided tours. Also on display are exhibits of other failures and triumphs of peace, such as the Berlin Wall and was the first museum outside of the United States to display artifacts from 9/11.

 

Calvados Notre-Dame cathedral in Bayeux mixes features of romanesque and gothic architecture. It was largely constructed in the 13th century.

 

                                                         The Beauty of Bayeux

It was here, in 1944, that General Charles de Gaulle made his first major speech in which he made clear that France sided with the Allies. The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched during the Battle of Normandy, sparing the city’s architectural gems, notably the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. The church is a national monument of France, consecrated in 1077.

The Cathedral was also the original home of the famed Bayeux Tapestries. Woven in 1066 by Reine Mathilde, wife of William the Conqueror to commemorate events in the Norman Conquest of England, it is one of the world’s oldest tapestries still intact. It’s such a tourist attraction, that Bayeux created a museum just for this one incredible piece of art – the Musée de la Tapisserie.

 

Whether in Paris on June 6 or visiting at another time, the beaches of Normandy are a day trip not to be missed. Its history has shaped our future, and for that, we are ever grateful.

 

Hillman Bunker

 

 

Pegasus Bridge

 

 

Atlantic Wall

Cherbourg had been declared a Fortress by Hitler.
Some of the heaviest batteries can be found in this sector, it can be argued that Hamburg was the biggest true batterie in France.
The Germans never really utilised Cherbourg to its full potential, two flotillas of S-Boates being the extent of its naval power here.
At the foot of each page you will find listed the Bunkers and Armaments of each site where known


Driving Routes from Paris to Normandy

Driving from Paris to Caen: Driving time of about 2 and a half hours. Driving distance of about 145 Miles.
Driving from Paris to Bayeux: Driving time of just under 3 hours. Driving distance of about 160 Miles
Driving from Paris to Trouville-sur-mer: Driving time of just over 2 hours. Driving distance of about 125 Miles.
Driving from Paris to Rouen: Driving time of about an hour and a half. Driving distance of about 80 Miles.

 

 

 

 

Pointe du Hoc, France - Site of the Satterlee support for the Normandy Invasion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alabaster coast, from Le Havre to Le Tréport

 

 

 

 

Caen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       http://www.francebound.net/regional/normandy.php

 

                                                                       http://www.historvius.com/historic-sites-in-basse-normandie/pl86

 

                                                                       http://traveltips.usatoday.com/famous-sites-lower-normandy-france-3354.html

 

                                                                       http://normandy.memorial-caen.com/

 

 

 

 

Caen, Bayeux, D-Day Beaches

Normandy is full of history. From here, William the Conqueror launched his invasion of England in 1066, and nearly 900 years later, the Allies landed on its beaches on D-Day to liberate Europe from Nazi control. In the cemetery for Commonwealth soldiers, a Latin epitaph thus resonates with meaning, “We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s homeland.” For a comprehensive look at World War II history, the Caen Memorial for History and Peace is one of the finest museums we’ve ever seen.

 

Agent Advice

Ada King, of Connoisseur’s Travel, named one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialists from 2000-2010, recommends Normandy as one of France’s most beautiful regions, making for “a picturesque driving holiday.” While touring the D-Day beaches, Ada suggests “a stop in the little fishing port of Arromanches les Bains which is at the center of the British sector or Gold Beach. The Arromanches Museum screens an excellent film of the D-Day landings.

 

“Caen [although the old town was almost entirely destroyed by bombardment] is also worth a visit for its chateau and abbeys and the nearby Museum of the Battle of Normandy—it is less of a ‘war’ [retrospective] and more of a ‘peace’ memorial.

 

“Or, on a lighter note, take the road to Lisieux and then in the direction of Vimoutiers (D579) and follow a country lane to St. Germain de Livet to visit its chateau. From there, follow signs to Vimoutiers and then on to Fervaques—charming and picturesque. After driving through the village, follow the signs for the Route de Fromage [cheese]. You can continue along to Livarot and then head back to Caen to see the cheese museum.

 

“If you stop to see the remains of William the Conqueror’s Castle in Falaise, make sure to dine at La Fine Fourchette at 52 Rue G. Clemenceau, which is quite good.”

 

Many Americans make trips to the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. It’s impossible not to be moved by the sea of white crosses, interspersed with stars of David, dotting a windswept hilltop above Omaha Beach. Nearby, at Pointe du Hoc, the strategic point of attack by the U.S. Army Rangers on D-Day, the memorial has been reopened after extensive U.S. restoration efforts. And the Utah Beach Museum in the town of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont has just unveiled a dramatic renovation, including the construction of a new wing.

 

The medieval town of Bayeux makes a good base for touring the D-Day beaches. Stop by the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to see the UNESCO-listed relic that recounts the Norman Conquest and William the Bastard’s rise to William the Conqueror. An exhibit running until December 30—the first ever involving national treasures from both Europe and Asia—juxtaposes the 225-foot tapestry with a 12th-century Japanese scroll. Cap off the day with a delicious dinner at the Lion d’Or, an 18th-century coach stop that served as headquarters for the Allies after the D-Day landings. The bar is filled with photographs of the famous folks who’ve dined there, including Steven Spielberg and Prince Charles.

Honfleur