Normandy beaches
Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 6:57 pm
I was in PAris for 10 days, and needed something to do on the weekend.
Went to Bayeux in Normandy to visit the D-Day beaches.
Took the train from Paris on a Saturday afternoon. Price was 69 Euros
round trip. The trip was nice, pretty countryside.
I stay at the Reine-Mathilde in Bayeux, it was 55 eruos per night.
Rooms small, but I didn't spend much time in it! You can see it in this photo, right hand side of the street, with the redwritiing on the side wall.
Went to the catherdral across the street.
Walked around town for a while, but as it was May Day, all the stores were closed.
A couple of tourist shops were open, but that was about it.
I considered going to see the Bayeux tapestry, however, a powerful thirst overcame me, and I went and got a beer instead. (one of my hobbies is studying the drinking habits of the natives!)
I had reserved a trip on the American Highlights tours through Battlebus. (85 Euro) I liked this tour, as it was a small group, 8 people.
http://www.battlebus.fr/
We met right near the hotel at 8:30. Trevor was the guide.
First stop was Sainte-Mère-Église, one of the first towns liberated on June 6th, 1944 by the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions. PFC John Steele was trapped on the church steeple, but manageed to surive by playing dead (Made famous in the movie "The Longest Day".
Trevor told us the story of the day, and how Steele really was on the other side of the church, not the one facing the town square.
------------
We then went to the Airborne museum next to the square, where there were exhbits of a C-47 and Waco Glider, and lots of equipment from D-Day.
We then stopped a a Hedgerow, where Trevor explained the reason they were use (farmers to prevent erosion) and how they impacted the battles.
-----------
Next stop wwas UTAH beach. It was raining and blowing good, and quite cold.
This is marker at KM 0 for the VOIE de la LIBERTÉ (Liberty road). There is one of these every Kilometer from Normandy to Batogne, a total of 1,446. Actually, there is another KM 0 marker at Sainte-Mère-Église, for the liberation by the airborne.
Higgins Boat.
On the beach, Trevor gave a description of the battle, and the construction of the Widerstandsnests, or restiance nests that made up the "Atlantic wall" defenses.
You can see part of a bunker next to this store:
I believe it is the same from this picture:
Along the beach there are remanants of an Anti Tank wall, that since have fallen:
-------------
From Utah beach, we then headed to Angoville-au-Plain. Colonel Sink of the Band of Brothers had an HQ here, in this farmhouse on the left.
The big story here happened at the church, where two medics, Robert Wright and Kenneth Moore, set up a field hospital, where they treated wounded, both German, and US as well as civilians.
The pews have blood stains on them, where the wounded lay. Quite a compelling story. They treated a little boy, who stll lives in the village today. His entire family was killed in the battles.
There are two stained glass windows in the church.
There is a monument outside the church:
_____________
We then went to Pointe du Hoc. This was my favorite stop, and I wish we could have spent more time there.
Here is a pic from Google maps, and you can see the artillery and bomb craters that are still there.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 8&t=h&z=18
Look familiar?
Inside one of the bunkers
Gun turntable
Bunker
Craters
-----------
We then went to Omaha beach. The beach is a resort town, and it was hard to see the signs of war, but they were present in some bunker and machine gun nests in the cliffs.
The contrast between 1944 and now was highlighted by this picture of the kids playing on the beach, and sandcastles. if you look up on the risge, you can make out some bunkers.
We went over to the american cemetary.
The trees are cut in this shape like parchutes.
The place was very moving.
Some Tarheels.
____________
His citation:
On 8 June 1944, the 3d Battalion of the 116th Infantry was advancing on the strongly held German defenses at Grandcamp-Maisy, France, when the leading elements were suddenly halted by decimating machinegun fire from a firmly entrenched enemy force on the high ground overlooking the town. After numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective, T/Sgt. Peregory, on his own initiative, advanced up the hill under withering fire, and worked his way to the crest where he discovered an entrenchment leading to the main enemy fortifications 200 yards away. Without hesitating, he leaped into the trench and moved toward the emplacement. Encountering a squad of enemy riflemen, he fearlessly attacked them with handgrenades and bayonet, killed 8 and forced 3 to surrender. Continuing along the trench, he single-handedly forced the surrender of 32 more riflemen, captured the machine gunners, and opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion to advance and secure its objective. The extraordinary gallantry and aggressiveness displayed by T/Sgt. Peregory are exemplary of the highest tradition of the armed forces.
In summary, it was a really interesting and moving experience. The stories of singlehanded, unselfish acts of valor and courage of the men in Normandy is really beyond comprehension in today's world. However, it was this that defeated the Axis, and freed europe, and the world.
Went to Bayeux in Normandy to visit the D-Day beaches.
Took the train from Paris on a Saturday afternoon. Price was 69 Euros
round trip. The trip was nice, pretty countryside.
I stay at the Reine-Mathilde in Bayeux, it was 55 eruos per night.
Rooms small, but I didn't spend much time in it! You can see it in this photo, right hand side of the street, with the redwritiing on the side wall.
Went to the catherdral across the street.
Walked around town for a while, but as it was May Day, all the stores were closed.
A couple of tourist shops were open, but that was about it.
I considered going to see the Bayeux tapestry, however, a powerful thirst overcame me, and I went and got a beer instead. (one of my hobbies is studying the drinking habits of the natives!)
I had reserved a trip on the American Highlights tours through Battlebus. (85 Euro) I liked this tour, as it was a small group, 8 people.
http://www.battlebus.fr/
We met right near the hotel at 8:30. Trevor was the guide.
First stop was Sainte-Mère-Église, one of the first towns liberated on June 6th, 1944 by the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions. PFC John Steele was trapped on the church steeple, but manageed to surive by playing dead (Made famous in the movie "The Longest Day".
Trevor told us the story of the day, and how Steele really was on the other side of the church, not the one facing the town square.
------------
We then went to the Airborne museum next to the square, where there were exhbits of a C-47 and Waco Glider, and lots of equipment from D-Day.
We then stopped a a Hedgerow, where Trevor explained the reason they were use (farmers to prevent erosion) and how they impacted the battles.
-----------
Next stop wwas UTAH beach. It was raining and blowing good, and quite cold.
This is marker at KM 0 for the VOIE de la LIBERTÉ (Liberty road). There is one of these every Kilometer from Normandy to Batogne, a total of 1,446. Actually, there is another KM 0 marker at Sainte-Mère-Église, for the liberation by the airborne.
Higgins Boat.
On the beach, Trevor gave a description of the battle, and the construction of the Widerstandsnests, or restiance nests that made up the "Atlantic wall" defenses.
You can see part of a bunker next to this store:
I believe it is the same from this picture:
Along the beach there are remanants of an Anti Tank wall, that since have fallen:
-------------
From Utah beach, we then headed to Angoville-au-Plain. Colonel Sink of the Band of Brothers had an HQ here, in this farmhouse on the left.
The big story here happened at the church, where two medics, Robert Wright and Kenneth Moore, set up a field hospital, where they treated wounded, both German, and US as well as civilians.
The pews have blood stains on them, where the wounded lay. Quite a compelling story. They treated a little boy, who stll lives in the village today. His entire family was killed in the battles.
There are two stained glass windows in the church.
There is a monument outside the church:
_____________
We then went to Pointe du Hoc. This was my favorite stop, and I wish we could have spent more time there.
Here is a pic from Google maps, and you can see the artillery and bomb craters that are still there.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 8&t=h&z=18
Look familiar?
Inside one of the bunkers
Gun turntable
Bunker
Craters
-----------
We then went to Omaha beach. The beach is a resort town, and it was hard to see the signs of war, but they were present in some bunker and machine gun nests in the cliffs.
The contrast between 1944 and now was highlighted by this picture of the kids playing on the beach, and sandcastles. if you look up on the risge, you can make out some bunkers.
We went over to the american cemetary.
The trees are cut in this shape like parchutes.
The place was very moving.
Some Tarheels.
____________
His citation:
On 8 June 1944, the 3d Battalion of the 116th Infantry was advancing on the strongly held German defenses at Grandcamp-Maisy, France, when the leading elements were suddenly halted by decimating machinegun fire from a firmly entrenched enemy force on the high ground overlooking the town. After numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective, T/Sgt. Peregory, on his own initiative, advanced up the hill under withering fire, and worked his way to the crest where he discovered an entrenchment leading to the main enemy fortifications 200 yards away. Without hesitating, he leaped into the trench and moved toward the emplacement. Encountering a squad of enemy riflemen, he fearlessly attacked them with handgrenades and bayonet, killed 8 and forced 3 to surrender. Continuing along the trench, he single-handedly forced the surrender of 32 more riflemen, captured the machine gunners, and opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion to advance and secure its objective. The extraordinary gallantry and aggressiveness displayed by T/Sgt. Peregory are exemplary of the highest tradition of the armed forces.
In summary, it was a really interesting and moving experience. The stories of singlehanded, unselfish acts of valor and courage of the men in Normandy is really beyond comprehension in today's world. However, it was this that defeated the Axis, and freed europe, and the world.