Tour to Normandy

Another day of being picked up at 6:30 a.m. from my hotel and eating a boxed breakfast as breakfast wasn’t being served yet. And back to the Paris City Visions office to take a tour of the Normandy D–Day Battlefields and Beaches. It was a somber tour as it dealt with D–Day and World War II. Photo: Joan of Arc statue in front of the Paris City Visions office.

Normandy Map

The trip to Normandy from Paris took about 3 hours.

Along the Way to Normandy

We passed towns, almost always with a church steeple, on our way to Normandy, then drove on highways on which mainly the only view was of trees along the road. Good time to catch up on sleep. We did not make any rest stops along the way.

Caen Centre for History and Peace

Our first stop was at the Caen Memorial Museum, Centre for History and Peace, in Normandy where would review events of World War II and be introduced to the Normandy D–Day invasion. The museum has an interesting website: http://normandy.memorial–caen.com/

Caen Memorial Museum

The museum is large and has different sections and parts. One part in the the Civilians in Wartime Memorial was “Civilians and the Occupation.” Photo: One of the posters in this part: “Do the job HE left behind.”

Civilians in Wartime Memorial

One of the photos in this section. The caption reads: “This struggle of ideologies and racial differences will have to be conducted with unmerciful harshness.” Hilter, March 1941.

Civilians and Liberation

Another part of the Civilians in Wartime section was “Civilians and Liberation.” In this photo, women are celebrating that the war is over.

Civilians and Liberation

A photo of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin in this part.

The Battle of Normandy

Another section of the museum was devoted to the Battle of Normandy and D–Day. The Battle of Normandy’s codename was Operation Overlord, of which the invasion of the Normandy beaches was its beginning.

D-Day

June 6, 1944.

D-Day

Start of the timeline of the invasion of the Normandy beaches by the Allies.

D-Day

More of the timeline.

D-Day

More of the timeline.

D-Day

The end of the timeline. The French 2nd Armored Division came ashore nearby Utah Beach, suffering 1519 casualties. After the invasion, troops from other countries joined in fighting the Germans: from Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded, or went missing during the Battle of Normandy, with 209,00 of them being Allied ones. Also, 20,000 citizens of Normandy were killed. The Battle of Normandy ended September 12, 1944, 100 days after D–Day.

Bunker

The center was built on top of the old headquarters of German General Wilhelm Richter who was in charge of defending the Calvados beaches (Normandy region) in 1944. A tunnel 230 feet (70 m) long and 9.8 feet (3 m) high was dug out of rock and made into a bunker. Photo: Inside the bunker.

Normandy

We drove past many farms and yellow canola fields on our drive in Normandy.

Normandy

We also passed many old churches, buildings, and houses made of brown stones.

World War II Museum

There are quite a number of World War II museums in the area of the Normandy beaches. This is one of them that we passed.

Pointe du Hoc

We stopped at Pointe du Hoc which is near Utah beach. German bunkers are still here.

Pointe du Hoc

At the top of a German bunker is the Pointe du Ranger Monument consisting of a single granite pylon.

Pointe du Hoc

The beach at Pointe du Hoc.

Omaha Beach

Next we visited Omaha Beach. We walked down to the memorial.

Omaha Beach

The National Guard Association of the United States memorial at Omaha Beach.

Omaha Beach

The beach.

American Cemetery

We next visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. There are other cemeteries in the area including one of Commonwealth graves, a Polish cemetery, and a German cemetery.

Normandy American Cemetery

The cemetery covers 172 acres and 9,387 Americans are buried here who were killed during the Normandy invasion and the fighting that occurred after it in Operation Overlord of which the invasion was a part.

Reflecting Pool

The Reflecting Pool at the American cemetery.

Juno Beach

We next visited Juno Beach where the Canadians took part in the invasion of the Normandy beaches.

Juno Beach

Military equipment at Juno Beach.

Juno Beach

Memorial listing the names of Canadians who served in World War II.

I have put my photos of the tour to Normandy on two slideshows. Go to
http://www.peggysphotos.com/normandy–1/
and
http://www.peggysphotos.com/normandy–2/

(Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Normandy–1 and –2”).

On the Way Back to Paris

Scenery on the way back to Paris.

Back in Paris

And back in Paris and passing the Eiffel Tower. I got back to my hotel about 9 p.m., so a very long trip today.