In April 2010 my daughter Kristy joined a Battlefield Tour to Northern France where she visited the D Day landing beaches and museums and memorials dedicated to those who fought and died during the campaign.
I asked her to give me a flavour of the tour and what to expect.
Why did you choose a trip like this?
I have a keen interest in WW2 and this was a campaign that I was particularly interested in. You get a potted history of one area of the war and it had a good itinerary that included everything I wanted to see.
Is it not glorifying war?
Far from it, it is about honouring those who died, a lot of them young men. It is sad to visit some places especially the cemeteries but I feel it is important that we do not forget what they did. We heard stories of courage that make you feel humble.
Why did you choose an escorted tour?
Its all done for you, you don’t have to organise transport or work out what to do each day, all you have to do is be on time for the coach.
Was it value for money?
Yes because it is a very specialised trip and petrol alone would be expensive.
You have transport almost door to door, bed and breakfast and most importantly the use of a specialist Battlefield Tour Guide and his knowledge which is invaluable.
The only extras you pay for are food and drink, museum entries and any souvenirs.
Who would you recommend this type of tour to?
Anyone with an interest in WW2 or maybe someone who had a relative who fought and died here who wants to learn more about it and maybe visit their grave.
I would recommend that if you want to visit a particular grave then before you go look on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website which is cwgc.org/ or the American Battle Monuments Commission which is abmc.gov/ and search on there for the grave number then when you are in France most cemeteries have a plan for ease of use.
Is this trip suitable for people with disabilities ?
Not for anyone who needs a wheelchair and there is quite a bit of hilly terrain to walk and a lot of getting on and off the coach. Having said that, there were two D Day veterans with us in their 80’s and they managed to do it!
Do you need to do your homework beforehand? What level of knowledge do you need?
You could go in as an absolute novice as everything is explained by the guide. They are experts in their field and can explain why events occurred and their significance.
The itinerary was planned in chronological order which helped with the flow of the story. The guide builds you up with info on the journey to the site then carries it on when you are there with talks on the stories, history and background of that particular place. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and you can ask any questions.
What was the travelling like?
Not for the fainthearted! We were picked up at our nearest pick up point in Plymouth at 4am and then had to drive to Dover to catch the ferry. It was a long drive as we had to pick up people on the way but we did have regular service stops for meals and leg stretching!
We arrived at Calais then had a 4 hour drive down to Caen(arriving at 10pm local time/9pm GMT) where we stayed for 4 nights. The good thing about this is it gives you a chance to get to know other passengers and the guide went through the itinerary in full. Once we got there the sites we were visiting were all in a 50 mile radius
What did you do on the coach to pass the time?
Listen to my music, write up my journal, eat snacks, read about the destination or stories about it to get me in the mood.
There is also the chance to watch documentaries or films.
Where did you go and what did you see? What was the basic itinerary?
Although it was a 5 day trip we spent days 1 and 5 travelling so we only had 3 full days in the area ,but we had a packed itinerary which gave a good mix of stories from the actual landings to the fighting that followed.
On the first day we visited the British and Commonwealth sector including Pegasus bridge which was taken by British gliders in the early hours of June 6th. We went in the museum and saw the landing points for the invasion.
Glider at Pegasus Bridge
We also visited Ranville cemetery and the Merville gun battery overlooking Sword beach where the bunkers have been restored into mini museums.
Merville Battery
Then to Juno beach where we saw Canada house, so named because it was the first house to be liberated by seaborne Allied forces who were Canadian.
The next stop was a personal highlight,we went to Arromanches where you can see the remains of the concrete mulberry harbours which were constructed in parts in Britain and brought over with the invasion fleet and erected and used to land troops, vehicles and supplies over the months of fighting that followed. The museum has scale models of the harbour and the staff talk you through the assaults on the beaches.
Arromanches
We finished the day by visiting the German war cemetery at La Cambe.
On the second day we concentrated on the U.S sector and went to the town of St Mere Eglise where paratroopers dropped into the centre of town and there is a museum and memorials dedicated to their memory.
St Mere Eglise Church
Then to the landing beaches of Omaha and Utah which included a visit to the Utah beach museum.
Landing craft at Utah Museum
We then visited the nearby U.S cemetery and the gun placements at Longues sur mer then as we had some spare time we went to the Bayeux war cemetery.
On our last full day we looked in detail at the inland fighting that continued after D Day itself. We visited the cemetery at Tilly Sur Seulles, then to the town of Villers Bocage where heavy fighting took place on June 13th.The town was almost completely destroyed by Allied air attacks.
We then drove out to Hill 112 ,an elevated point which has 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.
The fighting for control of this crucial position went on for weeks and it was not until the end of July that the Allies finally took command.
Our guide pointed out gun placements and scenes of fighting.
Hill 112 Tank Memorial
We then visited the scene of the fighting in the Falaise pocket which was the decisive and final battle of Normandy as the Allied forces effectively encircled the Germans.
Fighting took place between August 12th to 21st and two days later Paris was liberated.We finished by travelling the so called corridor of death which was the only escape route the Germans had left.
Did it not get a bit samey?
Not at all,for instance we did visit a lot of cemeteries but each one has its own special meaning and our guide would point out individual graves and tell us the story of that person.
Has the landscape changed over the years? can you still get a sense of the action?
Not on the beaches as there are no focal points although at Arromanches we could still see the remains of the mulberry harbours.
Even so there are so many memorials that you cannot forget the history of the area. You do get a sense that this area is almost like a little piece of Allied history like nowhere else on mainland Europe.
It is the closest ground war zone to the U.K and it is scary to think how close the Germans got.
The landscape and beaches reminded me very much of Devon which is not surprising as my local beach at Slapton Sands was one of the secret locations for the preparations for D Day landings.
What was your most memorable moment and why?
One of the veterans pointing out where he drove a tank in the Falaise pocket. It really brought it to life. The first hand testimony from the veterans made all the difference.
Did you learn anything new?
I had read a lot about D Day itself but not the subsequent campaign. There is a lot more to it than just the first day.
Also, I didn’t realise the French were still so passionate about it, the veterans were treated like celebrities.
Local people and especially schoolchildren wanted their pictures taken with them and in one museum the guide hugged them and thanked them for all they did.
She said to them “The reason I come and do this is to remind people of what you did.”
What was the daily routine?
As we had a lot to fit in it was an 8.30 start on the coach every day so you had to be up, dressed and breakfasted by then. We would then spend the day out and go back to the hotel about 6pm and get a meal then spend the evening at leisure.
That usually meant meeting up in the hotel bar and chatting about what we had seen that day. Maybe someone had spotted something that others hadn’t and we would swap stories.
What were the meal options at the hotel and what did you do for lunch?
There was the choice of a meal package where meals at the hotel were included but I prefer to opt out and be a bit more flexible and there were lots of good places to eat locally and there were good transport links into Caen.
If you wanted to eat at the hotel they did a good two course meal for 13 euros.
As for lunch, a break was incorporated into our schedule and for instance a whole pizza was 6 euros.
What were the other people on the tour like?
Mostly people like myself with an interest or with family who fought here, there was a good mix with couples and younger people, and a couple of veterans.
With this type of trip there is a bond that builds up within the group as you are sharing the experience.
There was always someone to talk to about a different aspect of what we were seeing and the stories we were hearing and a lot of people have good knowledge of the events which I always find interesting.
A bonus is if you have veterans on the tour who can give a personal insight and listening to them talking about events as if they happened yesterday was very poignant.
It gives an added dimension and brings it to life. One of the veterans was visiting for the first time and he was surprised at the level of interest, to him and his friends it was just a job to be done.
What was your overall impression?
Actually being somewhere that you have only read about gives you a perspective that you cannot get sat at home or watching it on the telly.
It gives you so much more insight to actually be at the place where these events occurred, you get more idea of the terrain and to actually stand where it happened while someone gives you a talk really brings it alive.
Any practical tips for the trip?
Ferry - Get to the food hall as soon as you can, run if necessary!
Coach – I booked one of the front seats for the duration. You pay an extra £15 and the advantages are that you are always first off at the service stops for loo and food and you can see what is going on when you are travelling and get an uninterrupted view. This is especially helpful if you suffer from travel sickness!
Coach toilets – Men are advised to wee sitting down as the coach may brake suddenly!
Luggage – I took a small suitcase for my clothes and toiletries and a rucksack which had everything I needed for the days out.
Clothes – Comfortable layers are the best option. I wore jeans, combats and t shirts with a couple of fleeces, a body warmer and a waterproof jacket for cooler or wet days. Walking shoes or trainers are essential as is an umbrella and binoculars.
Photos – We visited so many different places and I took over 250 pictures some of which I like to put into a scrapbook.A trick I have learnt is to make a note of what I have just taken a picture of and its significance,this helps when sorting through them later.
For full details of this trip and other Battlefield Tours go to www.leger.co.uk/
Tags: Arromanches, Battlefield tour, cemetery, coach, coach trip, d day, D Day Landing Beaches, escorted tour, Hill 112, itinerary, landing beaches, memorial, mulberry harbour, museum, Normandy, Pegasus bridge, world war 2
I was on this particular trip with Kristy. One of the veterans she talks about was my Great-Uncle Joe. He loved the trip, and he still talks about it now. He took a particular liking to Kristy. He loves it when the younger generation take an interest.
I remember being stood on the memorial platform in the Falaise Pocket, when Joe was telling the group of his experiences. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride, as everyone stood quietly and hung on Joe’s every word.
It was a magical trip, and I’d recommend a Leger Battlefield Tour to anyone.