This is the itinerary followed by the group of students from Abbey Grange High School in Leeds who visited Normandy during the D-Day sixtieth anniversary commemorative weekend in June 2004. The group were first-prize winners in our initial commemorative visits competition, and won places alongside D-Day veterans on a ship chartered by the Royal British Legion that crossed the English Channel as part of a symbolic D-Day commemorative flotilla. Once in Normandy the students were lucky enough to be included in a number of the official commemorative events that took place that weekend, meeting many more D-Day veterans along the way, including Richard Todd who is himself a veteran of D -Day and who also went on to star in a famous film about the Normandy landings called The Longest Day.
Below is the itinerary that was followed by pupils on their five-day tour.
If you would like to find out more about places to visit on an educational tour of D-Day Normandy please click here.
D-Day Normandy Itinerary
Day 1
Day 2
- A visit to the D-Day Museum accompanied by a BBC film crew
- Travel from Southampton, embark on MV Van Gogh, the official Royal British Legion D-Day Cruise Ship
Day 3
- Link up with other ships for the ceremonial Channel crossing to France
- Onboard viewing of The Longest Day film staring D-Day veteran and actor Richard Todd
- Attendance of Remembrance Service onboard the ship
- Fly-by of a Lancaster Bomber (Second World War aeroplane) for symbolic scattering of thousands of poppies onto the water
- Arrival at Ouistreham port, France
- A Visit to Pegasus Bridge Museum to meet veterans and Richard Todd and to view a newly built replica of a Horsa Glider
- View of massive fireworks display taking place in 25 towns spread across the 80 km of D-Day landing beach coastline
Day 4
- Attendance at Franco-British ceremony at Bayeux Cemetery attended by Heads of States, including the Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair, and Her Majesty The Queen
- Attendance at commemorative events in Arromanches les Bains including a Normandy Veterans Association Farewell March-Past and Parade, in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen
- Visit to the site of Gold Beach at Asnelles-sur-Mer to meet D-Day veterans who fought there, and talk to them about their feelings on returning to the scene of their D-Day actions sixty years later
- Travel overnight onboard MV Van Gogh to Southampton
Day 5
Places to visit in Normandy
If you are planning a visit to Normandy to learn about D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, you could visit some of the places described below. You could also visit the following websites for further information:
http://www.normandy-tourism.org
http://www.normandiememoire.com
http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com
Disclaimer:
All the sites listed are checked regularly. However, the changing nature of the Internet means that some sites may alter after we have visited them. Their Past Your Future is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Arromanches 360
Address: 14 117 Arromanches les Bains
Tel: 0033 02 31 22 30 30
Web: http://www.arromanches360.com
Arromanches 360 was created at the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings in 1994. Located on the cliffs above the beach where the remains of a Mulberry Harbour lie at Arromanches, the circular cinema features a panoramic film ‘The Price of Freedom’. The film mixes unreleased archive footage from war correspondents with present day pictures of the now peaceful setting. The building also houses an exhibition hall containing photographs of local commemorations for the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day; on 6 June 2004 the same cliff-top location hosted events marking the sixtieth anniversary of D-Day, attended by many Heads of State. Close by is a panoramic table showing the different actions that took place along the coast in June 1944, which was originally built as an observation point by German forces.
Bayeux Cemetery
Address: Rue de Sir Fabian Ware, Bayeux
Web: http://www.cwgc.org
(Use the Debt of Honour Register search facility to find information about Bayeux War Cemetery.)
Bayeux War Cemetery is situated in the south-western outskirts of the town of Bayeux, on the by-pass, which is named Rue de Sir Fabian Ware. The cemetery is 24 kilometres north-west of Caen. Bayeux town saw little combat compared to other towns in Normandy but it was the first French town of importance to be liberated after the D-Day landings. Also well known for the Bayeux Tapestry, the town is now the venue for the largest Commonwealth War Graves cemetery of the Second World War in France. It contains burials brought in from the surrounding districts and from nearby hospitals. Bayeux War Cemetery has 4,144 Commonwealth burials, 338 of them unidentified. There are also 505 war graves of other nationalities, mostly German. The Bayeux Memorial, opposite the cemetery, bears the names of more than 1,800 men of the Commonwealth land forces that died in the early stages of the campaign and have no known grave. View the Commonwealth War Graves website for pictures of Bayeux War Cemetery and to access Remember Me – echoes from the lost generations, a new teaching resource for upper primary and secondary schools.
Bayeux Tapestry
Address: Centre Guillaume le Conquérant,Rue de Nesmond, Bayeux
Tel: 0033 2 31 51 25 50
Web: http://www.bayeux-tourism.com
Also: http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk
http://www.hastings1066.com
The famous Bayeux Tapestry dates from the 11th century. It is 70m long and 50cm high, and tells the story of the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in1066. You can visit the tapestry in Bayeux town in a special exhibition accompanies by audio explanations of the tapestry panels.
Also in Bayeux you can visit the ancient Notre-Dame Cathedral and the old town. Bayeux has a well-preserved historic centre with its mediaeval structure and outstanding architecture, which survived the Allied bombing of 1944 unscathed.
Caen Memorial
Address: Esplanade Eisenhower, BP6261, 14066 Caen
Tel: 0033 2 31 06 06 44
Web: http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail_gb/hp/hp.asp
The Caen Memorial, established in 1988, is a museum for peace. It aims to tell the overall story of human history from 1918 to the present day. To mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, that took place just down the coast from Caen, the exhibition ‘D-Day Words’ present the story of the D-Day landings from the point of view of the Allied and German soldiers involved. Through letters home, and personal diaries, the exhibition captures their thoughts and feelings about what they were going through. The museum is situated in the beautiful grounds of the International Park – a tribute to peace.
Caen Town Centre
Web: http://www.caen.fr/tourisme
Caen is a major administrative, economical and political city of 200,000 people but also has a rich historical, architectural and culture heritage and is well worth a visit – especially when the wonderful market is in town! (The market was there when we visited on a Friday.) The 11th century castle, in the heart of the city, houses a Fine Arts Museum and a museum of local archaeological and ethnological collections telling the history of Norman civilization from its beginnings to the present day. It is also possible to visit the two complimentary ‘his and hers’ cathedrals - Abbeye Des Hommes and Abbeye Des Dames.
There are many picturesque buildings in the old Vaugueux as well as numerous restaurants and cafes offering local Normandy cuisine.
D-Day Museum
Address: Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth, PO5 3NT
Tel: 023 9282 7261
Web: http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk
The D-Day Museum on Southsea seafront was opened in 1984 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings. In 1994 the museum was expanded to mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day. It houses the Overlord Embroidery which, based on the idea behind the famous Bayeux Tapestry that illustrates the Battle of Hastings of 1066, was commissioned as a tribute to the sacrifice and heroism of those men and women who took part in the D-Day landings. The embroidery depicts the progress from 1940 of plans and events leading to the eventual Allied invasion of France in June 1944. The museum also houses displays and exhibitions about the D-Day landings and the people involved, including large exhibits such as a D-Day landing craft and other vehicles. The D-Day museum also provides resource packs and handling and role-play sessions for schools.
German Cemetery at La Cambe
Address: Just off the N13 road, 35km west of Bayeux, 22km from Omaha Beach
Web: http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com
Go to the section on cemeteries, then go to page on La Cambe.
http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/la_cambe_german_cemetery.htm
The German cemetery at La Cambe is the largest German war cemetery in Normandy. Nearly 21,500 German soldiers are buried in the cemetery, of which 207 unknown and 89 known casualties are buried in a kamaradengraben (or mass grave) below a central six-meter high mound topped by an imposing black granite cross. There is also an information centre on site housing a permanent exhibition about the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (the German War Graves Commission).
“The German war dead from the Normandy campaign were scattered over a wide area, many of them buried in isolated or field graves - or small battlefield cemeteries. In the years following WW2, the German War Graves Commission, Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, decided to establish six main German cemeteries in the Normandy area, with the one here at La Cambe started in 1954. During this period the remains of more than 12,000 German soldiers were moved in from 1,400 locations in the departements of Calvados and the Orne. The cemetery was finished in 1961, and inaugurated in September of that year. Since this date more than 700 soldiers have been found on the battlefield, and are now also buried here.” (Paul Reed, Battlefields of World War Two website http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com.)
Juno Beach Centre
Address: Voie des Français Libres B.P. 104, 14470 Courseulles-sur-Mer
Tel: 0033 2 31 37 32 17
Web: http://www.junobeach.org
Juno Beach Centre is a learning centre and tribute to the many Canadian soldiers who gave their lives thousands of miles from home during the D-Day landings, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy. A museum and cultural centre, it opened at Courseulles-sur-Mer on the 59th anniversary of D-Day on 6 June 2003. The Centre presents the war effort made by all Canadians, civilian and military alike, both at home and on the various fronts during the Second World War, as well as representing Canadian society today. It is situated facing the beach where many of the first wave of Canadian 3rd Division soldiers lost their lives faced with heavy German artillery fire. Juno Beach Centre welcomes educational group visits, and links to teaching resources are available online.
Mulberry Harbours
Situated on the sandy beach at Arromanches les Bains, the dilapidated remains of one of two Mulberry Harbours erected soon after D-Day can still be visited today. Mulberry Harbours were improvised ports required to re-supply the Allied invasion force following the D-Day landings. They were floating harbours, towed in sections across the Channel from England. Mulberry ‘A’ at St Laurent, designed to supply the US forces, was destroyed by a severe storm 13 days after D-Day. Thereafter Mulberry ‘B’ at Arromanches, originally designed to supply just the British and Canadian forces, was used to unload 11,000 tons of stores per day until December 1944.
Musée du Débarquement
Address: 14 117 Arromanches les Bains
Tel: 0033 2 31 22 34 31
Web: http://www.normandy1944.com
Created in 1953 by the D-Day Landing Committee (Comité du Débarquement Normandie 1944) the museum at Arromanches les Bains was built on the site of an artificial port called a Mulberry Harbour, which enabled provisions to get through to the troops fighting in the Battle of Normandy. The museum houses models and film to explain the technical challenge of constructing and using the artificial harbour.
Omaha Beach
The now very peaceful and beautiful sandy beach at Colleville sur Mer was the site of massive American losses on D-Day. Omaha beach was the most viciously defended of the landing beaches, as the battle-hardened German 352nd Infantry Division was unexpectedly engaged in anti-invasion training in the area on 6 June 1944. At Omaha, the massive Allied aerial and naval bombardments were largely ineffective and the American troops faced stiff resistance throughout the landings on D-Day. Many US rifle companies suffered casualties in excess of 50%, but by the evening of D-Day American soldiers had a firm foothold ashore. The 34,000 US troops who landed on Omaha Beach suffered 2,000 casualties - a high proportion of the total Allied losses on D-Day. Today the beach is overlooked by the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
Omaha Beach Cemetery
Address: Normandy American Cemetery, "Omaha Beach", 14710 Colleville sur Mer
Tel: 0033 2 31 51 62 00
Web: http://www.abmc.gov
http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/normandy_american_cemetery.htm
Maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC), the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach. It is located on the site of the first American cemetery on European soil in the Second World War, the temporary St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944, and is the largest American Cemetery from the Second World War. The cemetery holds 9,387 graves of US service men and women (four women are buried here), 307 of whom are unknown. There are 33 pairs of brothers buried side by side. The cemetery consists of a visitors building, a central memorial with a large bronze statue called ‘The Sprit of American Youth Rising From The Waves’, and a Garden of the Missing where a further 1,557 servicemen with no known grave are commemorated. The rows upon rows of pristine white gravestones that fill the cemetery as far as the eye can see are a sober and moving tribute to those who gave their lives. The cemetery looks over the now picturesque and peaceful site of Omaha Beach. There is a viewing platform with a map, and paths leading down towards the beach.
Pegasus Bridge Museum
Address: Avenue Major Howard, 14860 Ranville
Tel: 0033 2 31 78 19 44
Web: http://www.normandy1944.com
Pegasus Bridge, immortalised by the initial actions on D-Day, was the first part of occupied France to be liberated by Allied forces, just past midnight (British time) on 6 June 1944. British troops landed in Horsa Gliders near the bridge, took the bridge, and held it until fresh troops arrived later in the day. Although a new bridge was built recently, it is an exact replica of the original, and the old Pegasus Bridge has been preserved in the grounds of a new museum opened in June 2000. The Airborne Museum, Memorial Pegasus, tells the D-Day story of the 6th (Airborne) Division, and replaces the old museum that used to be alongside Pegasus Café (originally Café Gondree) – the café was the first building to be liberated on D-Day. The museum houses many artefacts, uniforms, weapons and vehicles connected with D-Day, and visitors can walk across the original Pegasus Bridge.
Pointe du Hoc
Web: http://www.abmc.gov/ph.htm
The Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument is located on a cliff eight miles west of the American Omaha Cemetery; it overlooks Omaha Beach. During the American assault at Omaha Beach the American Second Ranger Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder scaled the one hundred foot high cliff at Pointe du Hoc, and seized German artillery pieces that posed a serious threat to troops landing on the beach below. Today you can visit to view the memorial that was erected there by the French to honour the bravery of the American troops, whose daring actions successfully defended the position against determined German opposition at a high cost. The monument is now looked after by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Pointe du Hoc today remains much as the Rangers left it, as a thought-provoking jumble of artillery craters and ruined concrete gun emplacements.
Royal Marines Museum
Address: Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 9PX
Tel: 023 9281 9385
Web: http://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk
The Royal Marines Museum is situated in the former Royal Marines Officers’ Mess at Eastney Barracks, near Portsmouth. The museum tells the story of the Royal Marines - the ‘sea-going soldiers’ of the Royal Navy - from 1664 to the present day, including their role in the 1939-45 war at sea and the role of the Royal Marine Commandos during the Second World War. Many of the items in the collections came from the original Royal Marines bases at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham, and much more has been added to the story since the museum began in 1975. The Royal Marines Museum has a dedicated Education Centre and an education pack is available – entrance is free for pre-booked school groups.
