Honfleur – ” D” Day!

The Battleground

On June 6th, 1944, pristine beaches, (cruelly booby-trapped with jagged steel), and formidable cliffs greeted the thousands of brave young men sent to banish the Nazi-German occupiers of western Europe:

These 300-foot cliffs had to be scaled under a hail of fire from the German pillboxes and reinforced bunkers embedded along the top!

 

The British sector assault was assisted by the invention of the portable Bailey Bridge–A section is shown here.

 

The visitor’s view of the Normandy beaches today!

 

Omaha Beach Memorial. A thousand men died on the first day!

 

Blue and Red groups join for a Memorial photo.

The Battle

Little visual evidence remains of the crash and thunder of that great battle which so shaped our history (and, still may, for generations to come?) except for the wrecks of the German bunkers and gun-emplacements. The portable detritus is now comfortably housed in museums nearby.

German gunners’ view of the beach back then–Imagine it packed with men and their equipment and thousands more trying to wade ashore!!

The guns are silent now, but the memories are still foreboding!

 

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Visitors’ vantage point . . .

The Aftermath . . .

10,000 American soldiers rest here . . .

 

Each nationality, including Germany, maintains its own part of the vast cemetery in memory of its own heroes.

 An unexpected honour

I felt proud, as an old soldier would be, but, at the same time, a certain sadness when Serge asked me to represent our group by placing the floral tribute on the American  Memeorial.  Never-the-less, it was an honor I gladly accepted and vowed never to forget! A veteran helped me manage the duty, overseen by the O/C of the American cemetery.

. . . . And here we three are!

 

Having completed my duty, I am, more-or-less, at attention while The  Anthem and “Last Post” are being played.

 

The Americal Memorial.

 

THE END – Next: On to Rouen