# D Day Celebrations



## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

As we are booked to return on 6th June on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry does anyone know any details of D Day commemorations. 

We may stay an extra day and watch them as we have never been to the Normandy landing beaches before.


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Cant help on any events BUT the Normandy Beaches are well worth a trip on their own.. Very interesting and ideal to do in the motorhome with lots of aires etc..
We did 10 days but should have made it longer.


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## CourtJester (Aug 26, 2009)

Normandy is a must. 
Nice aire (free) at Grandcamp Maisy, near Pointe du Hoc. 
Aire (free) but only a car park at Hermanville. British Cemetry 5 minute walk away.
Cramped aire in Arromanche and hilltop view car/coach park just out of Arromanche overlooking Gold Beach, good view of the Mulberrys. This car/coach park is in the aires book but you can't stay overnight and it has no facilities!
Aire in Merville, nice place. Near Merville Casements. http://www.1940.co.uk/history/article/merville/merville.htm .

Folks on here will no doubt tell you more.

So much to see and reflect upon ...


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## Wilmannie (Feb 7, 2010)

There's a campsite at Pegasus Bridge where the first landing took place the night before the main 'onslaught'. It used to be ACSI and is an easy walk to the Bridge and Museum. Definately worth a visit.


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## katey (Aug 16, 2009)

We stayed on the municiple site in Arromanche a few years ago. Very spacious sections to camp in. within walking distance to town.
It overlooks the aire in the town and you can watch the motorhomes squeeze in door to door. :lol: 
A must is to take the free train up to the cinema dome, very interesting.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

wakk44 said:


> As we are booked to return on 6th June on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry does anyone know any details of D Day commemorations.
> 
> We may stay an extra day and watch them as we have never been to the Normandy landing beaches before.


A few days before the Americans and Brits turn up in their WWII vehicles, they meet up with their French compatriots and arrange convoys around Normandy. They also have parties in large marquees, etc.

St Maire Eglise is a particularly interesting place to be in at that time. You will see a model of a parachutist hanging from the church spire, think he was American the Germans shot at him but he survived and I seem to recall that a road into the town is named after him.

Get there a couple of days before the 6th and you should see some interesting sights.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Not an aire but if you have the time DO go to La Memorial, Caen, on the outskirts of Caen and well worth a day's visit;

http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portailgb/

we have been there several times and are always keen to go back - the explanation of the progress towards the second world war from the end of the first is marked by a gradual move from the light to darkness as you pass down a slope and underground........

there are also superb explanations of the D-Day landings and the nightmares faced by the forces......

all in all it is an excellent day, I have taken several school groups of 13 year olds there and the D-Day beaches but La Memorial is the place they all talk about from then on - even several years later....... it has a real impact and gives them a great understanding of conflicts and the reasons why they develop.

Dave

The American parachutist was John Steele;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steele_(paratrooper)

he did survive, although injured, more details on the Wikipedia page.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

St. Mere Eglise will almost certainly have some celebrating in the main square. It's not a round number since 1944 but the whole town exists for the commemoration of D-Day.

Ray.


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## Nethernut (Jun 4, 2008)

Here is a link to everything which is on over the week.

http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/d-day-2012/

I would recommend the parade at Ranville, very moving. It really s worth being here for the week, great fun and lots of old " characters" to talk to - and they really live to talk about there part in the landings.


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## Sideways86 (Feb 25, 2009)

its agreat time to be there, St Mere Eglise is superb and the whole area parties


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## Sideways86 (Feb 25, 2009)

The main road in St Mere Eglise


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

2009


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## LovesickFerret (Mar 20, 2012)

I have a story I would like to share about the DDay landings. 

My uncle was in the first wave onto the beach and my father, his brother, was in the third wave. Try and imagine how many people were involved in it, but in the chaos that ensued my father and his brother, who didn't even know they were both there at the same time, found each other. My father heard a voice in the distance, amongst all the noise his ears found his brothers voice, and together in a dug out they shared a few moments before returning to the duties of war. Thankfully they both survived, but it was a moment that neither forgot and one which they held most dear. 

Do take the time to visit the beaches of Normandy.

Jane.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Me too. Not D-Day but a year before my father died.

http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/ED418_Hawkes_Ravenhall.htm

Ray.


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Thanks everyone for the useful replies.  

We intend to have at least a week in the area before returning probably on 7th June.People who have been say it is a thought provoking and reflective trip highlighting the harsh reality and sacrifice of war.

St. Mere Eglise seems like the place to be on 6th June and we will try and get there for the D Day commemorations.Also the Caen memorial is a must see(thanks DaveP).


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## Jagman (Feb 16, 2008)

If you can try to visit Juno Beach. The understandable focus on the heroic and well publicised American efforts at Omaha and their airborne landings in the west (Private Ryan/Band of Brothers) plus the wonderfully preserved Pegasus Bridge locations (original and replacement) demand visits to those places but most people don't realise that one of the five beaches was 'Canadian' (plus Royal Marine Commandos). There is a Juno Beach Museum at Courseulles which is a 'must do' if you want to understand just what an effort Canada made in WWII and just how important their contribution to D-Day was - such a small country then' still reeling from the massive loss of men in WWI, nevertheless taking on a 'whole beach' themselves.

The Canadians landed between Courseulles sur mer and Langrunes and suffered the second highest casualty rates after Omaha - in some sections of the beach levels of fatality were as high as the worst US Omaha levels with landing craft dropping their ramps right into the teeth of heavily fortified strongpoints which simply machine-gunned almost everyone to death. After very hard landings the Canadians went on to make more progress inland than any other allied force by the end of D-Day and their heroics continued for several weeks as they fought a shifting battle with the crack troops of the 12thSS in a relatively narrow strip of Normandy.

We took part in a commemoration with Canadians on Nan White beach at Berniers last June 6th right in front of the 'Norman House' which features in D-Day photographs and survives as a Canadian memorial. Low key but very very moving with the relatives of troops who landed there talking and flowers being placed around a simple memorial. You can park near to the house and walk along the seafront 'promenade' eastwards towards the Place du Canadian area of multiple memorials built on the remains of one of the lethal strongpoints. Park up slightly further east at St Aubin and walk the seafront there too, you can cover almost the whole length of Juno in this way and its easy walking mostly on tarmac - ideal for cycling or push-chair-pushing - with houses and cafe's on one side and the landing beaches on the other. You regularly come across the remains of strongpoints and memorials to Canadian forces.

When you reach Luc sur Mer there is another lesser known D-Day fact to consider - just to the east of Luc, in the gap between Luc and Lion sur mer, German troops counter-attacked the landings and actually reached the beach in this zone, luckily insufficienty supported to attack the Canadian and British (Sword) landing from the flanks. It was here that my Dad took part in the assault of a strongpoint with 46 Commando Royal Marines and went on to fight with the Canadians for the next couple of weeks as the battle to hold Juno raged in the immediate hinterland.

It isn't as spectacular as St Mere Eglise which is great for re-enactors, old vehicles and carnival, or as well presented as 'Pegasus', or quite as impactful as Omaha when you stand on the beach and look up at the bluffs and walk up to the very impressive American Cemetery but it is a must do for me, remembering the 'Cannucks' - and the RMCs who fought with them. I'll be in front of the Norman House again this year.

Have a great trip


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