A travelogue by Friedrich Wein
Kehl - Strasbourg - Nancy - Toul - Reims - Versailles and finally: Normandy.
The names and number of interesting places with fortress monuments and (defence) historical significance could be extended considerably to make the journey to and from Normandy even longer. This year, however, the destination was actually Normandy between Le Havre and Cherbourg, or rather the landing beaches Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword of the invasion on 6 June 1944.
The 80th anniversary of this event, which was so significant for Europe and the world, was commemorated there this year. Numerous commemorative events took place over two weeks around the historic date, including the 10th anniversary of the Liberation Route Europe, a close cooperation partner of FORTE CULTURA.
As with the arrival and departure, it was important to prioritise the events and locations to be visited so as not to get lost in the crowd of over 1 million visitors and the many road closures. For this reason, our group of visitors, including three FORTE CULTURA-certified tour guides, focussed on the Gold Landing section in the Arromanches and Asnelles area.
Arromanches: In an amphibious operation, vehicles must not be afraid of water. Supplies were landed with such DUKWs during the invasion.
Overlord Museum: The "King Tiger" of the French Armoured Troop School Saumur Museum was one of the impressive vehicles on display in dynamic vehicle shows. On the same day, 50 US Army veterans who took part in the 1944 invasion were welcomed at the Overlord Museum.
La Cambe memorial service: Both the German Ambassador to France, Mr Stephan Steinlein, and the President of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, Mr Wolfgang Schneiderhahn, spoke at a moving memorial service at the German military cemetery in La Cambe.
Overflight! The US Air Force D-Day Squadron, consisting of four C-130 Hercules, flew over the landing beaches on all days.
Asnelles: On 06/06/2024, Royal Marines Commando landed at Gold Beach. They embarked on a memorial march of their predecessors who had landed on 6 June 1944 and captured the harbour town of Port-en-Bessin via the ridge near Arromanches.
"Standing with giants at The British Memorial": The impressive figures of British soldiers represent a temporary project. Each figure represents a British family whose ancestors took part in the invasion or fell in the heavy fighting.
"Distelfink": The German radar position was heavily contested in June 1944. During this year's commemorations, the bunkers of the position were open while a US camp was set up on the surface.
Air show: The Patrouille de France was the highlight and finale of the air show in Arromanches. To commemorate the air landings, parachute jumps and dogfights over the landing beaches, DC 3, Spitfire and P 47 Thunderbolt aircraft that have been in the air for at least 80 years also took part in the show.
Conclusion: It was an impressive major event along the landing beaches. Even though the coastal roads were often unable to accommodate the visitors or their cars, it was well worth spending these days on the Norman coast. An interesting development will be the planned inscription of the landing beaches on the UNESCO World Heritage List, an inscription that this area deserves due to the importance of the invasion for the liberation of Europe from dictatorship and war.
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