Day 9 - Battle of Normandy sites - American Sector

Today’s part of the tour started off at the German cemetery of La Cambe where over 21 000 German soldiers are buried, one of them being Tank Ace Michael Wittmann. One of the memorable aspects of this visit was the age of many of the dead as a fair number of them were younger than 20. One that I came across was not even 18 years old yet.

Words of reflection at the cemetery entrance.

The next stop of the day was the Pointe du Hoc where on June 6th the United States Army Rangers were supposed to climb up the cliffs to take out the German defences there.

From the Hoc the next stop was at Omaha Beach and the Normandy American War Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. This is the final resting place of over 9 000 American war dead. It is also the place that inspired the creation of the movie “Saving Private Ryan”. The movie’s intense opening scene is set on Omaha Beach as the Americans arrive on D-Day.

The American cemetery is a very stark contrast to the other ones visited during the tour. Its crosses are made of white stone that looks like polished granite, the grass is a lush green colour which is a very noticeable contrast to the rain deprived lawns and fields of the rest of Normandy.

The final stop of the day took the group to Arromanches-les-Bains. This pretty little seaside town was the site were the Allies decided to build an artificial harbour to secure the supply lines, not just for the invasion itself but the sweep through Normandy after. Today there is very little left of Mulberry Harbour. After lunch in the town, the coach took us up to the top of the cliffs surrounding Arromanches, where a memorial and a Visitor Centre with a 360 degree movie theatre are located.

Remnants of Mulberry Harbour still visible in the distance.