Planning on going to Normandy

[Upfrontreporting]

My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Normandy this summer (Yeah I got one of those rare girlfriends that have an interest in military matters woot )


Can anyone help me with links to good informative sites about the various battlegrounds in the Normandy and present day related websites.


regards
Upfrontreporting

[EvanL]

www.junobeachcentre.com

[Haiw]

Well...where to start?
When talking about museums the best one is pretty much the big one in Bayeux. It's right across the street near the British war cemetary there. Shouldn't be too hard to find as it's on most street signs. Pegasus bridge also has a good museum a couple of hundred meters away from the bridge. The airborne museum in St-Mère-Église is also pretty good. The museum at Arromanches about the harbour built at Omaha beach is also worth a visit.

After museums, the war cemetary at Vierville is worth a visit. Really an impressive place. Pointe du Hoc is also worth a visit.

Of course there's also lots of other places and all, but these were the ones that really stood out in my mind as 'worth visiting'.

[HappyCat]

went there 2 years ago, and I must say point du hoc is easily the most impressive display of fortifications on the whole D-Day landing zone. The other beaches have all been made into resort places, and they either destroyed the bunkers or let them grow over for the most part. Point Du Hoc is in excellent condition, craters are still easily visible as are all the bunkers. The main Point Du Hoc bunker is a no go unfortunately now since the cliff underneath it is too wet, and the bunker is in risk of going over the edge. Also if you intend to look in the bunkers, bring a VERY powerfull handheld flashlight, the bunkers are not lit (unless they are museum bunkers) and are very very dark, to the point where i couldn't go more than a few feet in. Also if you don't already have the trip planned, try not to go in June, unless there are cerimonies you want to see. It is so crowded it is not funny in June. For teh most part the museums are mostly of good quality, as mentioned before, pegasus bridge has a good museum, but I think every beach now also has a museum that are all good quality(we needed to book spaces in the omaha museum in advance, just some warning). These are jsut some friendly tips, don't listen to them if you don't want to, but they are things I found out when I went.

Also try and visit the US cemetary, even if you are not American, it is such a good cemetary to visit, and although not as big as the german one, the American one is much more striking and well worth the visit.

[FuturePara]

I think it's Saint Come Du Mont that has several German bunkers along the coast still intact. British destroyers traded shots with them and you can see the indentations from hits on the bunkers. One took a direct hit in the ammo room it would appear and is a mess. Cool spot to check out.
Point Du Hoc is crazy, that spot looks like the moon from all the bomb craters there.

[HappyCat]

I think it's Saint Come Du Mont that has several German bunkers along the coast still intact. British destroyers traded shots with them and you can see the indentations from hits on the bunkers. One took a direct hit in the ammo room it would appear and is a mess. Cool spot to check out.
Point Du Hoc is crazy, that spot looks like the moon from all the bomb craters there.

Which gun battery ar you talking about? I visited 2 main ones, one was in a horrible place about a hundred meters from the coast, the other was a few miles inland. The battery inland had one bunker that took a 15inch shell hit to its magazine, and the roof of the bunker was blown clean off. Is that the bunker you are thinking about, cause if I get my scanner up I can post some pics of it.

[NcDeuce]

My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Normandy this summer (Yeah I got one of those rare girlfriends that have an interest in military matters woot )


Can anyone help me with links to good informative sites about the various battlegrounds in the Normandy and present day related websites.


regards
Upfrontreporting

Lucky bastard, ;)

Have a blast

[Marmot1]

My girlfriend and I are planning on going to Normandy this summer (Yeah I got one of those rare girlfriends that have an interest in military matters woot )


Can anyone help me with links to good informative sites about the various battlegrounds in the Normandy and present day related websites.


regards
Upfrontreporting

Lucky bastard, ;)

Have a blast
Does she have a sister??? ;)

[FuturePara]

Yeah that one a few miles in that took the 15 incher. That was one hell of a sight.

[Upfrontreporting]

Thanks for the tips and link guys, please keep'em comming. I could really need some more links :D

I don't plan on going in June, I expect it to be overcrowded at that time.


regards
Upfrontreporting

[Pad75]

Here are some tourism very usefull links:
http://www.bayeux-tourism.com/
http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail/accueil/index.asp
http://www.normandy-tourism.org/index1000flash.html (in danish :))
http://www.sainte-mere-eglise.info/
http://www.normandywebguide.com/
http://www.overlordtour.com/

Museum links
airborn:
http://www.airborne-museum.org/
Caen mémorial:
http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail/accueil/index.asp
Pegasus Bridge
http://www.normandy1944.com/
Omaha
http://www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/
The other Omaha museum (private)
http://www.dday-omaha.com/
Juno beach:
http://www.junobeach.org/

Hope that help.

[percell_086]

Don't forget st mere eglise, it's nice too! I've went to almost all the museums with my dad and bro a couple of years back, it's amasing to see the beaches and the museums.

Cheers, Percell

[Upfrontreporting]

Thanks a lot for the response guys woot


A further question, can anyone lead me to some good books about D-day, you know sort of "after action reports" with maps, pictures and historical facts and walk-throughs of the various battles.

I want to read up on D-day before I go to the Normandy.


regards
Upfrontreporting

[HappyCat]

there was a series of magazines in the 1970s (i think) called "After the Battle" they had information on the military ops, and what you can still see today and photos comparing the two. Its a pretty good resource. I think theya re still in print, i saw some for sale when I was in France a few years ago. Im not sure if they are updated versions or not though.