Normandy, Round 3!

[Philipp Gross]

Yep, I'll be off again next Saturday. This time more to the west, between Omaha and Gold Beach, which means that a lot of stuff I haven't seen yet is now within a short distance. If the wifi at the place we're staying works as promised I'll keep you updated

Philipp

[Adam Durrant]

Have a great trip Philipp, very envious. Currently spending my "holiday" with 1200 other Orthopaedics surgeons in San Fran!

[Philipp Gross]

Thanks Adam! Wouldn't mind visiting SF myself, but I'd definitely mind the flight there

Philipp

[Philipp Gross]

Here we go!

Day 1: After sorting out some unpleasant business regarding our accomodation we finally set out to the nearby attractions...
Omaha Beach is just a few minutes away:


Next to it, a small museum with a few interesting pieces outside:

8,8 cm PaK 43/1


M4A4 Sherman, modified by the French post-war with a radial engine as on the M4/M4A1.


Steve, family business of yours?

Day 2: Intended to visit the American cemetary at Omaha, ended up at Widerstandsnest 62, with a monument to the 1st Infantry Division, among other things.



Hidden behind it, a German gun bunker.


Battle scars...

Heavy rain precluded any further meaningful activities for today, so we retired to a nice little harbourside cafe at Port-en-Bessin...

Prost!

Philipp

[Steve Hutchinson]

I wish!

Rain seems to be the order of the day, here too!

Enjoy the break, great start with the photos too

Steve H

[Vincent Power]

Great start Philipp. Rain is a good excuse to find a café

Vincent

[Philipp Gross]

We had that excuse far too often during the last few days....at last it was a little dryer today.

Day 3: Sainte-Mere-Eglise, last time I was here in 2014...Not much has changed since. The church still has its decoration:


As well as its famous stained glass window:


However the main objective was the Airborne Museum, which I missed last time due to time constraints. Near the entry you are greeted by yet another ex-French M4A4 posing as an M4:


Main exhibits are a Waco glider...


...and a C47,


among smaller things:


On the way home we passed the Utah Beach memorial...


...which has a genuine M4 on display:


Also a Greyhound and an M3 Halftrack:


Behind the dunes the remains of German bunkers give an impression of the situation in 1944:


Day 4: Rain, rain and more rain. Also wind, and plenty of it.

We passed Longues-sur-Mer, I visited the gun battery last time. However I forgot about the command bunker, so here's that one:


Further east is Arromanches, been there, done that. Enjoyed a hot coffee on main street until something blew out a fuse and the whole cafe went dark


Day 5: At last, a little less rain. Today's goal was the German cemetery at La Cambe. Nope, didn't visit Wittmann, didn't feel like exposing myself to WSS fanboys...




The whole place radiates a sombre mood, emphasising the human tragedy of war.

Somewhat different is the American cemetery near Omaha Beach, where we ended up on the way home.





I leave it to you to decide which approach is better.

Philipp

[Steve Hutchinson]

Different ways to express the human tragedy of war.

Both seem somber, as you would expect.

Hopefully better weather will brighten the holiday up

Steve H

[Philipp Gross]

The weather seems to improve slightly. We managed to survive without heavy raingear today

Day 6: Finally, the Overlord Museum near Omaha Beach. A very interesting private collection, housed in a fairly new building on the main coastal road. On the outside you are greeted by a small selection of Allied armour:






The Bailey Bridge the M32 sits on was in use locally until 2006, when it was replaced by a new bridge. In fact many exhibited vehicles were rediscovered in Normandy, some long forgotten in a dark barn, some in daily use for an all new civilian purpose.

This Kettenkrad for example, a farmer kept it in use for decades, completely unchanged:


Yeah, that's an M4A1 76(W) in a beach diorama... At least it's well restored.



Workshop scene with (captured?) M4A4, Panther A, Panzer IV turret and a Famo:



A well restored Panzer IV is a rare sight, definitely one of the more remarkable exhibits:




This Ford Maultier halftrack was found hauling apples on a local farm during the 1970s....now here's an idea for a model


This Sd.Kfz. 251/7 served with a construction company, bridges included!


This Lloyd Carrier was used for logging....it was found abandoned in the woods years later.


The exhibition inside looks fresh and modern with an appropriate soundscape to enhance the mood. Regrettably it's all very dark and cramped and most of it is hidden behind glass walls so it's hard to take good photos. I really hope they expand the museum some day, it could easily be twice as large with what they have on display now.

Day 7: Went to Bayeux, endured rain in a Cafe, visited the Tapissery again (free entry on weekends!) and watched the sunset on Omaha Beach while our dog furthered coastal erosion....all in all very unremarkable

One of the remaining targets for the next week is the local museum with tanks and other relics recovered from the sea floor. They have a large hatch M4A1 Sherman DD, among other things.

Philipp

[Vincent Power]

Looks like you are having a good time Philipp. The pics are inspiring and I'm enjoying them very much. I like the idea of the Maultier hauling apples, very interesting.

Vincent