June 6 2009 - Normandy

leincar

Just wondering are many people going over for this years anniversary. This will probably be the last one where there will be a lot of veterans there.

This will be my 44th year of going over(first time when I was 3 months old). My Father was a vet but sadly died a couple of years ago. Myself and the rest of the family will continue the tradition until we physically can't.

ollaetta

That's an astonishing number of times you've been over, leincar!

I've been over several times and am going again this year. I have no family connection but have always had a great interest in D-Day and the war in general.

The sad reality is that each year less and less veterans will be there and it won't be that long until there are none left.

leincar

Yes it seems strange but I've never spent a 6th of June in Ireland. I had a close one in the early 80's where I had to get back on the 7th to sit the leaving cert.

Even when I lived in the States and Israel we always made sure we got back to Normandy for the 6th.

Also on the 6th we would start out at Utah beach on what would be the western side of Uncle Red beach. My Father landed there at 9.30 am. on D-Day. He was with Baker company 2nd Battalion, 22 Infantry Reg.

He always maintained that he landed at 9.30 and not the 10.00 or 10.15 as most books suggest.

From Utah Beach on to Ste Marie Du Mont and then Ste Mere Eglise. Then its on to Colleville-Sur-Mere for the rest of D-Day commemorations.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Morlar

Scien wrote: »

Thats incredible dedication leincar.

Never had the privilege of visiting myself but i do enjoy the BBC's coverage every year, and in particular their 2004 coverage which was very moving & poignant.

I only got to see that one from the Portsmouth side - a convoy left from there for normandy including an original ship (far as I remember). Also a spitfire /lancaster flyover near the D-Day museum on the seafront. There were also lots of vehicles around that morning - american jeeps & trucks etc. I think the veterans who were unable to travel must have enjoyed it to see all the people who were there to commemorate it.

Morlar

leincar wrote: »

Yes it seems strange but I've never spent a 6th of June in Ireland. I had a close one in the early 80's where I had to get back on the 7th to sit the leaving cert.

That is very impressive to hear. I know some people heading over this year but I am unable to go. Hope you have a good time there & maybe you could post some photos if you have any when you get back ?

dr.bollocko

Ive been there but never on the anniversary day. The atmosphere there is overwhelming.

DecTipp

i would love to go there i always had a fascination with world war 2.i was looking up tour opeators but they seem to be all full up.Any suggestions??Idont really fancy going on my own.

FiSe

Military Heritage Tours, try to Google it. I've been there with them in 2005. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Guide to all the places with the 'Irish connection'. Lot of room on the bus and all other passengers were WWII veterans /RAF, Navy, Army/ or their famillies.

Morlar

FiSe wrote: »

Military Heritage Tours, try to Google it. I've been there with them in 2005. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Guide to all the places with the 'Irish connection'. Lot of room on the bus and all other passengers were WWII veterans /RAF, Navy, Army/ or their famillies.

Here is a link to them

http://www.militaryheritagetours.com/index.html

Haven't used them but their WWI Belgium /France trip also looks very interesting. Compared to some of the prices I have seen for other tours they didn't seem too bad.

I think a lot depends on the quality of the guides and whether they are trying to rush you along to the next place - what were the ones you had like for the Normandy one ?

FiSe

You going to Normandy to see as much as you can and you can squeeze only as much into one day. So it was a bit rushed, but it wasn't too rushed, and anything was open to suggestions, we weren't too bothered to see overcrowded Omaha beech, so we've decieded on only short - 30mins walk on the cemetery to get the feel.
We've seen all the major 'crowd pullers' of D-Day and Battle for Normndy. We haven't go to see the museum in Caen as we had no interest in general Peace/War type of museum, but we've spent a lot of time in Bayeux Cemetery and excellent museum with guided tour of 'interesting' graves. Some people wanted to see graves of certain regiments and other nationalities wearing battle dress.
We've got a day or so off in Bayeux itself, we've seen Bayeux Tapestry, Falaise castle, we've stayed in Paris overnight, we've seen Mont St. Michel.

Our guide /an ex-british army colonel? retired in Normandy/ is living the battle over and over again, so he knows every and any stone and place of action in the region and his view was a bit oversimplified - us, the good ones, them, the baddies. /In German cemetary I have pointed him on one of the thoombstone which carried a Czech name, latter I pointed on one of the commonwealth/czech thoombstone which carried a German name. In fairness he didn't argue, he's said something like, well, it's easier for us from the island
Anyway, enjoyed it and am planning to go to the Flanders with them in the future.

Sorry about the badly written novel

Duck's hoop

leincar wrote: »

From Utah Beach on to Ste Marie Du Mont and then Ste Mere Eglise. Then its on to Colleville-Sur-Mere for the rest of D-Day commemorations.

Fantastic! I used to live in the 'Hameau des Mezieres', a stones throw from St. Martin de Varreville, which I'm sure you know well, your old man may have passed through it.

There's a road to the beach (Utah) called Baker's Road, in fact all the roads around there are named after fallen soldiers.

I was there in '94 for the 50th bash and it was quite something I must say. Pretty much the same weather as in '44 and the atmosphere was electric to say the least.

Used to talk to the locals, and their tales were very humbling. Got to talk to some of the old timers but to be honest I didn't like to intrude on what was obviously a very personal experience for them.

Won't be there this year unfortunately. I love that whole area. And they make a mean cider, not to mention the 'Calva'!

Have a good one buddy!

arnhem44

leincar wrote: »

Just wondering are many people going over for this years anniversary. This will probably be the last one where there will be a lot of veterans there.

This will be my 44th year of going over(first time when I was 3 months old). My Father was a vet but sadly died a couple of years ago. Myself and the rest of the family will continue the tradition until we physically can't.

That is dedication,well done.Its great to come across people like yourself keeping the memory of these veterans alive.I would love to go over sometime myself,I had a Granuncle who was shot on the beach in Dunkirk by another British soldier of all things,he survived but I don't know if he ever went back on D-Day

leincar

Scien wrote: »

Thats incredible dedication leincar.

Never had the privilege of visiting myself but i do enjoy the BBC's coverage every year, and in particular their 2004 coverage which was very moving & poignant.

To be honest for the first 16 years I had no choice. It was our summer holiday. It was only on the 20th anniversary commemorations that it began to sink in, the enormity of the events of 5/6 of June. After that I began to look at my Father in a different light. When you hear some of the stories not so much of Normandy in my Fathers case, but of the battles in Luxembourg,Ardennes and on into Germany you really wonder would it be possible now.

arnhem44

I just saw on the news that none of the Royal family have been invited to the commemerations,thats some snub for them.Personally I don't give two hoots about them but should they be there?

citizen_p

arnhem44 wrote: »

I just saw on the news that none of the Royal family have been invited to the commemerations,thats some snub for them.Personally I don't give two hoots about them but should they be there?

They did do somthing but not much.... mainly for morale.


it also depends on what other world figures are invited.

FiSe

It was nice to watch the 'accesibility' of the 'royals' 5 years ago. I think that war veterans or their families would preffer to shake a hand with Charles than Gordon Brown... :rolleyes:

Anyway, I think it's between departments of foregin affairs to decide who's gonna attend what and when

Morlar

Happy D-Day anniversary : ) Today should be full of comemoration footage on TV and movies, history channel etc. I was reading on another forum about how someone asked a bunch of schoolkids did they know what this saturday was the anniversary of and none of them knew. Apparently only one in four of their parents knew. It would be a shame if this aspect of WWII gets overshadowed in school history lessons and does not get comemorated.

bongo2

I will be in France in a few weeks and have promised my history obsessed 8 year old son that I would take him to a war musuem in Normandy. Could anyone recommend the best one to go to?

ollaetta

As you can imagine there are many D-Day museums in Normandy and it is really personal preference as to which are the better ones. It all depends which of the landing beaches you plan to visit.

Here's a link to most of them: http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/normandy_museums.htm

Others not listed include battery museums at Azeville, Crisbeq St. Marcouf and the recently uncovered one at Maisy.

All that coast is steeped in history so I don't think you can go wrong. I would also suggest the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer and for a complete contrast the German one at La Cambe. Sobering.

dubtom

bongo2 wrote: »

I will be in France in a few weeks and have promised my history obsessed 8 year old son that I would take him to a war musuem in Normandy. Could anyone recommend the best one to go to?

Just returned from Normandy last month. Even though we didn't get to visit as many WW2 sites as we would have liked to, the US cemetery at Omaha has a fantastic visitor centre / Museum. The grave yard alone is breathtaking and quite a sad place but well worth the visit. We visited many sites from France to Belgium but this one rated among the best for me, I could have spent the whole day there if I'd had the time.

On rereading your post your 8 old may find Utah beach more to his liking,a museum there with tanks and guns of every kind, a little small,you have to pay in (no charge at Omaha). A cafe across the road that you can pick up trinkets,bullets ect (at a charge) and not so crowded.