D-Day Tours of Normandy

25/08/2024

Loren (101st Airlanding Division (Ret'd) and Heidi Gray at the 'Memorial Parachutistes' La Fiere Bridge, Normandy.

08/08/2024

Another special day.

This time with Jean and David Foxley at The British Normandy Memorial, where we remembered Jean's father L/Cpl Robert Osborne.
A career soldier, Robert was with the Pioneer Corps in Brittany in 1940 and was amongst the survivors of the tragic loss of the Lancastria off Saint Nazaire in June.
He returned to France with 1/6th Queen's Royal Regiment (part of 131st Brigade, 7th Armoured Division - The Desert Rats) on 8th June 1944.
He was mortally wounded during the fighting around Villers Bocage on 16th June and sadly died in England on 21st June 1944.
Robert is remembered on the British Normandy Memorial. Furthermore Jean and David have donated to the remarkable Standing With Giants Tribute where a plaque has been placed in his memory.

30/07/2024

A very special visit to the U.S. Normandy Cemetery at OMAHA Beach.
I accompanied Aileen Killen to visit the grave of her uncle
Warren J McCauley, who was killed near Montebourg on 12th June 1944.

13/07/2024

We are delighted to hear that we have been awarded a Tripadvisor Travellers Choice award for 2024.

According to Tripadvisor this puts D-Day Tours of Normandy amongst the top 10% of things to do worldwide.

A huge thank you to all our customers and followers that have contributed to this award being made.

26/05/2024

Memorial Day Weekend

26th - 27th May 2024

Brittany American Cemetery

17/05/2024

43rd Wessex Memorial
Hill 112
Operation Jupiter 10th-11th July 1944.
"He who controls Hill 112, controls Normandy"
- Erwin Rommel.

06/05/2024

The month of April saw visits to Pegasus Bridge/Cafe Gondree, JUNO Beach and a very welcome return to Saint Nazaire 'The Greatest Raid of All'

26/03/2024

The Prefet du Calvados has given details of the restricted zone for the 80th Anniversary Commemorations on 6th June.
Only vehicles with the appropriate sticker (available from the Prefecture) will be allowed to enter.

| A l'image des précédents grands anniversaires du et de la libération de la , une zone de circulation régulée ( ) sera mise en place le .

🫸Pour pénétrer dans cette ZCR, les véhicules autorisés devront être identifiés par un sticker.

Pour comprendre le fonctionnement de cette zone et en savoir plus sur le stickage des véhicules, rendez-vous sur https://www.calvados.gouv.fr/Actions-de-l-Etat/80e-anniversaire-du-Debarquement-et-de-la-liberation-de-la-Normandie/FAQ-ZCR-Stickage

17/03/2024

The Battle of Mortain : Operation Luttich.

"Time spent in recconaissance is seldom wasted"

On Friday last I spent a special day walkng the fields and villages of St Barthelemy, Neufbourg & Mortain to refresh and prepare for an upcoming tour of Operation Cobra and the Falaise Pocket.

On 25th July 1944, The U.S. Operation Cobra finally broke through German resistance in their sector between Coutances and St Lo and the Americans flooded through the gap towards Avranches and into Brittany.

Adolf Hi**er ordered an immediate counter attack between Mortain and Avranches. Despite the doubts of General von Kluge, Hi**er insisted that the attack proceed. The offensive was poorly co-ordinated, insufficent German forces had been assembled before the attack began on 6th-7th August.

Prior warning from Allied codebreakers, together with stubborn, dogged U.S. defence in the early hours, and the arrival of R.A.F. rocket firing Typhoons stalled the German advance.

The German attack was called off on 13th August, the German attack had been in vain, not only that, the American Third Army led by General Patton was racing around the open flank of the German thrust and would succeed in getting behind them to link up with Canadian & Polish Forces creating the Falaise Pocket from which the majority of the German army did not escape.

01/02/2024

The Battle of Graignes 10th-12th June 1944

A heroic stand by 182 paratroopers of 3rd Battalion 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

17 of whom along with 26 French civilians were murdered by 17th SS Panzergrenadiers.

During the night of 5th-6th June 1944 American paratroopers jumping into Normandy were scattered about the countryside missing their intended dropzones. Over 150 of them landed in the Carentan Marshes up to 18 miles South East of their target at Amfreville.

By daylight on the morning of the 6th June the paratroopers started to gather around the village of Graignes and its church which stood on a hill overlooking the marshes. The senior officer present, Major Charles D Johnston realised he was deep behind enemy lines and decided to remain where he was and defend Graignes. The local french people called a town meeting and decided unanimously to help the paratroopers. Teams of men, women and children cooked meals or searched the marshes to retrieve valuable weapons and equipment.

On Saturday 10th June German soldiers of 17th SS Panzer Grenadiers discovered the Americans, on 11th June they attacked with great force supported by a punishing mortar barrage. The paratroopers fought off attack after attack untill the late evening when they were finally overrun and the Germans entered the village. Major Johnston had been killed, his successor Captain Brummitt, ordered his men to disperse into the countryside and try to reach American lines.

The Battallion Surgeon Captain Abraham Sophian and two medics stayed with the wounded men in the church surrendering to the Germans by waving a white flag. They were all killed by the Germans.

The Germans rounded up the remaining civillian population, 26 people including two priests and shot them. The town was ransacked and set alight. 66 homes, the church and the school were destroyed.

In all 32 Americans were killed in the battle 150 survived.

Their sacrifice was not in vain. By drawing the Germans towards Graignes the 17th SS were delayed in their advance on the key town of Carentan. They did not arrive until after it had been captured by 101st Airborne Division on 12th-13th June.

The ruined chuch now stands as a permanent memorial to the victims, but also to the survivors of the battle.

21/01/2024

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. statue.

Saint Mere Eglise.

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr (September 13, 1887 – July 12, 1944) was the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and First Lady Edith Roosevelt. Roosevelt is known for his World War II service, including the directing of troops at Utah Beach during the Normandy landings, for which he received the Medal of Honour.

Roosevelt was the only general on D-Day to land by sea with the first wave of troops. At 56, he was the oldest man in the invasion.

Roosevelt was soon informed that the landing craft had drifted south of their objective, and the first wave of men was a mile off course. Walking with the aid of a cane and carrying a pistol, he personally made a reconnaissance of the area immediately to the rear of the beach to locate the causeways that were to be used for the advance inland. He returned to the point of landing and coordinated the attack on the enemy positions confronting them. Opting to fight from where they had landed rather than trying to move to their assigned positions, Roosevelt's famous words were, "We'll start the war from right here!"

These improvised plans worked with complete success and little confusion. With artillery landing close by, each follow-on regiment was personally welcomed on the beach by a cool, calm, and collected Roosevelt, who inspired all with humour and confidence, reciting poetry and telling anecdotes of his father to steady the nerves of his men.

Roosevelt pointed almost every regiment to its changed objective. Sometimes he worked under fire as a self-appointed traffic cop, untangling traffic jams of trucks and tanks all struggling to get inland and off the beach. His demeanour so inspired his men, who seeing the general walking around, apparently unaffected by the enemy fire, even when clods of earth fell upon him, gave them the courage to get on with the job, saying if the general is like that it cannot be that bad. Years later, Omar Bradley was asked to name the single most heroic action he had ever seen in combat. He replied, "Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach."

The statue, by artist Pablo Eduardo of Massachusetts is cast in bronze with fragments from shells, bullet casings and other metals retrieved from the battle that led to Europe’s liberation in World War II.

04/01/2024

What a life!

He astro-navigated 18 Jeeps across 70 miles of desert without lights or maps – then inadvertently drove through the pursuing German column

22/12/2023

A deserted OMAHA Beach on
Winter Solstice 21st December 2023.

13/11/2023

If you haven't already seen The Great Escaper I can thoroughly recommend this film which beautifully captures the essence of D-Day and its effect upon those who survived.
It is a fitting tribute to those who today we call 'The Greatest Generation'.

31/10/2023

A really interesting afternoon spent on the island of Jersey exploring the intact German defences and learning more about the Channel Islands during the occupation.
Many thanks to Phil of Jersey War Tours for his insight.

15/09/2023

On Saturday 9th September, I took a party from the Royal Air Force on a D-Day tour of Normandy.
It was a pleasure for me to show today's young men and women of the R.A.F. where their comrades of yesteryear had fought for their country and played such a crucial role during the battle.

18/08/2023

Yesterday I spent a special day with James Hale and his family from Seattle & California. James is a professional musician who was granted permission by the American Battle Monuments Commision to play Taps live at Normandy American Cemetery during the flag lowering ceremony at the end of the day.

A goosebumps moment.

Thank you Jim.

05/08/2023

D-Day Wings Museum - Bretteville sur Odon

A wet July has given me the opportinity to catch up on some museum visits. Some were old friends others are new experiences.
On Wednesday 2nd August, together with Russell and Svetlana Lineham from Australia I visited the D-Day Wings Museum at Bretteville sur Odon.
The museum, is actually situated in an original pre war hanger at Carpiquet Airfield. The airfield was used by the Germans as a bomber station during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz of 1940. A key objective in the D-Day plan, It was eventually captured by Canadian forces in July 1944 after a vicious struggle between Canadian 8th Infantry Brigade and the 12th SS Panzer Division. (Hi**er Youth) The museum has a very interesting collection of original/replica aircraft and some fascinating crash relics - each with their own story.

02/04/2023

I have just spent three splendid days in the company of Jeff and Kyle Bosworth from California USA as we followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather Staff Sergeant Donald E Bosworth 1st Battalion 507th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division.

S/Sgt Bosworth parachuted into Normandy during the night of 5th-6th June 1944. He missed his Drop Zone and broke his ankle landing near the village of Orglandes.
Commandeering a French farmer's vehicle he set off into the night to eventually link up with his Commanding Officer Lt. Col Timmes at an orchard just outside the village of Amfreville.

During the fighting at 'Timmes Orchard' S/Sgt Bosworth was wounded in the shoulder following a violent exchange of fire with a German machine gun crew.
He stayed with the 507th and took part in their final battle at La Poterie Ridge, overlooking Le Haye du Puits. In the midst of the fighting S/Sgt Bosworth distinguished himself by bringing up ammunition to his comrades whilst under heavy fire.
He was awarded the Silver Star in recognition of his actions.

A remarkable man.

My thanks to Jeff and Kyle for sharing his story with me.

27/02/2023

Taps at Normandy American Cemetery,

Sunday 26th February 2023.

01/12/2022

A cold, wet, end of season November day spent with the Bernstein family.
Their warm smiles and enthusiasm made it all worthwhile.

13/11/2022

This Autumn, I had the pleasure of taking Vane Crandell in the footsteps of his father Combat Medic Vane L Crandell (Snr) 82nd Airborne Division. Our visit culminated in a moment of remembrance at the 508th PIR Memorial Garden at Chef du Pont.

30/10/2022

Pony trekking across OMAHA Beach.

Quite by chance I caught this image whilst taking a tour on Friday 28th October.
If you ever wonder why and for what reason all those young men died then here is the answer.

19/06/2022

Can it really be 20yrs since the HBO Series 'Band of Brothers'?
A landmark series that introduced a younger generation and rejuvenated interest amongst others to the history of The Second World War and D-Day in particular. Here the cast of the show pay a moving tribute to those who fought and died.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the HBO series 'Band of Brothers' some of the cast recorded and extract from the St.Crispin's Day Speech from William Sh...

29/05/2022

Memorial Day

Normandy American Cemetery
OMAHA Beach
29th May 2022

15/05/2022

D-Day Tour May 2022

We have been sent this short video of a recent D-Day Tour taken during May. It was a tremendous couple of days, rightly paying respect to the events of June 1944 but also enjoying the company of a close group of friends. My thanks to 'Smithy' for allowing us to repost it here.

Catch 'Smithy's' review of his tour on Tripadvisor.

01/03/2022

The new Arromanches Museum build is well underway.

D’ici un an, le musée d’Arromanches nouvelle version devrait accueillir ses premiers visiteurs. En attendant l’ouverture prévue en mars 2023, le musée qui a vu le jour en 1954 fermera définitivement ses portes en octobre 2022.

14/02/2022

Great news! From 12 February, fully vaccinated travellers from the UK no longer need to present a negative PCR or antigen test result before travel to France. But you still need proof of vaccination and a sworn statement. More info here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3rLbICT

13/07/2021

D-Day 75 Garden at Arromanches

The ghostly figures of the D-Day 75 Garden illustrate the memories in the mind of D-Day veteran Bill Pendell MM, as he sits in quiet reflection of his comrades with whom he struggled ashore on the morning of 6th June 1944.

The garden was originally created for the 2019 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Once the show was over the garden was moved in its entirety to the cliffs overlooking Arromanches. The flowers are long gone, but the statues and the memories remain.

24/06/2021

The British Normandy Memorial at Ver sur Mer, overlooking GOLD Beach was officially opened on 6th June 2021.

After 77yrs, Britain finally has a beautiful fitting tribute to the 22,442 service personnel and civilians who lost their lives during The Battle of Normandy.