Normandy D-Day Beaches Private British Sector from Bayeux｜France

Our first stop will be Sword sector to learn more about Operation Deadstick led by the 6th Airborne Division who captured Pegasus bridge on Caen canal and Horsa bridge on Orne river in the early hours of D-Day. You will discover a Memorial in honour of the men of the 3 gliders that realized a fantastic landing in a tiny space between the two rivers.

You will discover on the other bank of the river Café Gondré still a restaurant today and maybe you will have the opportunity to meet the owner who was 5 years old when she saw the first British paratroopers to come into her house and used it as a medical station. Her place is considered to be the first house to be liberated in France. That lady is also one of the last witness that saw the production of the movie the Longest Day that was filmed there and we can't forget that bapiper crossing the bridge under the enemy fire.

Then, you will pay tribute to the 2.563 men who died fighting for freedom in the Ranville War Cemetery devoted mainly to the 6th British airborne division. You will honor among those young soldiers, Den Brotheridge, considered to be the first Allied soldier to be killed, Robert Bobby who died at 16 years old or Emile Corteil burried with his paratrooper dog.

The late morning will conclude with a visit to Sword Beach where the 3rd British division landed. Among it, 177 French soldiers under the orders of the British commandos had the honor to step the first on the french soil 4 years after the German invasion.

After a lunch break, we will continue on to Gold Beach where the 50th Infantry Division landed. Your guide will explain you the key facts of the success of the Battle of Normandy thanks to the construction of the artificial port of Arromanches codenamed Mulberry B with a stunning view on the remains of the Phoenix caissons, the unloading dock and pontoons.

Then further west of the village, you will explore another location filmed for the needs of the movie The Longest Day with the famous scene of this German officer (Werner Pluskat) who saw from his command post thousands of Allied ships arriving from England. The Longues-sur-Mer artillery coastal battery covering Gold and Omaha beaches includes a firing command post and four casemates, 3 of them still housing a 150 mm artillery piece. This element of the Altantic wall is the only place with the guns still in place in Normandy.