Page 138 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

of attack for the British following signs for ‘Overlord – King George VI on 16
3rd Infantry Division. L’Assaut’ onto the D514 towards June. A Cross of Lorraine
There are precious few Courseulles-sur-Mer, 18km west. marks the historic spot.
reminders of the battle Drive through town onto rue de The area’s only Cana-
Ver, and follow signs to ‘Centre
today, but on D-Day the Juno Beach’. dian museum, the Juno
scene was very different: Beach Centre (%02 31
most of the surrounding 37 32 17; www.junobeach.
buildings had been level- 3 Juno & Gold org; voie des Français Libres,
led by artillery fire, and Beaches Courseulles-sur-Mer; adult/
German bunkers and child €7/5.50, incl guided
artillery positions were On D-Day, Courseulles- tour of Juno Beach €11/9;
strung out along the sur-Mer was known as h9.30am-7pm Apr-Sep,
seafront. Sword Beach Juno Beach, and was 10am-5pm Oct-Mar, closed Jan)
was the site of some of stormed mainly by Cana- has exhibits on Canada’s
the most famous images dian troops. It was here role in the war effort and
of D-Day – including the that the exiled French the landings, and offers
infamous ones of British General Charles de guided tours of Juno
troops landing with Gaulle came ashore after Beach (€5.50) from April
bicycles, and bagpiper the landings – the first to October.
Bill Millin piping troops ‘official’ French soldier A short way west is
FRANCE 9 D-DAY’S BEACHES
ashore while under to set foot in mainland Gold Beach, attacked by
heavy fire. Europe since 1940. He the British 50th Infantry
was followed by Winston on D-Day.
The Drive » Follow the Churchill on 12 June and
seafront west onto rue de Lion, The Drive » Drive west
along the D514 for 14km to
Arromanches. You’ll pass a
carpark and viewpoint marked
D-DAY IN FIGURES with a statue of the Virgin Mary,
which overlooks Port Winston
Code named ‘Operation Overlord’, the D-Day landings and Gold Beach. Follow the road
were the largest military operation in history. On into town and signs to Musée du
the morning of 6 June 1944, swarms of landing Débarquement.
craft – part of an armada of more than 6000 ships
and 13,000 aeroplanes – hit the northern Normandy
beaches, and tens of thousands of soldiers from the 4 Arromanches
USA, the UK, Canada and elsewhere began pouring This seaside town was
onto French soil. The initial landing force involved the site of one of the
some 45,000 troops; 15 more divisions were to follow great logistical achieve-
once successful beachheads had been established. ments of D-Day. In order
The majority of the 135,000 Allied troops stormed to unload the vast quan-
ashore along 80km of beaches north of Bayeux that tities of cargo needed
were codenamed (from west to east) Utah, Omaha, by the invasion forces
Gold, Juno and Sword. The landings were followed without capturing one
by the 76-day Battle of Normandy, during which the of the heavily defended
Allies suffered 210,000 casualties, including 37,000 Channel ports, the Allies
troops killed. German casualties are believed to have set up prefabricated
been around 200,000; another 200,000 German marinas off two landing
soldiers were taken prisoner. About 14,000 French beaches, code named
civilians also died. Mulberry Harbour. These
For more background and statistics, see www. consisted of 146 massive
normandiememoire.com and www.6juin1944.com.
cement caissons towed

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