làThe place where History was writtenTopUnusual Posted on 29.01.2024
Thought you’d seen it all? Get off the beaten track and visit some of the lesser-known sites with equally important D-Day history. Here are the sites to discover about D-Day off the beaten track.
Remembering at the flame memorial
This flame, symbol of Liberation, is engraved with the names of the 177 french soldiers who participated to the military operations of June 6th 1944. Seven steps are placed in front of the monument to remember the one hundred and seventy-seven soldiers who fell between the beach and the Ouistreham casino. The masterpiece of Yvonne Guégan is charged of emotions for us all and especially for the french veterans who gather there every year, to pay tribute to their late comerades for the fallen.
The 1944 Radar Museum, unique in Europe
The 1944 Radar museum, situated in Douvres la Délivrande is a unique site in Europe ! Discover the technologies of the Second World War radars with an orginal model exposed there. The two bunkers that can be visited enlighten us on the communication techniques used by the german soldiers.
The Merville Battery
The Merville Battery was attacked on 06 June 1944 and was the main objective of the D-Day landings. The tour of the site begins in front of a superb C-47 Dakota, followed by a number of bunkers that provide an insight into the history of the battery. In a casemate, an immersive sound show retraces the last minutes of the attack.
The 3 main operations : SPRING, GOODWOOD and TOTALIZE
Spring
This operation lasted from July 25th to July 27th. It’s a military operation lead by the allied forces and mainly Canada. It happened in the south of Caen during the battle of Normandy. Spring took numerous lives. This visit will allow you to understand the importance of the battle and the consequences on the operations that followed.
Goodwood
The operation Goodwood represents the largest and deadliest tank battle of Normandy. Initially established by the General Montgomery in order to take possession of the east of Caen, it’s a failure despite the tremendous means engaged. Goodwood permits the americans to put the Cobra Operation in place to liberate Brittany.
Totalize
The operation Totalize is launched by the Canadian, British and Polish soldiers, after the lightning failure of the Goodwood operation. The goal still being the liberation of the south of Caen, a new tactic is adopted : the night attack using a mechanized infantery to make the armored vehicules heavier. Just like the Goodwood operation, Totalize took numerous lives and an impresive amount of material losses was witnessed.
The underground ice house
Built in a former quarry in the 19th century, the ice house was used to keep foodstuffs cool. In the summer of 1944, it was used as a shelter by the inhabitants of Caen’s Saint-Paul district, who hid there from the Germans and the bombing raids. Special tours are scheduled during the season to discover the underground life of these civilians.
Soldat Léon experience
Using your smartphone or tablet, relive in augmented reality the events of 06 June 1944 on Sword Beach and the moving testimony of Léon Gautier, one of the French soldiers of the Kieffer Commando who landed at Ouistreham in 1944.
The gardens of remembrance at the Caen Memorial
Surrounding the Memorial are 3 gardens dedicated to the memory of the Allied and Resistance soldiers who died in the Battle of Normandy. From the British garden next to the museum, a staircase leads down to the Canadian and American gardens below. Commemorative ceremonies are held here every year around 06 June.
Garden of remembrance Abbaye d’Ardenne
Occupied by German forces during the Second World War, the Abbey was the scene of terrible atrocities in June 1944. 21 Canadian soldiers were taken prisoner and summarily executed in the gardens of the Abbey. Today, a memorial garden commemorates the sacrifice of these young Canadians.
Belvedere in Ouistreham
Now transformed into a lookout point, the Ouistreham lookout was part of the Atlantic Wall built by the Germans as a defence against an Allied invasion. An anti-aircraft gun sat atop this concrete tower. From the top, visitors can contemplate the skyline of Sword Beach, adding an emotional dimension to this emblematic site.
The D-Day Academy
The D-Day Academy offers you the chance to spend a day at the D-Day landing sites in a vintage vehicle! Let your 5 senses take you back in time for an emotional and cultural encounter with history, accompanied by passionate people.
