Brixworth History Society
Visit to Normandy
July 23 to July 26 2004

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;….
And gentlemen (and women) in England now [abed]
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here …..

Apologies to William Shakespeare, King Henry V, Act IV, Scene III

Friday 23 July

7.15 a.m. The coach left Brixworth in warm and sunny weather heading for Dover.
Our Secretary, John Dawkins, was there to wave us off and wish us Bon Voyage.
A smooth ride to Dover and then an equally smooth ferry ride to Calais. The Channel was as calm as a village mill pond. Food, drink, sun , and blue skies and the scene was set for a weekend in France.

6.00 p.m. The flags were out to greet us on our arrival in Caen but this was more to do with the start of a yacht race than because we were coming.
The atmosphere was lively and colourful. The canal was lined with white pointed marquee tents, flags fluttering in the breeze. The cafes and bars were bustling as the yacht race had attracted large numbers of onlookers.
Our hotel was nearby and the evening was ours to explore Caen and find suitable refreshments which did not prove too difficult.

Saturday 24 July

To Pegasus Bridge.
The first D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 took place here. The 6th British Airborne Division were charged with the task of capturing intact the bridges over the canal at Benouville and the River Orne at Ranville. These bridges were the only crossing points between Caen and the sea.

The museum at the Pegasus Bridge Memorial was very interesting and highlighted just how perilous these missions were. We looked at a ‘life-size’ model of a Horsa glider, the type that made the initial landings. It was shocking to realise that the gliders were constructed from plywood and that the landings seemed to be more a controlled ‘crash landing’ rather than a controlled landing.
A few of us had the pleasure of meeting an 87 year old English man who was visiting the Pegasus Memorial that day. He told us he took part in the D-Day landings on Gold Beach and his memories brought history to life.

As the weather was sunny and warm it seemed appropriate to get some refreshment at the café owned by the Gondee family situated by the side of the canal. This was the first house to be liberated by the British on 6 June 1944. We were told that the café is still owned by members of the Gondee family.
To Arromanches.
A small bustling seaside town which was slightly ‘touristy’, but nevertheless still attractive and well worth the visit.
The Arromanches D-Day Landing museum was well organised and we were given an explanation of the prefabricated harbour which contributed so much to the liberation of Europe. We could see many remains of the concrete pontoons in the harbour. The sheer size of the concrete hulks made us realise the magnificence of the achievement of floating roads and pontoons over the Channel from England to take up residence in Arromanches harbour.
On a local note, we noticed that the model of the harbour in the museum was made by Bassett-Lowke model makers of Northampton, England.

To Longues-sur-Mer.
It was a short journey from Arromanches through very flat countryside which were covered with fields of golden corn as far as the eye could see.
We had the opportunity to see and explore the remains of German artillery batteries placed along the coastline.
We were free to climb in and over the gun placements which was great fun. It did not take much imagination to work out the noise and damage they would have made when fired.

We were transported back to Caen to enjoy the delights on offer for the evening.

Sunday 25 July

The street market in Caen started setting up early that morning and we had a few hours free to wander. The market stalls offered a large selection of goods including clothes, shoes, furniture, and of course, plenty of food to linger over.

To Collevolle-sur-Mer.
We visited the American Cemetery and Memorial overlooking Omaha Beach.
There are 9,386 American War Dead buried here.
We walked around the memorial looking at the lines and lines of white headstones which stretched as far as we could see. Numbers cannot always convey the reality of the sacrifice of these men, but looking at that many headstones emphasised how many soldiers died in battle campaigns in one small area. It was impossible not to be moved at the sight of this stark memorial surrounded by woodland and beautifully manicured lawns.

To Bayeaux
We went to see the exhibition that included the Bayeaux tapestry.
We had plenty of time to see the tapestry which is both a magnificent work of art and an historical document. The detail of the stitching is wonderful and gives great insight of daily life in 1066.

Just outside Bayeaux we stopped at a British Cemetery and Memorial. The headstones had flowering plants at the base and the regiment badge was detailed on the front. The effect was much softer than the more stark headstones in the American cemetery. The British cemetery was set in green lawns interspersed with oak trees giving the impression of a village green. It was easy to imagine a cricket match being played there.
Reading the headstone details gave a poignant reminder of how young these soldiers were when they died in battle.

Monday 26 July

Back to Calais.
For the first time the weather was not sunny and warm.
It was chilly and damp as we made our scheduled stop at Honfleur. This is a delightful small fishing port with narrow streets leading from the harbour. There are many shops, cafes, art galleries to attract tourists. Despite the inclement weather there were a few artists capturing the scene on canvas.

We managed to fit in the obligatory visit to a hypermarket before boarding our ferry back to Dover.

10.30 p.m. Back in Brixworth after a memorable weekend.
Thanks to Pauline Kirton for organising it all so well – even the weather was perfect.

The precedent has now been set – so Brixworth History Society may have to arrange another trip to foreign fields.

Heather Parr
Foreign Correspondent.
Brixworth History Society.