Des na on Guide:
WW2 BATTLEFIELDS
Contents Click below to jump straight to your subject area The Great War was to be followed by the Second World War just two decades later and is undoubtedly the deadliest conflict in modern human history. However, the legacy WWII le4 on the world has benefited mankind like the development of air travel and mass produc7on of certain medicines. Visits to the D-Day Landing Beaches of Normandy and many of the local museums and informa7on centres help to increase awareness and knowledge of the period and will give your school trip to the World War II Ba lefields great educa7onal value.
Caen Pegasus Bridge Merville Ba ery Caen Memorial The Airbourne Troops museum Juno Beach Omaha Beach Utah Beach
Towns of Interest ......3 ......3 ......3 ......3 ......3 ......4 …….4
Ouistreham to Arromanches Arromanches Colleville-Mont Luc-Ser-Mer Courseulles
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Arromanches Cherbourg Musée du Debaraquement Arromanches
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Caen The Ba le for Caen from June-August 1944 was a ba le between Allied (primarily Bri7sh and Canadian troops) and German forces during the Ba le of Normandy. Caen was a vital objec7ve for several reasons. Firstly, it lay astride the Orne River and Caen Canal; these two water obstacles could strengthen a German defensive posi7on if not crossed. Secondly, Caen was a road hub; in German hands it would enable the enemy to shi4 forces rapidly. Thirdly, the area around Caen was rela7vely open, especially compared to the bocage country in the west of Normandy. This area was valued for airfield construc7on. Most of the city was destroyed in the war and was being rebuilt up un7l the 1960’s. Not much of pre war Caen s7ll exists today. Pegasus Bridge Museum www.memorial-pegasus.org 5KM south of Ouistreham the main road towards Caen passes close by the site now known as Pegasus Bridge. On the night before D Day the bridge was the scene of a daring glider assault. Possession of the bridge intact was vital to the success of the Allied mission. The original bridge has now been replaced but it has been preserved as the focus of the Memorial Pegasus. The Merville Ba)ery www.ba erie-merville.com Such was the mission given to Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway and his 700 airborne troops of the 9th Ba alion. On the Eastern flank of the figh7ng on 6th June 1944, the Merville Ba ery and Museum are the entry point to the historic ba le of Normandy, an unavoidable site for those who wish to understand and appreciate what actually happened as dawn broke on the longest day… The Caen Memorial www.normandy.memorial-caen.com The Caen Memorial is a war museum that is in fact a “Museum of Peace”. Located just north of Caen, above the headquarters used by the German army during June and July 1944. Visitors follow a prescribed route through the ultramodern building, which leads on a spiral from WW I and the treaty of Versailles towards WW II. The informa7on on World War II is very well documented with the emphasis on the occupa7on of France rather than Millitaria. Visits to the upper sec7on of the memorial are provided with a selec7on of three films – D-Day itself, the second traces the course of the war and the third argues for long las7ng peace in the world. A must to see is the Nobel peace Prizewinner’s Gallery. Allow at least two hours for your visit. Ste-Mère-Eglise and the Airbourne Troops museum www.airborne-museum.org/en/ The church of this town was immortalised in the film ‘The longest day. Just behind the church the Airborne Troops Museum tells the fascina7ng story of the landing itself. Allow 1h15 for the visit
Entrance charge Adults €7.50 Students €4.50 Open daily April-Sept 09h30-18h00 Oct-mid Dec, Feb-Mar 10h00-17h00 Closed half of Dec and Jan
Entrance charge Groups €3 students, €6.50 adults (min 10 people) Open Mid-Mar-Sept 09h30-18h30 Oct-Nov 10h00-17h00 Closed between mid Nov– Mid-March Loca3on: Merville-Franceville Entrance charge Students €9.91 Adult €11.28 Open Mid-Jan-Mid Feb, Nov-Dec 09h00-18h00 Mid Feb-Jun, Sept-Oct 09h00-19h00 Jul-Aug 09h00-20h00 Closed 1st two weeks in January
Loca3on: Caen
Entrance Groups of Adults (17+) €6/Adult Groups of Children (6-16yrs) €4/child Open daily May-Aug 09h00-19h00 Apr-Sep 09h30-18h30 Oct-Mar 10h00-18h00 Closed Dec 19-Jan 3
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Caen Juno Beach Centre www.junobeach.org Built on the site where the Canadians landed in June 1944 alongside allied forces, the Juno Beach Centre presents Canada’s role in military opera7ons and the war effort on the home front on the Second World War. A place of remembrance and educa7on, the Juno Beach Centre also provides visitors with the opportunity to discover the many facets of contemporary Canadian society and to be er understand Canada’s people, culture and values.
Entrance Adults €9, Students €5.50 includes Juno Beach Centre and Guided Tour of Juno Park Educa3onal Presenta3on €1.50pp extra Max Group size 40 Open Daily Apr-Sept 09h30-19h00 Mar and Oct 10h00-18h00 Feb, Nov and Dec 10h00-17h00 Closed in January Loca3on: Courseulles-sur-Mer
Omaha Beach and Colleveille-sur-mer American Cemetery (American landing beaches) www.abmc.gov
Entrance Adults €5.80, Students €4.60, Under 15’s €3.40
Driving west of Arromanches lies Port-En-Bessin which is a small town with a thriving fishing industry. Omaha Beach can be found to the West with the clifftop village of Colleville-Sur-Mer marking the start of the approach road to the larger of the two American cemeteries. This is the cemetery in the opening sequence of ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Here you will find rows of crosses covering the clifftop lawns. Opera7on Overlord is explained in the Visitors centre, and the Pointe Du Hoc monument is close by on the way to Utah Beach. St Laurent is 2.5 KM further on and holds the Omaha Beach Museum.
Open 15 Apr-15Sept 09h00-18h00 Mid Sept– Mid Apr 09h00-17h00 Closed Dec 25 and Jan 1
Utah Beach Museum www.utah-beach.com
Entrance School groups €3.5 Guided tour of museum and Utah Beach €12
The Westermost point of the invasion was Utah Beach. On this beach 23,000 men and 1700 vehicles landed. A minor coast road D241 traces the edge of the dunes and the figh7ng. Ships deliberately sunk to create breakwaters are s7ll visible at low 7de, while markers on the front commemorate individual heroes.
Open Oct-May 10h00-18h00 Jun-Sep 09h00-19h00 Closed 1-25 Dec, Open 26-30 Dec 10h00-18h00, 31 Dec 10h0016h00
Arromanches At Arromanches the ar7ficial Mulberry harbour “Port Winston” protected the landings for two and half million vehicles during the WWII invasion’s. Cherbourg – Museum of Libera on www.cherbourgtourism.com/musee-de-la-libera7on In the South of this metropolis you will find Roule Fort and within this fort, The Museum of Libera7on. This museum is packed with maps and diagrams of the invasion and in addi7on has plenty of contemporary newsreel concerning 1944 when Cherbourg was briefly the busiest port in the world.
Entrance Group €2.5 Adults €4 Open Tues-Fri 10h00-12h00, 14h00-18h00 Sat-Sun 13h00-18h00 Closed Mondays and months Dec and Jan Loca3on—Cherbourgh-Octeville
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Arromanches Entrance Groups (Min 20) Adults €6.50, Children/ Students €4
Musée du Débarquement www.musee-arromanches.fr At the seafront the Musee du Debarquement recounts the whole story by means of models, machinery and movies. A huge picture window runs the length of the museum staring straight out onto the harbour which was the largest port in the world for three months a4er D Day.
Open Daily Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec 10h00-12h30, 13h30h17h00 April, Oct 09h30-12h30, 13h30-17h30 May-Jul 09h00-19h00 Sept 09h00-18h00 Closed Dec 24, 25, 31 and Jan Entrance Full rate €5.5, Teachers and Students €5 (ID and wriBen proof required)
Arromanches 360 www.arromanches360.com High up on the cliffs above the invasion site lies Arromanches 360. A 360 cinema experience under the slogan “eighteen minutes of total emo7on” The showing plunges viewers into the heart of the figh7ng.
Open Daily Jan 26-Mar 10h10-17h10 Apr 10h10-17h40 May-Aug 09h40-18h10 Sep 10h10-18h10 Loca3on—Arromanches les Bains
Towns of Interest Ouistreham to Arromanches -The Bri sh landing beaches – Sword, Juno and Gold This coastline is rugged and sparse yet the towns do ed along are very welcoming. It is easy to get a feel for the events of WWII by simply standing on the beaches. Ouistreham Head west from the ferry port to Riva Bella, to find the main drag of beach. Colleville-Montgomery Worth a short stop. Named a4er the famous Bri7sh General, Sir Bernard Montgomery. Luc-Sur-Mer 11KM from Ouistreham you come across the town of Luc-Sur-Mer. This resort is very welcoming with a small pier and a great promenade. Courseulles A nice town with a square set back from the sea. This town served as a Bri7sh beachhead. Within ten days of D-Day it was visited by Winston Churchill and King George VI.
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