D-DAY 65th Anniversary. My trip to Europe recently gave me the opportunity to visit the D-day beaches during the anniversary attended by President Obama, Prince Charles, PM Gordon Brown, and President Sarkosy. Security was tighter than a DUKW’s backside with road blocks etc and necessitated hiring bicycles from Bayeux to even get near the beaches. The 12 mile ride was fascinating and we had time to visit Gold beach and later Sword beach. Here are some notable highlights from a re-enactors point of view.          Cheers-  David Gunson

Inside the Bayeux cathedral.

There was a memorial service for the British armed forces right in the heart of the first large town to be captured by the Allies. Being dressed in my formal clobber and by standing in the right place at the right time I was able to go in with the official party and take a seat just 5 rows from Prince Charles. I suppose the Gendarmes thought I was with the family of the veterans. Above: Here are the band that played and boy they sounded amazing in the hallowed halls.

Below are the cadets?? They formed a guard of honour as the parade veterans trooped past. I was suprised how the veterans I talked to weren’t drivers or cooks or other cushy jobs. The ones I spoke with were blokes who were in the first waves. Infantry and Paras and some how they got through.

 
Bayeux – The town is ancient and survived the worst of the fighting. Typically French life goes on as normal. The information centre had two staff because it was the weekend and a line of confused tourists leading out the door. While here were hundreds and hundreds of tourists in a small town over one weekend -yet well over half the shops are shut! I spoke French to one shop keeper and ended with Parlavou Anglaise his reply was a roll of the eyes and Parlavou Francaise. Needless to say for a town so popular with visitors most of the locals seemed to be over it. The village markets were great  but the decorations a little half hearted  and for some reason the EU and French flags out numbered every other D-Day nation.

 Take a look at these sterling chaps and chapette below. They are doing

(re-enacting) Free Polish Air force serving with the RAF.

 
D –Day at Arromanches. Fortunately it was low tide!
Here are some likely lads re-enacting South Wales Borders They were pretty much flawless , even to the flimsy lifebelts -but from what I understand the American version would often slip down up-ending the soldier. These Tommies have captured a kiwi who thinks he’s a Frenchman.
Below, you can see a sense of scale with these vehicles pulled in alongside washed up Mulberry block ships
These fellows look more 1940 than 1944.  Below, the beach rally at Arromanches would grow and shrink as various convoys of vintage vehicles arrive or depart along the beach. All day their seemed to be military vehicles travelling the battle sites . Tour coaches disengorged veterans and their families. Some how even without access for private motor cars and public transport there seemed to be several thousand gathering at Arromanches which hosted the British celebrations/ commemorations.
Count the jeeps !!! There were over 200  that were registered for events in Normandy .
Me and two of the washed up Mulberry harbour pontoons.
The keen ones took advantage of the swampy conditions to entertain the crowd.  Some were more entertaining than others. While some just got stuck fast.
 I  thought it was me at first but then I realised I could be…
…him!
This kiwi jeep travelled across Europe from the ANZAC day events in Turkey . It had come along way.
Quack!
This bunker housed an 88mm gun and took out 5 British tanks on Gold beach before a 25pdr SP gun managed to hit the bunker.
This bunker survived the coastal bombardment  and postwar regeneration. It faces away from the beach but could traverse an AT gun 180 degrees. It was intially overlooked. The gun crew managed to take out two passing tanks by firing into their engine compartments before being overwhelmed. Every bunker has it’s own story of sacrifice and struggle.

 

Veterans frisk a stretcher bearer for his flask of medicinal whisky!

 

Nobody mentioned that everyone was ready to go home after the show,

 when these comical pierrots turned up.

 
Bayeux cemetary the final resting place of many commonwealth troops and even a few germans.
Who dares….

Bayeux has the largest Commonwealth war grave in Normandy . The cathedral dominates the town and the surrounding landscape. It’s remarkable that the town survived.

In fact the medieval town was even spared heavy military traffic as the Allies immediately built a modern ring road that bypassed the centre of town.  

 

Below the memorial sited in the cemetery.  Most of the wreaths were from family but several were from dignitaries. Prince Charles had one in the P.O Wales motif. Bayeux is set in idelic rolling countryside. But I can imagine a terrain that would have seen bitter fighting from hedgerow to hedge row. Once established, I imagine Artillery would have knocked out strongholds. Isolating and cutting off bodies of troops. The terrain provides plenty of spots for antitank weapons. However no worth while areas to build up a large amount of troops/material for a serious counterattack out of sight of aerial reconnaissance.

 
Tanks and a SP gun at the very fine Bayeux D-Day Museum .
The victory parade through Bayeux . A lot of the American re-enactors were from that identity confused country ….The Netherlands !
The paras were much in evidence. The parade of vehicles took half an hour to pass. It featured two sherman tanks, several armoured cars, many trucks and many, many jeeps.
This landing craft  was used in Saving Ryan’s privates so not original- but working. Here is the Commandoes memorial at Ouisterium. The eastern end of Sword beach.

The view from the memorial. The beach goes on ‘forever’. It was certainly a case of Get on the beach-Get off the beach. The commandoes would have taken hits from the coastal houses, the sanddunes and the casino not to mention flanking long range fire from the direction of Le Harve. On the horizon.
The bunker in the backyard. This building is right in the middle of suburbia. It is now a museum. The building itself was rapidly surrounded by the commandoes shortly after landing.
On board HMS Belfast it’s a bit of a horrorshow. The butcher shop and dentist are just a few of the recreations that bring this battle cruiser museum to life.
HMS Belfast is moored on the Thames ( London )  and takes a good hour or two to walk around.
Start ‘em young. This family came down from Yorkshire though the boys will no doubt grow into and then out of their uniforms.  Keen as mustard types.
Who says the French take themselves too seriously.  His visit to Caen was probably the most exciting thing to happen since WW2.
I’ve acquired an interesting target for this cannon in the fort at Macau .