Normandy and the D-Day Landings (four-day tour)

You’ve seen the films The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan and the award winning television series Band of Brothers. It’s now time to walk the ground and let Rifleman Tours take you to see where the events they depict actually take place and let you walk in the footsteps of the heroes who liberated Europe.

The Normandy invasion codenamed ‘Overlord’ is quite simply a military feat to be marvelled at, and one that will never be repeated. From the assembly of the largest and most powerful armada, to the landing of six infantry divisions on five beaches covering a 50 mile stretch of coastline, whilst a further three airborne divisions dropped to defend the flank and rear, also capturing some objectives vital to the Allies’ success. In short, the films do not do justice to this incredible allied undertaking that signalled the end of the Second World War.

Day One: Depart from your chosen UK collection point and proceed to Dover or Folkestone for our channel crossing by ferry or Eurotunnel to Calais and then on to the city of Caen where we will book into our centrally located hotel. The rest of the evening is at your leisure when you can explore this vibrant and historic city. There’s a large choice of restaurants and bars on your doorstep, as well as William the Conqueror’s castle to explore.

Day Two: We begin our tour of the British and Canadian sector by visiting Pegasus Bridge which was taken by the Ox and Bucks in a stunning coup de main operation. Here we visit the Pegasus Bridge Museum (entrance fee included) and Café Gondree, the first house liberated in France, before moving on to Ranville War Cemetery where we pay our respect at Lieutenant Herbert Denham (Den) Brotheridge’s grave. He is believed to have been the first Allied serviceman to die through enemy action on French soil during the Normandy Campaign.

Our next stop is Arromanches where a packed lunch (included in the price) can be taken; Arromanches is the home of the British Mulberry harbour. Fearing that a harbour would not be captured swiftly enough, the Allies decided to bring their own. “Mulberry “B” (Port Winston) saw heavy use, and in the 100 days following the 6th June, and was used to land over 2 million men and countless supplies.

We will then travel along the British and Canadian Beaches, stopping at the stunning new British Normandy Memorial, opened in 2021. Overlooking Gold Beach, the site consists of 160 stone columns inscribed with the names of the 22,442 people who were killed on D-Day and during the Normandy Campaign. A bronze sculpture of three charging infantrymen is a major feature of the site.

As we proceed, we visit Gold, and Juno beaches and discuss the actions that took place as the allied troops came ashore and moved inland. This includes the story of Stanley Hollis, the only VC winner of D-Day. We finish the day at Sword beach, but not before a stop at the Hillman Bunker Complex which is listed as one of the reasons for the Allies not completing their major D-Day objective; the taking of Caen.

Day Three: Today we turn our attentions to the American sector starting with a visit to Omaha beach, which acquired the name ‘Bloody Omaha’, and descend to the beach via the Verville Draw. As we move along the beach, we discuss the 1st and 29th Divisions landing here, highlighting the actions and people involved, before we move on and pay our respects to the fallen at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Here, in this beautiful cemetery, are the graves of 9,389 US Servicemen who died in the Normandy Campaign and include three Medal of Honour winners.

At Sainte-Mère-Église, here a company of the 82nd airborne dropped on to the market square in the early ours of 6th June and were cut down by the waiting Germans. One John Steele was snagged on the church steeple and a model of him is suspended there as a reminder of the event. We’ll explore the town before partaking of a packed lunch (included in the price).

The afternoon sees us look at the exploits of the US Airborne Divisions (82nd and 101st). One of the essential missions of the 82nd American Airborne Division was to take the bridge spanning the Merderet River at La Fière. It was here, between the 6th and 9th June, one of the fiercest battles took place. To pay tribute to the numerous American paratroopers who lost their lives, a statue baptised ‘Iron Mike’ was erected overlooking the bridge and causeway. More recently, a new monument honouring the Eighth Air Force was unveiled here at La Fière. The work of the Eighth Air Force was brought to people’s attention thanks to the excellent television series ‘Masters of the Air’. The memorial features one of the charters; Robert (Rosy) Rosenthal.

We then turn our attention to ‘Easy Company’ made famous in the television series Band of Brothers. We visit their memorial and the site at Brécourt where they silenced four guns on the morning of the 6^th June before looking at the first American beach to be landed on; Utah.

We then begin our journey back to Caen we a final stop at the Longues-sur-Mer gun battery, perfectly located between Omaha and Gold beaches. This battery fought a duel with the Allied fleet, notably HMS Ajax, before it was silenced at sunset.

Day Four: Today sees us leave Caen and make our journey back to the UK.