Normandy 21 - 26 May 15

A new bus, a bank holiday weekend and a strong desire to get away. However, a Bank Holiday and 1/2 term in the UK = kids, heavy traffic and overinflated prices on crowded sites, so the decision was made to head to France for a mini break. I have always wanted to see the Normandy Beaches and Pegasus Bridge, so off we went.

The journey down to the tunnel on the Thursday was uneventful apart from the detour around an accident on the M11. We relaxed in the rear lounge as we crossed and cleared the terminal only to find long lines of lorries and, literally, thousands of migrants running around, climbing on lorries, sprinting across the motorway and ganging up in huge groups by the side of the road. The police were there in force, wielding batons and chasing the groups, but there were so many. You see it on the news but it doesn't prepare you for the sheer numbers and the risks that they were willing to take, climbing over and under lorries, trying to open doors, lurking and sprinting towards vehicles and running away from the police. We locked the doors and kept moving, slowing as necessary, but never stopping.

We decided that stopping at our usual spot in Citie d'Europe was not an option, so we drove on to the free aire at Wissant, parked up and had a wander into town before retiring for a very quiet night's sleep.

In the morning we  headed down to Normandy, stopping at the nice motorway services at the Baie de Somme and crossing the impressive Pont de Normandie en route. Eventually we arrived at a site between Caen and Ouistreham which we hoped was near Pegasus Bridge.  Before we set up we drove the mile or so to the Carrefour and stocked up with meat, salad and WINE and then established ourselves on our allocated, and very sloping, pitch! We went for a walk out the back of the site and immediately saw the bridge, so our navigation was spot on. We had a crafty pint in Café Gondree and then wandered around the excellent Pegasus Bridge museum. I remain gobsmacked at how those pilots managed to land 3 gliders almost on top of the bridge. Absolutely incredible. The night was disturbed by a group of noisy French young adults who guffawed and shouted well into the early hours. Gits!

On Saturday we asked to move pitch and they re-allocated us a nice level pitch next to the canal. We then drove across to the Bayeux memorial to find the inscription for Debs' great Uncle, who was killed on D-Day, wandered around the beautifully kept cemetery, into the museum and then wandered into Bayeux for Tartiflette. The Bayeux tapestry will have to wait until next time. Following our late lunch we drove along the coast to Arromanches, parked in the aire and wandered through the town and admired the remains of the Mulberry Harbour. We then followed the coast road back along Gold, Juno and Sword beaches and down some very challenging roads (good practice for a new motorhome) finally ending up back at Ouistreham and the site late in the evening.

Having been kept awake by noisy people the night before we were dismayed to find a very noisy group of about 14 men had moved in a couple of pitches along. Out came the booze and a brand new BBQ, which they lit and then a leg fell off. One volunteer was tasked to hold onto the BBQ as repairs were attempted and his cries were quite upsetting (and very funny) as the heat from the BBQ finally worked its way through to his booze-numbed fingers. Finally they gave up and took all the legs off and placed the remainder of the BBQ on the road. Cooking was slow, so they broke up a pallet and threw it on top, finally dishing our their cindered meat at about 10pm. Luckily for us they were actually very quiet at night. One should not pre-judge.
 
On Sunday we tried to walk into Ranville but the route was down some very busy roads, so we watched some yachts pass under Pegasus bridge en route to a race at sea. We then walked to Ouistreham and back. 10 miles later and knackered we retired to bed.
 
Monday saw us at Ranville cemetery to pay our respects to the brave souls of 6th Airborne Division then back to the aire and overnight at Equihen, near Boulogne. Lovely cliff top spot, but a very odd little town.
 
Finally, on Tuesday we crossed the channel and headed for home.
 
This was quite a long trip but well worth it. The area we stayed in is packed with history and the campsite is on the site of quite a bloody battle on D-Day. Every street tells a story. For example, the church tower overlooking the camp site was home to a dozen German snipers on D-Day who were causing all sorts of problems to 7 PARA. Eventually Cpl Killean took the snipers out with a PIAT. According to the actor Richard Todd, who was an officer in 7 Bn at the time:  Later in the day, Corporal Killean recorded an interview with Chester Wilmot, the BBC War Correspondent who had joined us. I was present when he spoke to the embarrassed Killean, a good Irish Catholic lad. Chester drew from his a hesitant description of his exploit. It was the Corporal's last sentence that I shall never forget: "When I got to the church door I looked up, and, och! I was sorry to see what I had done to a wee house of God - but I did take off my tin hat when I went inside!". 
Interestingly, Richard Todd went on to play Major Howard in the film the longest day and another actor played Lt Richard Todd!

Perhaps the most moving inscription I saw was that engraved on the Bayeux Memorial in the Bayeux cemetery (the largest 2nd world war cemetery of commonwealth soldiers in France): NOS A GULIELMO VICTI VICTORIS PATRIAM LIBERAVIMUS   “We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror’s native land.”

The spot where Maj Howard's glider landed. Incredible!

 

 

Debs' Great Uncle - Pte Willis

 

 

 

Arromanches

 

 

Bits of Mulberry Harbour

This Dutchman forgot he had a caravan on the back!  Oops

Ranville Cemetery