Dead Man’s Corner Museum

D-Day Museums in Normandy worth visiting
(Introduction)

On my 1 day tours we don’t stop in any museum because time is limited
and I’d rather show you the sites but if you’re doing a 2 day tour
then we will have the choice of either :

Airborne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise   :
http://www.airborne-museum.org/en/

Utah Beach Museum at Itah beach   :
http://www.utah-beach.com/?lang=en

Omaha Memorial Museum in Saint Laurent-sur-Mer   :
http://www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/en/

These 3 museums are my favorite, but there are so many other great museums and if you’re staying in Normandy for several days then I suggest you check them out before the tour so you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about during my tour (if you have no knowledge of the events concerning D-Day) or after the tour, that way it’ll make more sense to you when you’re walking around and visiting the museum.

Le Grand Bunker Atlantic Wall Museum

Bunker as it was in 1944

Another great museum to visit, is the one in the town of Ouistreham in Normandy, France. Located in the heart of what once was called SWORD Beach in the British sector, this 7 story bunker is impressive not only by it’s size and shape but also by it’s function and what’s inside.

It’s important to notice that it has sustained little damage
and has been completely restored and set up as it would have been in 1944.

Located only a few minutes from the beach and the Ferry terminal,
the Atlantic Wall Museum is inside the old German headquarters
which was in charge German coastal gun batteries
covering the entrance of the Orne river and canal.
The 52ft high concrete tower has been fully restored
to make it look how it was on  June 6th 1944.

Discover the Grand Bunker’s six floors (+ ground floor)
its inner rooms, which have been recreated down to the last detail:
generator room
gas filters room
casemate with machine gun protecting the entrance
dormitory
medical area
sick bay
ammunition storage
radio transmission room
telephone switchboard
observation post equipped with a powerful range-finder
and on the top floor a 360° view over Sword Beach.

You’ll be able to see many pictures and documents concerning the construction of the Atlantic wall
artillery, beach defences and observation, etc.
Souvenirs of the assault and shock troops specially trained
for operation OVERLORD to attack the Atlantic Wall
and the everyday life of Germany Army soldiers.

A pocket of German resistance
On June 6th, intrigued by this unforeseen obstacle,
the Franco British Commandos attemped to approach the tower,
but were pushed back by heavy machine-gun fire
and grenades being thrown from the top.
They were content to bypass the bunker,
which remained a permanent threat during the following days.

The capture of the Grand Bunker
On 9 june, Lt. Bob Orrell of Royal Engineers, 91st Field Company R.E., 2nd British Army,
was given orders to take the bunker.
With three men and himself, he placed 2 explosive charges one after the other to blow up armor-plated door.
In all it took them 4 hours to break it open!
The garnison of two officers and fifty men then surrendered

and the liberation of Ouistreham was complete.
The set of defensive works at Ouistreham
shows the scale of construction work involved in the building of the Atlantic Wall.

Here is website link (with opening & closing times, prices and additional info) :

http://www.museedugrandbunker.com/englishversion.asp

Saturday 10th September

Sainte Mère Eglise

8:30 p.m.: Conference of Valentin Schneider, 
historian for his book “Un million de prisonniers allemands en France, 1944-1948”.
Followed by a signing session.
Organization: Airborne Museum

– 0033 233 41 41 35 –

www.airborne-museum.org

When you’re on tour you get to see a ot of dfferent places where acts of heroismtook place and also important battles.

Even before June 6th many different operations were taking place.

Hitler had planned on buiding V2 launch site in the Cotentin pennisula, on May 8th 1944 (a year before the end of the war) such a raid took place in hopes of bombing out those launch sites.

Just over the town of Briquebec on that day in may after dropping bombs on their way back to England one of the B-17’s was hit by 88 mm anti aircraft fire and came down in flames

(The “Wabbit Tracks” it was called), 11 people on-board including an observer were KIA, apparently the co-pilot Clifford L. Jonhson managed to get out of plane, later to be captured and put in a POW camp until the end of the war. This monument is situated just outside of the town, on your left if you’re going towards Valognes.

Check it out it’s worth the stop.

Sunday 31st July

Saint Martin de Varreville

Commemoration of General Leclerc 2nd Armored Division (2nd AD) landing on July 30th, 1944.
10 a.m.: Commemorative ceremony, at Leclerc Monument
11 a.m.: Mass in memory of 2nd AD Veterans, at the church.

Friendship glass and banquet (with prior booking).
Organization:

Townhall – 0033 233 41 4668

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June

Catz – Brévands

Cobra 2016: Gathering of D-Day tanks.

Exhibitions and displays, parades,…

  BBQ.

Organization:
Normandy Tank Museum
+ 33 233 44 39 45
http://normandy-tank-museum.fr/en/

Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June

Orglandes

10 p.m.: Concert of Aurelien Deshayes
followed by sound and light show “As time goes by… mechanization in Norman countryside 1945-1950”
at la Hougue site.
Fireworks. Entrance fee: 8 €/person over 12 years old.
Organization: Comité des fêtes – doublet.remi@wanadoo.fr

Orglandes was liberated by the 9th and 90th Infantry Divisions on June 17th, 1944

Sunday 12 June

Carentan

Liberation Day
11:30 a.m.: Wreath laying at the cemetery and at Signal monument.

Organization: Townhall – 0033 233 42 74 00

Saturday June 4th

Sainte Mere Eglise

2:30 and 4 p.m. : Theater play « Mother of Normandy » about the life of Simone Renaud (Mayor’s wife in 1944) and particularly her relationships with American families of the soldiers who came for our Freedom.
Spectacle in French and English with youngs from “Langue fourchue du papillon” and Locust Valley (USA) students.
At Airborne Museum. Duration: 50 min.
Included in Museum’s entrance fees.
Organization: Airborne Museum
– 0033 233 41 41 35 –
www.airborne-museum.org