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E-diary: D-Day landings, 21-24 June 2003


Coach 1 guide, Neil, in front of a tank memorial in Arromanches to the British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. Arromanches was on Gold Beach, which was taken by the British, with the Canadians to the east on Sword Beach and the Americans to the west on Omaha Beach. The remains of the Mulberry Harbour can still be seen in the sea off Arromanches.


Looking out over the sea at the remains of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches. The British Mulberry Harbour was well-secured and large parts of it remain today, while the American Mulberry Harbour was less firmly anchored and was largely destroyed in a storm in the weeks after D-Day.


Alistair Kelsey balancing ball on head whilst manning shore defences.

The Longues Battery - German defences were set at regular intervals along the Normandy coast.

Bus 2 and guide Bill at the Longues Battery

Commonwealth war graves at Ranville.

Ranville Commonwealth Cemetery.

Harrogate Grammar School left a wreath as tribute to all those who died in the D-Day campaign, including the grandfather of Tom Wilkinson, one of the students on this visit.

The German war cemetery.

This shows the replacement for the original Pegasus Bridge. It is an exact replica, and the original bridge can be seen reconstructed in a nearby museum. Pegasus Bridge was captured, just after midnight, on D-Day and the adjacent Cafe Gondree was the first piece of French soil to be liberated. The cafe is still run by the daughter of the couple who ran it at the time of the liberation. She was four years old on D-Day. Three Horsa gliders brought in Major John Howard and his men within tens of yards of the bridge.

The remains of the fuselage of a Horsa glider. Very few of these are left. They would carry about 30 soldiers and crew. This one is in the Pegasus Bridge Museum.

The original Pegasus Bridge, now reconstructed in a nearby museum.

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