Jack Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Going to book my first holiday for next year. :shock: My good lady and I have never had a holiday. :cry: :oops: ...ever so next year we are going to take the GMC and the family and make our way over to Normandy for June the 6th. On of the things that I have always regretted in not doing and that was not making the 60th D-Day last year. We were close to making it this year but circumstances would not allow, so next year will be the year. So who hass been, what is it like, what should we expect and what is the best way forward in planning the trip i.e. accommodation, ferries etc etc. Any help would be very much appreciated! Cheers Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Jack Go to my Jeep site Jessie The Jeep and follow the link for Normandy 05. There are several pages of pictures from places around Normandy that Lynne & I visited in the Jeep. We sailed Portsmouth La Havre, overnight crossing. If you sail mid week from the UK ( Mon to Thur) it is cheaper. Returning, a Friday evening crossing arriving Saturday am is still classed as midweek, so cheaper. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted September 29, 2005 Author Share Posted September 29, 2005 Blimey Steve that looks good............I will have a good look later, just on the blower at the moment :cry: Thanks for the heads up :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Jack when you go to France you must see Pointe Du Hoc where the Rangers came ashore,just to stand and look down those cliffs makes you understand why Rangers are a breed apart. I'm sure you've already read it but D-Day by Ambrose is a must read before you go,I read it twice in fact so it would sink in. There's so much to see you can't possibly do it all in one trip.don't be surprised either to see GMC's still in use by local fire departments etc,or the odd Tiger tank at the roadside!! I'm sure there are others here who can give you better info than me,rest assured you won't regret going! Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karoshi Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Might see you there then. I'm hoping to stay at Port en Basin again, it has an excellent campsite and good sevices. Its dead handy for all the beaches as its pretty much in the middle. Not to far to any of the American beaches, and Omaha in particular. This photo was taken on June 6th 2004 at the Vierville Draw and is of D-Day veteran Dalton Levy, sat in my jeep. 79 years old now and he still drove it! The D.U.K.W swimming off Omaha was interesting, as was the temporary beach sculpture, There were other more serious moments though, Jack when we speak next I'll give you the low down. Its a great place to visit. Take my tip, go to a chandlers and buy a small French courtesy flag, fly it proudly. It'll open so many doors! Karoshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted September 29, 2005 Author Share Posted September 29, 2005 Thanks chaps that has confirmed that I have been missing it all. I would imagine that these places effect you in a certain way that you can not quite describe but tp the people who have already been there. Karoshi looks like we need to talk. Do you feel that your vehicles are going 'home' when you go to Normandy or is that a stupid question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karoshi Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 No I really don't see it as "going home"; obviously not every vehicle was necessarily shipped on D-Day itself, although of course we all dream that ours was. To my mind it’s an interesting place to visit to put things in perspective; until you've been there we only have the Hollywood image to relate too. To stand at the waters edge at low water springs and look up the open expanse of beach is an image the movies just don't give you. It really does put things into perspective, and make you appreciate exactly what these guys faced, and the gives you just the slightest taste of what they must have experienced. Brave guys indeed. There are of course other little known aspects of the landings that are seldom seen and never portrayed, the original temporary cemetery at Omaha being one of them. We all know the permanent one on the hill overlooking the bluffs, but how many of us know about this one: And how many of us actually know the significance of the road banners showing Verlaines poem Chanson d'automne? It’s a place to reflect and to try to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berni Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 We wanted to see as much as possible & opted to stay central. we camped in a lovely site just outside Bayeux called chateaux de martragny. fairly cheap, spotless showers/ loos etc. large pitches, small swimming pool, bar & small shop, thay also speak good english for those of us who only know please & thankyou in french. To get the most out of our stay we followed the official guide book trail which was free in most shops. All the routes are colour co ordinated & have their own road signs which are also coloured. It was full price for the 1st museum / exhibit but if you ask for a passport thingy they staple the reciept into it & at every other museum/ exhibit from the book you visit you get a good discount. this is ideal if there are a few of you going. It takes into account Gold /Juno /sword / Pegasus Bridge / St Mere Aglise / Merville / Point du Hoc / all the American beaches & many many more. People who have been may have seen the Purple / brown signs with what looked like a flying bird on them. We then done a different area each day & could read about each place in the book & decide where we wanted to go. there are so many places to visit & you can spend so long at each one that it would take more than 1 trip. The 360 degree cinema is so weird. because you stand up to watch the film I wondered why there were barriers in the middle but after a few minutes you realise it's to stop you falling over. I am planning on going back next year but am undecided when to go. It was good being there for the 60th but there were quite a few restrictions & i think we missed out on some things because of them. So I'm debating whether to go at Easter when things will be less of a problem. For your first time though the anniversary week is fantastic. I want to take more time over certain things though this time. Many car parks are not that big & we did struggle to park the Bedford sometimes You will not regret it as a holiday. What was strange though was seeing families on the beaches having a normal sun holiday, kids building sand castles etc. It didn't seem to fit with the reason we were there! ta Berni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Hey, we stayed there this summer, in the second half of July. Just outside the rear entrance to the site is a memorial to one of the advanced Fighter Bases built not long after the invasion. It was an RAF Advanced Landing Ground B7 from July 13th to September 3rd 1944. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berni Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 http://www.chateau-martragny.com/anglais/index.asp this should be the link to the camp site. ta berni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spood Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Just got back from a week there, had a harbour front apartment in Port-en-Bessin it was excellent. We went on the MVT tour last year in the jeep which was awesome but it was nice to go when it was quiet. Mrs Spood and myself are already looking to go again next year but probably a couple of weeks sooner, I can't wait, and there is still loads we have yet to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karoshi Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Ah the pool at Chateux Martragny, the imposing drive, the 16th century Chateau, the inner court-yard with the ducks, ......its as if it were yesterday. How about a HMVF week then Jack? Be sure to book space at the back rather than the front drive! Its nearer the bar! Karoshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berni Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 you've stayed there as well then karoshi, we were just between the main shower block & the tennis courts. the green mass of water at he bottom of the picture is actually the fish pond & not the pool ta Berni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karoshi Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 ...............................the green mass of water at he bottom of the picture is actually the fish pond & not the pool ta Berni Such any easy mistake to make. I first stayed there just at the end of the Falklands Campaign, not allowed to say WAR, as it wasn't official. The guys camping next to us wore "T" shirts with: WE,VE GOT THE BIGGEST CHOPPERS IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC on their backs. On the front in very small letters it said: **** Squadron--Chinook Been there several times since. More recently been staying in Port en Bessin. http://www.camping-portland.com/indexuk/indexuk.html Karoshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Here's a very small selection of the 600 photos I took while touring Normandy. Sherman at Foret d'Ecouves - Note the kink in the barrel. Sherman at Ecouche Heavily Cratered 155mm Battery at Pointe-Du-Hoc Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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