The Weekend before the 24 hours

[lucky b]

For anyone travelling over on the weekend before the race this year, a quick warning, it's the 70th Anniversary of D Day and the north coast of France, in the Normandy area will only be accessible to pre-registered persons. Registration is being run by the MoD at present. Apparently every dignatory you can think of will be in attendance. Veterans, quite rightly, are being given priority access to the area.



Full details of how to get accreditation and the restrictions being put in place are on this http://dday70.wordpress.com/

[indyxe]

I will be in Normandy From the 4th June until Sunday 8th June, and then down to Le Mans for the full week. Normandy will be very restrictive especially on the 6th June when there will be several official ceremonies taking place all over Normandy. You only need an accreditation MOD form if you are attending one of the official ceremonies, and to enter certain areas (Invasion Beaches)and surrounding areas.
I don't think this will affect the vast majority of Le Mans goers, but if you are in the area around the 6th of June then be prepared for traffic chaos.

Edited by indyxe on Friday 11th April 11:01

[ellroy]

I wish I could get there, if time allowed, as well as the pilgrimage, one of 'my' troops tanks is still on the beach.

"We're not Engineers, your Majesty, were 26."

Ubique.

[Roverload]

We factored in some time to see some d day stuff on the Monday before we go home, we'll be around Caen for the ferry, any recommendations? I'd like to take my grandads photo album from the landings with me and see if I can match up any photos to their actual location.

[indyxe]

Roverload said:

We factored in some time to see some d day stuff on the Monday before we go home, we'll be around Caen for the ferry, any recommendations? I'd like to take my grandads photo album from the landings with me and see if I can match up any photos to their actual location.

Being next to Caen, you are very near Sword Beach, and of course you cant miss Pegasus Bridge.

[OvalOwl]

The remains of the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches on Gold Beach are about 35km from Caen. Nearby is the Ryes War Cemetery (near the junction of the D87 and D112) and a little further along is the huge American war cemetery between Colleville-sur-Mer and St-Laurent-sur-Mer which are the villages behind Omaha Beach.

[Vocal Minority]

indyxe said:

Roverload said:

We factored in some time to see some d day stuff on the Monday before we go home, we'll be around Caen for the ferry, any recommendations? I'd like to take my grandads photo album from the landings with me and see if I can match up any photos to their actual location.

Being next to Caen, you are very near Sword Beach, and of course you cant miss Pegasus Bridge.

Look to your right off the ferry as you come in to Caen and that is basically it, is it not?

[Roverload]

Omaha is the one we really want to see, whilst the yanks were training in Devon and Cornwall, a load of their landing craft got torpedoed by an e boat, my grandad and his British landing craft were attached to the Americans and he was one of the few Englishmen at Omaha, so I'm told.