Discussion
Haven't seen the programme
(Iplayer or somesuch beckons obviously)
I have been to the Normandy beaches (OK three of them)
Sword Beach at Ouistreham is just a few clicks from Pegasus Bridge. There's great museum at the Bridge and the famous cafè, madame at the cafè, daughter of the proprietors at the time of the attack on the bridge and one of the first family to be liberated, likes the Brits (she was married to a Brummie Lord Mayor once)
The Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches houses an amazing working model of the Mulberry harbour that was built for Winston Churchill by Bassett-Lowke to demonstrate how the engineers had designed the harbour to work whatever tide conditions were at the time (I'm sure Eric and dr_gn would love it) and the concrete harbour units are still in or near their allocated positions in the sea (one that has been cast ashore in storms can be climbed on and its internal structure can be viewed if you go under its overhang (amazing)
My mate Nick and I went along the coast from Omaha to Sword taking in Museums and memorials the first time I went to Le Mans in 2003
The American Cemetary near Omaha Beach is rather awesome, thousands of white gravestones in line in a cemetary that overlooks the coast and at Omaha Beach there's another museum and a gun emplacement that still has its German artillery piece inside
After doing the beaches we had a long dash east to Le Havre to catch the ferry, just made it with scant minutes to spare
(Iplayer or somesuch beckons obviously)
I have been to the Normandy beaches (OK three of them)
Sword Beach at Ouistreham is just a few clicks from Pegasus Bridge. There's great museum at the Bridge and the famous cafè, madame at the cafè, daughter of the proprietors at the time of the attack on the bridge and one of the first family to be liberated, likes the Brits (she was married to a Brummie Lord Mayor once)
The Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches houses an amazing working model of the Mulberry harbour that was built for Winston Churchill by Bassett-Lowke to demonstrate how the engineers had designed the harbour to work whatever tide conditions were at the time (I'm sure Eric and dr_gn would love it) and the concrete harbour units are still in or near their allocated positions in the sea (one that has been cast ashore in storms can be climbed on and its internal structure can be viewed if you go under its overhang (amazing)
My mate Nick and I went along the coast from Omaha to Sword taking in Museums and memorials the first time I went to Le Mans in 2003
The American Cemetary near Omaha Beach is rather awesome, thousands of white gravestones in line in a cemetary that overlooks the coast and at Omaha Beach there's another museum and a gun emplacement that still has its German artillery piece inside
After doing the beaches we had a long dash east to Le Havre to catch the ferry, just made it with scant minutes to spare
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Simpo Two said:
What is a click exactly?
A Kilometre.Simpo Two said:
Why not miles or yards?
Because OS maps are 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 and have 1Km squares.I spent a long time yomping around on various lumps of hilly, rocky and bloody boggy terrain trusting my ability to "do" clicks using said maps. They do translate very "right-ly" into human dimensions and clicks just work...
But quite right to post a query, I did ought to have used proper numbers
Simpo Two said:
I wasn't sure why they were digging up a road in the middle of a town when there must be many more accessible wrecks in the countryside.
I think it was the first Luftwaffe aircraft downed by the RAF over France so was considered a significant event. I think the discovery of the water main called a halt to proceedings so the Stuka dig was carried out instead.
Simpo Two said:
So even the Americans have succumbed to Napoleon's measuring system. Merde.
And all the fault of the British OS maps?
I'm going to speculate that it's because NATO was geared up to fight in Western Europe. So everybody else and all their equipment would be metric. So best to train all NATO troops in metric for compatibility reasons.And all the fault of the British OS maps?
Just my speculation.
Legacywr said:
I would really like to visit the D Day beaches.
You really should try it if you have any interest at all. Over the last few years me and a mate have driven around the continent looking at World War II sites. It is fascinating and you can still "touch" it which makes it all the more interesting.We've done all the beaches, Pegasus Bridge, Arnhem, Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge), Cherbourg (the Fort) and all sorts of other places. Next year is a trip to Colditz and I'm now looking to see if you can gain access to the fort on the Maginot Line because that place looked amazing!
Edited by selwonk on Thursday 16th December 10:23
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