For those arriving at Ouistreham, Cherbourg, or Le Havre

[lowdrag]

Just East of Ouisteham is a town called Hermanville, and there is a small graveyard of those who fell on the 6th June 1944. There are 1100 graves, and strikingly amongst those are three crosses, the french berets verts who died that day. Would you please take the time, if you are in the areas, to go and pay your respects?

[thicksliced]

In 2017 rather than dashing to the ferry following the race I booked a later ferry and my son and I had a trip to Caen to look at the Commando museum and the memorials. Dad came ashore with 4 Commando, a fact that I had taken for granted for a long time and I had decided to start taking more of an interest in the landings.
We won't be going to the race this year but in July I am taking two of my sisters to Caen for another look round. Hermanville is now on my itinerary. Many thanks for the heads up.

Mark

[85Carrera]

lowdrag said:

Just East of Ouisteham is a town called Hermanville, and there is a small graveyard of those who fell on the 6th June 1944. There are 1100 graves, and strikingly amongst those are three crosses, the french berets verts who died that day. Would you please take the time, if you are in the areas, to go and pay your respects?

I must have misread your post, but you seem to suggest 3 out of 1100 dead were French, which doesn’t seem right?

[lowdrag]

No, I agree, but it is the case. The photo I posted isn't Hermanville but another cemetery on the north coast and I apologise for that but for the life of me I can't find the one I want. At Hermanville there are rows and rows of tombstones and but three crosses. The crosses are the French berets verts.

And another thing. my geography is up the spout; Hermanville is west of Ouistreham.

Edited by lowdrag on Friday 7th June 03:02

[RL17]

Not sure if link will work

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x4...

[lowdrag]

Thank you for that. Note the one in the background too.It always brings a tear to my eye when I go there and see those three solitary crosses. And to walk the rows and see the young ages of the dead.

[stevetav]

We always go home from Caen to Pompey and it has become part of the tradition to stop off in Normandy to.pay our respects. It feels the right thing to do, after a week of enjoying ourselves, spending a couple of hours being thankful for what we have. I will make a note of this place Lowdrag.

[anonymous-user]

As we are catching the boat from Caen this year will be calling in at a small war cemetery at Sannerville it’s where my wife’s uncle was killed in the Caen breakout after D day. On one visit a few years back I called in at a local florist for some flowers and I asked the chap for directions to the cemetery of the soldiers he look at me and said not far up the road. He handed me the flowers and I asked how much he waved his hand and said no charge....

[Tyre Smoke]

Sadly, towing an 8 metre caravan doesn't make for easy stop offs.

I will, as always though, have a bit of quiet reflection as we drive through.

[wsn03]

This thread has been a mine of information. Going to save it and start visiting these places

[TwinKam]

kiters42 said:

As we are catching the boat from Caen this year will be calling in at a small war cemetery at Sannerville it’s where my wife’s uncle was killed in the Caen breakout after D day. On one visit a few years back I called in at a local florist for some flowers and I asked the chap for directions to the cemetery of the soldiers he look at me and said not far up the road. He handed me the flowers and I asked how much he waved his hand and said no charge....

This beautiful act, and the way the graves are impeccably maintained ('adopted' by school kids I believe) shows how far ahead of us the French are when it comes to remembrance.
But then, we never suffered occupation...

[FredericRobinson]

Today I've been to Luc sur Mer and Lion Sur Mer at Sword Beach, then to the nearby Canadian cemetery, followed by the British cemetery at Bayeux and the museum, sobering stuff ahead of the frivolities to come.

[Cass63]

I do think and reflect when we sail into ouistraham every year but I want to pay my respect for longer than just a quick visit, now I’ve got a motorhome I want to do a bit of a road trip and visit all of the Normandy beaches, I think it’s the least I can do for the boys.

[billynobrakes]

We are stopping there Wednesday on the way down and again on Monday on the way back, guys I am going with have not been before a have on a few occasions so I will be showing them what I can. Means a lot to me as I broke my foot commemorating the D-Day landings 1996 jumping out of a DC3 at the Biggin Hill Air Show plus I have worked with the war graves commission on some of the memorials in northern France

[lowdrag]

Well, I hope some of you went and it just wasn't all talk. Yesterday I found, by chance, my own photo and it is uncannily like that mentioned above.

[RL17]

[RL17]

[David W.]

Just landed home.
Did Arromanches through to top end of Utah whilst over there as we couldn’t get near these places when over 3 weeks ago.
Very moving, a must do visit to help place ourselves in the wider European history calendar of events. We owe those that fought and lost their lives so much.

[lowdrag]

Have you ever noticed that in these graveyards it doesn't matter in which direction you look the graves are, no matter what, still in a straight line. RL17's photo is a great example of that effect. I have always found it somewhat unnerving.