Normandy D-Day 2014 (picture heavy)

[kennyc]

I was fortunate enough to spend the days around D-Day in Normandy with a couple of friends on our bikes, I had no idea in advance what to expect, however I consider myself very lucky to have gone this year as it is most likely the last of the "decade" celebrations, indeed several people commented on how few the veterans were compared to only a couple of years ago.
we were based in Saint-Lo and had a ride in each day to various places that I have known about for many years but never seen.

Merville Battery

where there were displays from re-enactors as well as DC3's dropping sticks of parachutists in the distance.

[kennyc]

[kennyc]

Pegasus Bridge

St Marie Eglise

[20series]

Kenny

Cracking pics mate, I think the stained glass window is a great memorial.

Alan

[kennyc]

there were a tremendous amount of people in period dress, with convoys of jeeps,deuce and a half's and half tracks trundling around, all filled with "troops" with full combat equipment, there were even MP's on junctions with 50 cals fixed to their jeeps !
we had a surreal moment following a jeep full of "paras" over Pegasus Bridge with their Tannoy blaring "Chattanooga choo choo" out to the applauding crowds!
in Saint Marie Eglise there was a large "living history " display, and the museum had long queues outside.

[kennyc]

[kennyc]

[kennyc]

on D-Day itself we went along to the Canadian Ceremony of rememberance at the Juno Beach Centre, a place of pilgrimage for my two companions, who's father had landed there on D-Day 1944, although small by the standards of the main event held at Omaha, it was oversubscribed and thousands of people had to watch from a distance, we arrived early and had a ringside view of the event, with some moving scenes. Although the day was extremley hot and little to no clouds were visible, people sat without complaint for over 5 hours without water in many cases as the Ceremony was delayed by over an hour due to the main event overrunning.
we did get to see the BBF fly over on their way to or from another display, and earlier we were treated to an extended disply of 2 Spitfires chasing each other around the sky at low level! unfortunatly every time they were overhead I was on my bike and unable to get photo's.

[kennyc]

Juno Beach

[kennyc]

the Ceremony