Day two of our exploration along the coast started at La Cambe German War Cemetery. It offers a chance to reflect on those who fought on the other side of the war. We happened to discover it by chance while driving past the day before because it isn’t mentioned in any of the guide books of the area, which focus entirely on the Allied perspective of the conflict. Nor is it a point of interest in the SAT Nav. And it will surprise many to learn that the largest war cemetery in Normany is not the iconic U.S. cemetery.
This German cemetery contains 21,222 burials, the most of any and more than double that of the American cemetery, the next largest with 9,387. It is maintained by the German War Graves Commission which, unlike the American and Commonwealth Commissions that receive funding from their respective governments, relies entirely on voluntary support and private donations from the public to operate. During the summer months school children volunteer in their holidays to help tend the graves and maintain the grounds.
For all the political messages that come out of the EU parliament over human rights and equality, it is strangely ironic that the biggest and strongest nation in the EU is swept under the rug here. Of course no one for a minute would suggest the German state of that era deserves any kind of sympathy for its actions. But here lie men, and boys as young as 16, who’s only fault was not their own doing, it was losing the lottery of life and being born in the wrong country at the wrong time. If they had died wearing a different uniform they would be immortalised, instead they’ve been disowned, ignored and almost completely forgotten about.
After visiting the American Cemetery, this place stirs a completely different feeling inside. Hollow. Lonely. Heartbreaking. Each headstone carries the names of at least two soldiers buried there with many being an unknown solider. Obviously a cost limitation, but still there is no recognition as individuals. If the veterans who once fought here can admit to feeling no animosity toward the men they faced on the other side, why do modern governments still act like they never existed? It’s not question of right and wrong, it’s just about showing respect.
Back on the coastline, Pointe du Hoc is a peninsula with steep 30m cliffs, located 5km to the west of Omaha Beach. It was the highest point between Omaha and Utah and the Germans fortified it with concrete casemates and gun pits. The battery housed six 155mm guns that would have seriously threatened the landings at Utah and Omaha. The site therefore had significant strategic importance for both sides.
The location was heavily bombed in April prior to the landings, prompting the Germans to move some of the exposed guns inland until the building of all the casemates was completed. The heavy fortifications against artillery meant that on D-Day the US Army 2nd Ranger Battalion had to take control of the site on foot after arriving by boat and scaling the cliffs. Upon reaching the top they found that their main objective, the artillery battery hazardous to the landings, had been moved. Patrols of the area later found the large guns hidden in the nearby undergrowth. In the two days following the landings the Rangers had to fight numerous counter-attacks from the Germans and were pinned to the cliffs before they were relieved by troops, who made their way there from Omaha beach.
Point du Hoc is definitely a trip highlight of the region, with casemates and bunkers still intact and open to be explored, while the cratered earth in between resembles a grassy lunar landscape with holes big enough to hide a car.
The Longues-sur-Mer Battery was built further east, between the Omaha and Gold landing beaches. This site consisted of four 152mm guns each enclosed in a reinforced concrete casemate. There was a two-tier observation bunker as well as bunkers for personnel and ammunition.
Three of the four guns here were disabled by naval assault, leaving a single gun operational.
Mulberry B was the harbour assembled on Gold Beach in the days after the initial landings to facilitate the unloading of the vast supplies needed to sustain the ensuing battle for Normandy. The harbour was unofficially dubbed “Port Winston” and was used for 6 months after D-Day, until a suitable permanent port was captured. The temporary port was used to offload 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles and 4 million tonnes of supplies.
The harbour was built in England and towed across the channel. A breakwater was created by floating block ships to their desired location where they were then scuttled. Floating flexible roadways, supported by pontoons, connected the Mulberry to the shore a mile away.
Juno Beach was the responsibility of the Canadian Army and Navy, and the Canadian Infantry succeeded in pushing further inland than any other landing force on D-Day.
The code names for the beaches to be taken by British and Commonwealth forces were named after types of fish: Goldfish, Swordfish and Jellyfish, abbreviated to Gold, Sword and Jelly. Churchill disapproved of the name “Jelly” for a beach on which so many men would die, so insisted it change to the more dignified name “Juno”.
The Juno Beach Visitor Centre is located behind the sand dunes and focusses on the Canadian contribution to the war effort.
The fifth beach was codenamed Sword. Today there is almost nothing to indicate what once took place here, with the shoreline succumbing to modern urban development and looking much like any other French seaside town. Driving along, it’s hard to know where the landings took place. There is a statue (erected only in 2013) of Piper Bill Millin who, aged 21, played the pipes while under fire during the landings. Pipers had traditionally been used in battle by Scottish and Irish soldiers. He survived the war and died in 2010.
The historical significance of this stretch of the Normandy coast makes it a popular destination. Fortunately though, it never feels overrun with tourists and there are plenty of opportunities to take in what happened over 70 years ago with a moment of quiet reflection. There are tour operators, who run guided tours through the region. We opted instead for the self-guided option and enjoyed the flexibility that allowed us to see some less famous locations that organised tours would drive right by. It requires a bit of effort to do solo, but it’s a gratifying experience.
Accommodation – Mercure Caen Cote de Nacre (map)- Located in the north of the city, it was a perfect base for a driving holiday. There is plenty of (free) off-street parking which you won’t find at the city centre hotels, and its location to the north of the city near the périphérique ring road makes it easy to get in and out of the city each day, while still be conveniently close enough to access the city centre and restaurants. There is a tram stop nearby, but we never saw the tram running once in three days. Much easier just to drive into the centre and hope for the best to find street parking somewhere.
Eating out:
- L’Espérance – restaurant-esperance.com – Located alongside a canal and only accessible by car, the food on the seasonal menu is outstanding.
- Le Bouchon du Vaugueux – bouchonduvaugueux.com – A small family run restaurant located in centre of Caen. Excellent fixe prix menu.
- ArchiDonna – archidona.fr – The food looked really impressive but the taste was a let down. Good overall and still enjoyable, but the other two were better.
photo: Le Bouchon du Vaugueux
Normandy Wine: Arpents du Soleil – www.arpents-du-soleil.com – We didn’t have time to visit and do the 2-hour tour of the winery but we sampled some of their wares at L’Espérance and it was very good.
Normandy Cidre: A speciality of the region is Cider and made from Norman apples. This is a stark contrast for the alcohol-tourist who’s first thoughts of France may revolve around grapes and their derivatives. Normandy cider is refreshing with a somewhat dry, sharply acidic apple flavour. These were so good that we took the opportunity to stock up on a few bottles at a local Carrefour, a bold move at the expense of space in the rental car for our Champagne shopping, but worthwhile (and a lot cheaper).
WWII sites:
- Le Memorial de Caen – normandy.memorial-caen.com
- American Battle Monuments Commission – www.abmc.gov
Other things in the area that we didn’t get to try out:
With limited time before moving to the east of France, we missed out on some things we only learned about while in the area but would have liked to see.
- Château de Balleroy – Acquired by the Forbes family in 1970 and restored to it’s former glory – chateau-balleroy.fr
- The Cider Route, to the east of Caen, is a 40km (25-mile) marked tourist trail throughout the picturesque area of the Pays d’Auge – link
Jan & Warren's Spot 
I loved your thoughts from the “other” perspective. I was just there last month and contemplated the same thoughts. Have you watched this tv drama from Germany? “Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter” – English translation Generation War. It is sad that so many lost their lives just because of some crazy guy.
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Thanks for the tip, it looks like it’s available on Netflix so we’ll make a plan to watch it.
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