June 24th
46 km today, but it took almost 7 hours to get to our destination because of all the Normandy landing memorials we stopped to look at along the way, each marking a different event and those units that were engaged.
The rain held off until this evening.
Canada house, Bernieres-sur-mer. See below…
Memorial to Bill Millin, personal piper to Lt-col the Lord Lovat, commander No.4 Commando. Millin landed in the first wave at Sword beach with Lovat, armed only with the pipes, and wearing a kilt. He played Highland Laddie, The Road to the Isles and Blue Bonnets as he went ashore. Amazingly he survived the day, and the war.
Pegasus Bridge from where the assault gliders landed.
Over the 150km or so that spans the beaches, there is a memorial every 50m or so to an individual soldier, like this one. At Omaha Beach, it was US servicemen on the posts, Gold Beach – British, Juno – Canadian, Sword – British again, with occasional recognition of others such as the Polish servicemen and the French resistance.
Beach front properties!
Beestro.