Normandy Battlefields Tour – Sword Beach and the British Airborne Sector

Explore the Normandy battlefields with a guide on this 5-hour tour, and learn of the struggles that took place here during World War II. Offering a sensitive introduction to this difficult period of European history, the tour takes you to many of the sites that saw action. Visit the Merville Gun Battery and Museum, Sword Beach and the Hillman Bunkers and gain an understanding of the conflict that played out there. Walk among the graves at the Commonwealth Military Cemeteries and read the touching epitaphs left to fallen soldiers.

Begin your tour with a visit to the famous Pegasus Bridge, where General Gale’s 6th Airborne Division famously halted German attacks coming in from the east. Listen as your knowledgeable guide describes the strategic significance of this important landmark, and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Continue onward to the Merville Gun Battery and Museum and discover the more of the history of this once war-torn part of northern France. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Otway, the men of the 6th British Airborne Division were tasked with the capture and destruction of the enemy guns firing on the Allied forces on Sword Beach. Hear how, against all odds, the courageous soldiers succeeded in their D-Day mission.

Visit Sword Beach, the most easterly of Normandy’s five landing beaches. Hear how 28,000 soldiers came ashore under heavy fire here, to begin the arduous task of liberating Western Europe. The city of Caen was their goal but the German resistance was strong.

Spend time exploring the Hillman Bunkers, a series of 18 underground concrete shelters linked by trenches. Hear your guide explain why the bunkers were built and gain an understanding of the strategic uses to which they were put during battle.

Continue onward to the Commonwealth Military Cemeteries. Wander among the graves and flowers, taking time to read a few of the touching epitaphs and letters left to fallen soldiers. The sense of history weighs heavy here, but the Commonwealth cemeteries are the perfect place for quiet reflection to heal old wounds.

After five hours exploring the sites and discovering the history of the Normandy battlefields, your tour will come to an end.