Travel

On the night of 5th/6th June 70 years ago the D-Day landings were under way and it is impossible to travel far in Normandy without seeing dramatic evidence of that historic event. Today we have two videos to mark this event.

The first video explores the half-timbered charm of Rouen, reflects on Monet’s lily ponds in Giverny, takes a look at local artisans, and sets up an easel at Honfleur’s harbour. It then ventures into composer Eric Satie’s eccentric world and tastes the finest of Normandy cuisine. After pondering sacrifice and celebrating freedom on the D-Day beaches, it ends with a look at the enchanted island abbey of Mont St-Michel.

The second video takes a look at Pegasus Bridge and Operation Deadstick which was the codename for an airborne forces operation by the British Army that took place on 6 June 1944 as part of the Normandy landings.

This video not only pays tribute to the 139 men from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, but also to the glider pilots whose piloting skills, later celebrated by Leigh-Mallory, involved them landing the troops on a narrow strip of land between the two bridges. To add to their difficulties, they had to avoid a large pond as well as barbed wire entanglements.