“Alongside Hiroshima and Auschwitz which have already been listed, the regional council of Lower Normandy wants to see the Normandy landing beaches classed as World Heritage sites,” an official statement read. In February the campaigners headed for France’s ministry of culture with a weighty argument for why the beaches deserved the same status as other historic war sites. Some 10,000 of those forces were killed on site, but the operation was heralded as a critical turning point in the war against Germany. The five beaches, named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, saw the arrival of 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces on June 6, 1944. Local officials have been campaigning for the historical landmark, which serves as an important source of tourism income for the region and which would benefit even further from gaining UNESCO status, to be recognised by the organisation since 2006. A lengthy evaluation process, an already long queue of requests from France and a tendency to keep battlefields off the list will mean a long wait for the D-Day beaches – not to mention that the French government has yet to submit the required application to UNESCO. But this time, even assistance from foreign allies won’t help their cause, says the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Visit the Juno Beach Center with its 5 rooms devoted to Canada prior to and during WWII.French officials lobbying for the D-Day beaches in Normandy to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site won some international backing on Thursday when Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear showed his support alongside Laurent Beauvais, president of the council for the Lower Normandy region. Juno Beach: Juno sector with its 6 miles width was assaulted by the men of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. There you could have a drink at the Pegasus Café which is listed as a Historic Monument as it was a first aid post after liberation. Pegasus Bridge: Located over the Caen canal at Benouville, the sector covers the Airborne Division Glider and parachute operations. The coastline still held amongst the fortress of the German defences, the ruined remains of parks and villas which once formed a joyful holiday resort. Sword Beach: Codenamed Sword, the easternmost of the five Allied Landing Beaches stretches for 5 miles. You could see monuments dedicated to the Royal Artillery and the Hertfordshire Regiment and the road that CSM Hollis with D Coy of the 6th Battalion, the Green Howards, advanced on Dday with a Cromwell and a Sherman tank. Gold Beach: The middle of the five Allied landing Beaches streches for 10 miles. Visit the British SectorĪrromanches: Kown for the “Mulberry” artificial harbour that was towed across the English Channel. The town was liberated by tthe 1st Battalion Royal Hampshire Regiment who had landed on Gold Beach. It contains 9387 headstones of white marble, perfectly aligned towards West. Omaha was a key Beach because it lay at the center of Normandy and stretched for 6 miles between Utah and Gold.Īmerican Cemetery: Dedicated on July 18th 1956, it covers 172 acres, beautifully landscaped and tended. Omaha Beach: Known as “Bloody Omaha”, it is the more easterly of the American sector. Utah has seen more then 23 000 men, 1700 war vehicles and 1695 tons of equipment during Overlord Operation. Utah Beach: The most westerly and isolated of the five invasion Beaches. Pointe Du Hoc: Standing on a cliff at 100 feet high, between the two American landing beaches, you will understand why the Germans chose this place as a site for a coastal artillery battery.
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In 1962, movie “The Longest Day” released in theaters enhanced Ste Mere Eglise fame. Sainte Mère Eglise: Peaceful village which has seen its history change in the night of June, 6th 1944 when 82nd Airborne paratroopers liberated it. Or you can spend one or several nights in the area to enjoy a perfect discovery of all the highlights. They are numerous spots, memorial, artfacts remains and very interesting museums that can fit in your program. You can dedicate your trip to one particular sector ( American British or Canadian).
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