Only on 9 June the tower was taken under the leadership of lieutenant Bob Orell of the Royal Engineers. With three men he attacked the heavy doors with explosives. This took five hours to complete. All the while they were hampered with machinegun fire and hand grenades that were thrown from the tower. Once inside, the garrison of 50 men surrendered and that was the last stand of the Germans in Ouistreham. The 17 meters high building is once again displayed as it was in June 1944. On the four floors you'll see places were the men had their bunks, first aid station and fresh air pumps. At the top you have a great view. A small note in a display reads "SIE KOMMEN!" and that they had observed thousands of ships.

Next to the tower are some vehicles and a V1 rocket. A nice edition is the LCM used in the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'.

The casino that played an important roll in 'The Longest Day' is not at the spot were you would expect it to be. There is a monument on the coast boulevard, 200 meters west of the present-day casino. The monument is placed atop of a German bunker 'cupola' to remember the Free French Commando's that attacked the casino.

WN 17, HILLMAN COMPLEX

Follow the coastal road, the D 514 westwards leaving Ouistreham. At the crossroads to Colleville-Montgomery, take D 60A, left. After a few kilometres you’ll reach this little town. Drive trough it until you almost reach the end of it. Now you come across a Y-dividing, and hold the left one (there is a small sign ‘Hillman, follow this), this is the Rue du régiment Suffolk. When you leave Colleville, you see on your right Widerstandnest Wn 17, the complex ‘Hillman’.

It consisted of twelve bunkers which housed 150 Germans of 736 Grenadier Regiment under command of Colonel Krug. The complex looks small, but was a tough nut to crack for the British troops heading for Caen. This city was planned to be captured on D-Day, but two roads leading towards it, from Colleville and Hermanville, were covered by Wn 17. The attack was opened by the 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment around 13.00 hours. In the hours before they were landed at Sword Beach and had taken the four casemats at Morris. But now the strong opposition held the British away from taking Wn 17. Around 16.00 hours, after an artillery bombardment, a new attack was launched with help from tanks. The complex could not be taken on June 6th, but the opposition was almost gone by then. The next day Krug and his men surrendered. This battle had taken the lives of 10 British soldiers and 25 were wounded.

Because of this delay, the Germans could reinforce and hold the British troops out of Caen for the time being.

With the help of madame Suzanne Lenauld, a local from Colleville, the complex was donated on June 6th, 1989 as a monument to The Suffolk Regiment Association. ‘Hillman’ is restored and maintained by the Les Amis du Suffolk Régiment.

Head now for Hermanville-sur-Mer, back to the coast.

LA BRECHE D'HERMANVILLE SECTOR ' SWORD' , 07.25

This is the middle of 'Sword' called 'Queen'. Thanks to the 21 DD tanks that made it to shore (2 got lost) and the 'Funnies' the landing of the troops went pretty good. Around 08.20 hours No 4 and No 6 Commando landed under Bill Millin's bagpipe sound (Highland Laddie).

There were German minefields , but thanks to the 'Deutsche Gründlichkeit' these were nicely marked! During the landing there was a terrible drama when German fire hit the debarking commando's. There were shouts for medics but these were not heard in the noise of explosions and chaos. A CRAB tank drove with rotating mine sweepers from the landingcraft. The driver did not see the wounded and dying men and swept through the helpless men. At least twelve men were smashed to pulp. As a monument you'll find here a Churchill AVRE tank. Lord Lovat's No 6 Commando moved fast inland to relief the para's at Pegasus Bridge (see 'Pegasus Bridge') . Lord Lovat's Brigade brought some confusion to the French people. The badges on their uniforms had the letters 'SS' (Special Service) in them. This was later changed.

SECTOR 'JUNO' 6 JUNE, 1944, 07.45 HOURS

The Canadian 3rd Division (15.000 men) and 9.000 supporting British troops were to land at the sector 'JUNO'. The sector started at La Rivière and run all the way to St-Aubin-sur-Mer. After a bombardment by the British and American airforce, eleven navy vessels opened fire on the coastline. The Germans put up a fierce fight but the Canadians managed to get hold of a large piece of ground, the biggest of all units that landed that day (almost 10 kilometres inland). Unfortunately it was not possible to make the connection with the 'SWORD' sector.

LUC-SUR-MER/PETIT ENFER

This is the border between JUNO and SWORD Beach. This was the 'hole' where in the evening of the 6th June a small unit of the 21st Panzer Divsion 'Hitler Jugend' took a defensive position. The Allied troops encircled that night the German unit and the next day it was put out of action with help of some reinforcements of the 46th RM (Royal Marines) Commando at 09.00 hours in the morning of the 7th.

As mentioned above, the Canadian troops encountered many times the 12th SS Panzer Division 'Hitler Jugend'. This unit was responsible for several warcrimes against the Canadian soldiers (they murdered at least 156 Canadian prisoners of war). This link brings you to the Abbaye d'Ardenne where 20 Canadian soldiers were executed.

DOUVRES RADAR STATION: 6 until 17 JUNE, 1944

The Würzburg radar station from Douvres lies in the hole between SWORD and JUNO, inbetween the places Douvres-La-Deliverande and the west Basley and Bény-sur-Mer on de D 83 (Route de Bény). Here is a little museum and has a spectaculair object, an original Würzburg radar. The museum can be visited in July and August.

This place was defended by 200 men of the Luftwaffe. It was the object of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment to take this radar post. In the early morning of June 7th at 07.00 hours the attack started. The defence was fierce. At the end of the afternoon the North Shore were retrieved and the 5th Battalion Black Watch (51st Highland Division) was given the order to attack but they were also thrown back. General Dempsey, commander of the 2nd British Army gave the order to try to put out the radar post with all the power that was available. The Germans could see all the movements the British army were making and report this to the German Army. The 51st Highland Division were again in action the next day, this time with the 80th Assault Squadron RE, again without success.

On June 11 the 48th RM Commando tried to take the radar post. But the attack went no where and was cancelled. The final attack came on 17 June with the help of the 22nd Dragoon, 41st RM Commando and the 26th Assault Squadron RE. With the assistance of four mine sweeping tanks and twelve AVRE's to shoot mortars into the bunkers the complex was finally taken. With eight tanks lost and 'only' twelve casualties on British side, eleven days of struggle came at last to an end.

ST. AUBIN-SUR-MER

After the visit to the radarpost, head for the coast, to St.-Aubin-sur-Mer. Make a stop near the small casemat where you still can find the 5cm Kwk gun installed. On the eastside of the casemat you still can see the damaged done by a Petard mortar shot from an AVRE tank.

St-Aubin-sur-Mer, Then & Now

BERNIÈRES, 08.15 HOURS

This point was the object for the Queens Own Rifles of Canada of the 8th Canadian Brigade Group. This was the place were the most Canadian casualties fell. From their concrete bunkers the Germans had a free shooting range. The landing was here at 08.15 hours without any tank support and just 200 meters east of a 'Widerstandnester'. The first wave Canadians lost half of their men. Thanks to a gunboat, that almost beached itself, the Germans were silenced.

When the next wave 10 minutes later arrived, Regiment de La Chaudière, there were only German snipers active. The local people of Bernières were surprised that the 'Tommy's' were speaking French! It was a French speaking Canadian regiment. One stubborn bunker was attacked by a bulldozer from 'behind' and just filled up with sand. Near 'the first liberated house' stands a monument as a remembrance to the first landing here by the Canadians. Further to the east, at 250 meters, is a bunker with more (eroded) memorial plaques.

COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, 08.00 HOURS

These were the landing beaches of the 7th Canadian Brigade Group at 08.00 hours. Despite the resistence the landings were going very well. An important factor here was the unloading of the DD tanks, just 800 meters from shore. In 1970 the DD Sherman tank , now a memorial at Courseulles, was salvaged from the coastel waters.

In Courseulles-sur-Mer is the Centre Juno Beach located (see picture below). To reach this centre, go over the large bridge at the harbour. Continue on the D 514. After a long bend to the left, take the first right (250 yards after the bridge). Pass the small bridge and go right. Centre Juno Beach is a modern museum. Do not expect large displays of puppets in uniforms, weapons or vehicles. It is a center of education were the landing by the Canadians in this area finds an important place, but it also is a center of culture and how the Canadians developed their country.