Below you will find the people and sources that I would like
to thank.
I was already some years busy with 'Operation Overlord' and visited the providence
on a regular basis. In the spring of 2001 a colleague asked me for him, and his father in-law, if I
could make a tour for him that would lead them along the beaches. I was planning a simple to follow paper,
but it took a live of it's own and it got bigger and bigger, until a small booklet was made with background
information during the drive around Normandy. It was a great success and my colleague suggested I made
a web-site out of it. A year later it became the basis for 'Battlefield Normandy'. So, my first big
thanks goes to Joop van Keulen.
 
A 'match',
a bunker near Varreville, Utah Beach, Then and Now
A couple of things are needed to find your way around. First some good maps and books
and determination coupled with enthusiasm. The last two are not a problem and good maps are no problem too.
The best map to use in Normandy is the '303 Local' from Michelin. This map is 1/150.000 (1cm = 1.5 km).
The map covers the whole of the Calvados and Manche area, just what you need for the landing area.
 
A book filled with detail and eyewitness accounts is 'D-Day, June 6, 1944; The climatic battle of
World War II', (ISBN: 0743449746) the bestseller by
Stephen E. Ambrose. The writer, most famous for his book 'Band of Brothers',
has 21 works to his name which describe the history of America. One exception to the rule is
his book focused around the battle for 'Pegasus Bridge'. His D-Day book leans mostly on the
American participation and the British are often portrayed as cowards, just as the pilots of
the C-47 Troopships (what brought a lot of anger around this group of men). But the book has
a enormous bunch of information, a lot of names of people and units.
  
Three books in a row
Other books used as a source were: 'Visitor's
Guide', NORMANDY Landing Beaches, by Regional
Traveller (Moorland Publishing Co.Ltd, ISBN 0 86190
503 2), by Tonie en Valmai Holt. Furthermore. there are the editions of the magazine 'After
the
Battle' Number 1, Normandy 1944-1973 and 'The Battle of
the Falaise Pocket' number 8 from the series, that saw the light of day in 1975.
Three books which contain a great deal of information, are the books from Heimdal. Especially
'THE
D-DAY LANDING BEACHES 'The Guide', ISBN 2 84048 137 5.
This book (in English, see above) and the other two can be purchased at
the museum- and souvenirs shops around Normandy. The other two books are in French but are
worth the buy. They are from the series
'magazine '39-'45, Historica' (published by Heimdal. The first one is 'Le Mur de
l'Atlantique en Normandie' from the second quarter of 2000 (nr.63).
The second from the series is 'Omaha Beach', from the third quarter of 2001 (nr.68).
The series has great photos and show a lot of 'Then and Now' situations.
  
Three books which brought
the basis for what was to become this site?
The book by Cornelius Ryan, 'The Longest Day' , the basis for the movie
by the same name, reads still as exciting novel, but one based on true facts.
Two smaller books that I would like to mention are from the publisher
Standaard Uitgeverij, Antwerpen, from the series
serie 'Bibliotheek van de Tweede Wereldoorlog':
Nr.4, 'D-DAY, de bres in de vesting
Europa' (R.W.Thompson), ISBN 90 02 12005 2, Nr.38, 'Normandië, het vervolg van D-Day'
(Maj.Gen.H.Essame), ISBN 90 02 12689 1. These are in Dutch. The books
are written by English writers, but I do not know if there are English versions around.
I made good use of the book: 'Operation Overlord: From the landing at
Normandy to the Liberation of Paris'. The book is written by several
writers and has a wealth of great pictures. A lot of illustrations of original uniforms and
personal items from officers who were in the conflict. Also a lot on weaponry from museums.
This book is a great source for me. Nevertheless I did find a little mistake. I was looking
for the crash site of a Bf 109, which crashed near Tilly-seur-Seulles (according to the book).
But after several years of fruitless driving, I found the location near Creuly on the D22 (see pictures below).
 
The crashed
Bf 109 on the D22 near Creuly, Then and Now.
Another good book is : 'D-DAY', by Duncan Anderson. This book has also great photos.
It was published by Bison Books Ltd, London in 1994. An older book with some good material is 'D-Day (Normandië 6 juni 1944)' by
Warren Tute, John Costello & Terry Hughes. This was published by Sidgwick & Jackson,
London in 1974.
Last but not least is the series from 'Battlegroup Europe'. These are guides for specific sectors with a
lot of history and good pictures and maps. The one below is ' Omaha Beach (V Corps' Battle for the Normandy Beachhead)' and is
written by Tim Kilvert-Jones. It's published by Leo Cooper, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, ISBN 0 85052 671 X.
Check out also the others, they can be found in the better museums around Normandy.
 
The book by Tim Kilvert-Jones and,
another Heimdal,
this time on Utah Beach
It's impossible to name all the books that are available, but for me the few mentioned were a good source for me to start my first steps in creating a tour around Normandy.
A very important factor in my research in the field is my wife, Corry. Without her patients
and navigation skills, it would have come to nothing.
Another 'thank you' goes to my Belgium friend, Willy 'Max' Horemans. When my site was running on a free server
loaded with advertisement, he offered me space on his, free of charge. I saw the great potential of such a server,
no more spam, pop-ups,
commercials and fast loading. Much more fun for the reader who visited me. For more on Max his own work, click 'HERE'. Max woke me up and now my site is running on its own server
with a original URL: www.strijdbewijs.nl (which translates as: 'battle evidence'). Without Max his determination I
would still be in the phase of baby-steps. 'Max,… A big thanks to you, buddy!'
And not to forget my friend from Sweden, Mats Runnerström. He looks after me with corrections, tips,… and DVD's
which brings more insight on some subjects of the Second World War. Thanks a million Mats!!
And, of course, without the support of my visitors, who are frequently writing in my guestbook or ask me questions
or give me nice comments. Without you, I was less enthusiastic and the site would not been what it's is today! So,
to you out there,… Thanks a lot!
Research in the field, near the Battery of Merville
TIPS & LINKS:
If you are planning to visit some museums, buy yourself a discount pass.
In 20 museums you can purchase the pass for just €1 and get a discount in the other museums.
All the important museums around the beaches in Normandy participate in the 'Normandy Pass'. The
discount runs from €-.30 (Musée Mémorial d'Omaha Beach) to €2 (Musée Radar and Mémorial de Caen).
Above; the Normandy Pass, 2007
A highlight I like to recommend is 'Arromanches 360'.
This is a round film theater where the movie 'Price of Freedom' is shown. There are two shows
every hour, 10 minutes and 40 minutes after the hour (they accept the discount pass with a -.50 eurocent reduction).
The museum on the debarkation in Arromanches itself was for me a little disappointing. The moving model of the
'Mulberry Harbor' is a marvelous thing, but half the museum is a souvenir shop and sells the same stuff
as the shops around the harbor. In my opinion, the price of €6.50 (with pass 5.50) is to much.
CLICK ON THE LOGOS AND LINKS FOR INTERESTING SITES :
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