Normandy Coast (Battlefield)

In 1944 the wide and wind-swept beaches that grace the Normandy coast between Cherbourg and Le Havre were allocated five separate code names: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. They were monikers that were to become infamous in the course of history; bywords for the unfathomable destruction that transpired during Operation Overlord and the heroic invasion of Europe by the Allies.

Today, the sites themselves stand almost aloof from the carnage that once reigned supreme on their sands. There’s Juno Beach, taken by Canadian forces at heavy losses, now ticking over to the salty breezes of the English Channel and imbued with the sleepy promenades of St Aubin-sur-Mer. Then there’s Gold, a British target, watched over by the grass-topped cliffs of Arromanches, and Omaha, backed by the rustic farming town of Colleville-sur-Mer. However, no matter how hard nature tries to wash away the relics of that tumultuous time, no matter how many sea grasses cover the concrete bunkers of Longues-sur-Mer, or how often the tides pull on the remnants of Mulberry Harbour, reminders will always endure to tell the tale. And today, right up and down the Normandy Coast, tour guides continue to weave between the cemeteries and memorials, visitors continue to consider the rusting guns, the batteries and the blockhouses, and memorials continue to take place on the sands.