Student Tour Blog

Written by Chance Padgham

We continued our journey through the D-Day landings today by visiting Omaha and Gold Beach, as well as the town of Arromanches. This was sort of a full-circle moment for me, as the historical events surrounding the Normandy landings were what began my interest in history so long ago. We began our day by visiting Omaha Beach, which, in contrast to what I imagined as a beach littered with defensive fortifications, was actually quite tranquil. All that remained of the Normandy landings were the remnants of the temporary dock constructed shortly after the invasion and one concrete gun emplacement facing the beach. After a long discussion on the beach, we made our way to the Normandy American Cemetery, and we had ample time to explore the grounds, including the nearby monument to the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One). 

After this, we made our way along the Normandy coast toward the town of Arromanches, which was the site of Mulberry B, a series of portable harbors designed to facilitate the offloading of supplies to support the Allied invasion of Normandy. The moment we drove into town, we could see the massive concrete structures in the water, hinting at the rich history of this quaint seaside town. Appropriately, our first stop in Arromanches was the D-Day Museum, which has to be one of the most interesting museums we’ve visited so far. Not only was it informative, but it also featured moving miniature models of the Mulberry harbors and illustrated how momentous the task of constructing them was. I was shocked to learn about the feat of engineering required to construct these massive concrete structures, transport them across the English Channel, and then deliberately scuttle them to address the lack of deepwater ports.

After spending a decent amount of time in Arromanches, we made another stop as part of the Gold Beach landings at the British Normandy Memorial. I quite enjoyed the design of the memorial, especially how it overlooked Gold Beach itself. After some time for reflection at the memorial, we went to our last stop for the day, the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. The design of the cemetery itself resembled the cemeteries we visited at the beginning of our trip, and it included two watchtowers, which gave us an elevated view of the entire cemetery. However, the highlight of this visit was Professor Hayes’ soldier presentation, in which he brought two cap badges of the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. These cap badges were given to him by a student of his, who requested that he leave one at his grave and bring one back home with the dirt from the cemetery. After Professor Hayes shared Sergeant Lloyd George Attwater’s story, Landon placed one of the cap badges on the headstone and covered the other with dirt, which will be brought home. As we left the cemetery, this moment stayed with me. It was a powerful reminder that remembrance is not only about honouring the past but also about maintaining a connection to those who gave their lives in service to their country.

-Chance Padgham (Simon Fraser University)