44 boys in Year 7 and 8 spent six sunny days in Normandy based at a hotel situated right on a beach that overlooked the D-Day landing beach codenamed ‘Sword’. Fortunately the 17 hour coach and ferry return journey went smoothly. They discovered several things about Normandy: they learned about Norman and Gothic architecture and how many of the Norman castles and cathedrals in England were built after the Battle of Hastings with stone quarried in Caen; they visited William the Conqueror’s castle and tomb where only his right thigh bone remains; the beautifully preserved, 66 metre long Bayeux tapestry illustrated the meticulous planning that preceded the Norman invasion of England; a 360 degree cinema set above the cliffs overlooking the remains of the artificial port at Arromanches brought to life the shock and awe of the D-Day landings a thousand years later. The boys tasted four types of Normandy cheese, haggled with market stall holders over berets and T shirts in the port of Caen, played rounders on the beach, danced with old age pensioners one night and young French schoolgirls the next, and took a one hour boat trip out of Honfleur as far as the enormous suspension bridge that crosses the Seine estuary. The hotel provided three meals every day – a light continental breakfast, a healthy picnic with cheese and ham sandwiches and a hearty three course dinner before the disco started.
Everyone wrote down their magic moment: many mentioned the disco, some said the apple juice tasting and scoring a home run in a game of rounders on the beach, but the majority of the Year 8 boys said how moved they were when they visited the American military cemetery above Omaha Beach on the last visit day. One wrote: ‘it just made me think twice how these men and women gave their lives to help others. RIP.’
Everyone learned just what a close run thing D-Day was. What if the Germans had sent tanks six miles the road from Caen to Pegasus Bridge? What if Rommel had been in the area instead of celebrating his wife’s birthday in Berlin or if someone had woken up Hitler earlier that morning? What if the storm had wrecked the second Mulberry harbour at Arromanches? And what if local tank commanders like von Luck had taken the initiative sooner? It really was a miracle that by the end of D-Day over 100,000 troops had landed in Normandy at the cost of 9,000 troops.
Many thanks to Andrew and Amy of Thirlwell Coaches, to the staff of the holiday centre Bon Séjour for another fabulous stay and to the intrepid team of group leaders – Mr Dixon, Mr Drax, Mr Henderson, Mrs McConnell and Mr Tucker.