Gold beach and more bunkers...

Big day today - started early to beat the crowds and stopping only for warm pain au chocolat went straight to the Longues battery overlooking Gold beach. Another set of quite well preserved bunkers, complete with rusting 122mm artillery pieces and the piece de la resistance - the observation bunker on the cliff edge as used in the 'Longest Day' opening sequence. As there are no health and safety laws in France you can of course go in and get a great view from inside...obviously the greenery would have been pruned back by the inhabitants to improve the view.

 

 

This is the business end. The battery was in action on D-Day and held out until D+1. Remarkably well intact considering the interest shown in them by some large ships off-shore.

 

 

I've posted earlier about one end of Gold beach at Arromanches where the artificial harbour 'Mulberry' was established. I'll do another post on that tomorrow now I have worked out how to use the panorama function on the camera! Still impressive sixty years later.

 

Further east and Gold beach proper develops.

 

 

the tide is well up here but you can see it is much like Utah in that there are sand dunes and low lying ground behind. The heights behind the beach that made Omaha so difficult to get off are not an issue here although about a mile or so inland there is a distinct ridge that helps the defenders.

 

 

Google Stan Hollis VC and you'll find out.