D-Day Anniversary River Cruise: Normandy

Today, on this significant anniversary, we visit the British and Canadian sector of the D-Day beaches. Eighty-three years ago today, Commonwealth forces stormed ashore at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches in the largest amphibious invasion in history.

Begin at Pegasus Bridge, where in the early hours of D-Day, British glider troops achieved complete surprise and captured this vital crossing in just ten minutes. Meet at the Café Gondrée, the first house in France to be liberated, and see the original bridge now displayed at the nearby museum. Continue to Juno Beach, where the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landed under heavy fire. Visit the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer, an excellent museum that tells the story of Canada’s role in the liberation of Europe. Walk on the beach itself and see the remaining German bunkers that made the landing so costly.

Pay respects at the Canadian Cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer, where 2049 Commonwealth troops are buried, including many who fell on D-Day. The cemetery’s peaceful setting belies the violence of the battle that brought these young men here. Visit Ranville Cemetery, the first village liberated in France and resting place of many British airborne troops, including Lieutenant Den Brotheridge, the first Allied soldier killed in the D-Day invasion.

Throughout this anniversary day, we’ll participate in commemoration ceremonies, share stories of individual heroism, and reflect on the extraordinary courage displayed by ordinary men who changed the course of history. Your historian will read from veterans’ accounts and letters home, bringing a deeply personal dimension to this sacred day.

Due to large crowds anticipated for the D-Day anniversary commemorations, we may modify the sites visited today to allow for traffic conditions and site closures.