Day 4 - Monday 4 June

We set off early this morning - toward Omaha Beach and the German strongpoint WN62 near Colleville sur Mer. This complex of trenches and guns was a severe challenge for the landing US forces. It had been reinforced (coincidently) by elements of the German 352nd Infantry Division increasing it's numbers from 20 men to 40. This may not seem like a great deal of opposition, but US forces were landing on an open beach and were being fired on from well designed positions above them.

We then moved on to the nearby US Military Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer, where so many young men are buried. The sea of grave stones was a sobering reminder that D-Day, and the weeks following, cost so many lives - 9,386 graves of young men hardly older than some of our Cadets.

We had lunch just along the coast, overlooking the beach near the memorial to the men of the US 2nd Infantry Division, who fought there.

After lunch we moved along to Point du Hoc, where the US Rangers fought so hard to take a heavily fortified gun emplacement. They fought their way up cliffs, against small arms fire from the defending German troops, only to find that the battery was empty - the guns were not there.

This was also swimming day - the cadets all had the opportunity to swim at Bayeux municipal swimming pool, before heading home for a barbecue.