Normandy Archives - Mechtraveller

What’s the significance of Brittany Ferries’ New-Generation Cross-Channel Ferries?

Alastair — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:10:37 +0000

Almost one year ago, Brittany Ferries introduced their new flagship ‘Guillaume de Normandie‘, intended to replace the old ‘Normandie‘ on their Portsmouth – Caen/Ouistreham* route. Like her sister ship, Saint-Malo (SM), which began operating Portsmouth – St Malo two months earlier, the Guillaume de Normandie (GdN) is not a simple replacement, she’s a Chinese-built new-generation […]

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CNN Films to broadcast “Why We Dream” documentary about veterans returning to Normandy

Alastair — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:21:03 +0000

CNN Films has acquired the documentary feature Why We Dream, which follows a group of centenarian WWII veterans as they make a pilgrimage to Normandy, France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Directed by Meredith Danluck and produced by Delta Air Lines’ Window Seat Studios, in partnership with Pulse Films, the film will premiere in […]

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The Airborne Museum, Sainte-Mère-Église – Updated

Alastair — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 14:46:59 +0000

The Airborne Museum at Sainte-Mère-Église is considered a ‘must see’ for those touring Normandy, and it’s usually one of the first or last stops on a tour of the Normandy beaches because it’s out there on the western flank, which is exactly why the US airborne forces set out to capture it on the night […]

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The Dives River Bridge Memorials, Normandy

Alastair — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 15:28:40 +0000

The five bridges over the river Dives marked for destruction by Allied airborne forces on the night of 6 June 1944 are rarely visited these days, but they were crucial to securing the eastern flank of the D-Day landings. So it’s definitely worth exploring the area to get an understanding of the dangers faced in […]

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The Mighty Eighth Monument, Normandy

Alastair — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:09:08 +0000

This is the new monument dedicated to the men of ‘The Mighty Eighth’ in Normandy. The set of four life-size bronze statues of medal-awarded USAAF Airmen was unveiled at the La Fière Memorial Park near Sainte-Mère-Eglise on 5th June. The four airmen (L-R) are Staff Sgt. Maynard “Snuffy” Smith – Gunner, 300th Bomb Group (Medal […]

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Review: Omaha Beach Memorial Museum

Alastair — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 08:47:15 +0000

The Omaha Beach Memorial Museum (Musée Mémorial d’Omaha Beach), focuses on the D-Day landings at Omaha and Pointe du Hoc. It’s not a particularly large museum (1400m²) but it is well laid out and has some interesting artefacts, documents and photos. It’s location, halfway up the Les Moulins draw* (the middle of the three draws […]

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Review: Bocage Breakout Museum, Normandy

Alastair — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 12:09:04 +0000

It’s proper name, in French, is La Musée de la Percée du Bocage, which they themselves translate into the ‘British Breakout from Normandy Museum’. In our guidebook, we call it the ‘Bocage Breakout Museum’, which I think is a simpler name. The museum, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year (2004), is located on the […]

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Review: D-Day Omaha Museum, Vierville

Alastair — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:54:00 +0000

The D-Day Omaha Museum is a small private museum packed with military items, uniforms and equipment that were gathered over a 50 year period by Michel Brissard, an enthusiastic military history collector who was born in 1945, the year WW2 ended. Now, the museum is run by his two sons. The museum sits at the […]

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Review: Normandy Victory Museum

Alastair — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 16:24:31 +0000

The Normandy Victory Museum, sub-titled the Musée de la Bataille des Haies (Battle of the Hedgerows Museum) is quite a large museum (2,000 m²) and is definitely worth a visit, especially around lunchtime, because it also has a large brasserie restaurant split into a bistro and pizzeria. In fact, the spacious site, wedged between the […]

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Review: D-Day Collins Museum

Alastair — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:59:11 +0000

The newly opened D-Day Collins Museum recreates General Joseph Lawton Collins’ VII Corps headquarters at Chateau de Franquetot, in the actual building itself where he met more than once with Generals Omar Bradley, George Patton and Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower. And to give the site real authenticity, there are photos and film […]

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