Thread by @sommecourt

Travelling to France for #DDay75? Fancy seeing some lesser-known locations connected to #DDay & the Battle of #Normandy? Then I hope this is of interest!

No 1: 50th (Nortnumbrian) Division Memorial, Bayeux. This division landed on Gold Beach on D-Day & pushed inland, fighting at Tilly and Hottot. The memorial is on an old convent wall, opposite the cathedral & easily missed. #DDay75

No 2: The church at Saint Côme du Mont. Inland from Utah Beach, Fallschirmjager Major von Der Heydte famously watched the Allied landings from the spire. US Para Joe Beyrle was taken POW here after landing on the roof, sent to Poland, escaped & fought alongside the Russians!

No 3: The bridge at Sully. Not far from Bayeux, Sully was attacked by 2/South Wales Borderers on 8 June 1944 when they bumped a German HQ group supported by assault guns. A Sherman OP tank came off the bridge & its commander drowned; he is still buried in the churchyard. #DDay75

No 4: Marigny Church - D-Day Casualty. Marigny is near to Longues-sur-Mer & the 15thC church here was one of many structures damaged or destroyed in the pre-D-Day bombardments. It was one of the few left in its damaged wartime state complete with original bells. #DDay75

No 5: WN35b, Ver-sur-Mer. Inland from Gold Beach, the 7/Green Howards attacked this on D-Day supported by Churchill Crocodiles. The battery had #WW1 Czech guns & after a small engagement, surrendered. The bunkers are in remarkable condition. #DDay75

No 6: Iron Mike, La Fiere. Close to St Mere Elise, and overlooking the La Fiere causeway, this position was as important to 82AB on #DDay as Pegasus Bridge was to 6AB. The memorial commemorates an incredible action, soon to be made into a film. #DDay75

No 7: Hillman Bunkers. Inland from Sword Beach, there was a tough fight here on D-Day with an assault by 1/Suffolks support by Engineers & Tanks. This amazing site is run by an association who often give free tours. #DDay75

No 8: Tailleville Chateau. This small hamlet was the site of a German HQ on D-Day & attacked by Canadian troops moving inland from Juno Beach. The walls of the chateau were heavily defended with Tobruk Pits & assault gun positions. Amazing to walk the walls here. #DDay75

No 9: Tourville sur Odon Churchyard. Aside from the main @CWGC sites in Normandy, there are many small burials grounds. This one contains a handful of graves from the Odon Battles as well as a memorial built by locals to honour our dead. #DDay75

No 10: German Cemetery, Orglandes. One of the least visited war cemeteries in Normandy, it is located in the Cotentin Peninsula beyond Utah Beach. There are more than 10,000 burials here including some senior German officers. #DDay75

So, I hope you've found that useful for #DDay75 & indeed beyond! There is so much to see in Normandy, don't stop looking around you - you'll find memorials, bits of the old sea-wall visible on wartime photos & battle damaged buildings. It's a massive outdoor #WW2 museum!