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... WITH AUTHOR & HISTORIAN
STEPHEN FISHER

SWORD BEACH

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Tour Code:   S121

JUNE 6,1944. D-DAY.

TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH... 

The morning of 6th June 1944 heralded the largest seaborne assault in human history: D-Day. Allied landings on the five Normandy beaches - Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword - have gone down in legend as the first footsteps on a journey to end the war in Europe.

 

For many years, the landings on Sword Beach were a story untold. Now, however, historian and author Stephen Fisher has brought his considerable knowledge and expertise to bear in the best-selling book, "SWORD BEACH - THE UNTOLD STORY OF D-DAY'S FORGOTTEN VICTORY. 

 

WAVE BY WAVE, STEP BY STEP... 

On this unique four-day tour, Stephen will show you how the beachhead was established on Sword Beach and how it related to other landings, and explain the heroism and sacrifices made on D-Day and beyond. We'll guide you through the day's events wave by wave, step by step, and closely follow the actions of 3rd Infantry Division, its attached units, and the German troops who were entrenched and waiting along the Normandy coastline. 

 

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS... 

Our itinerary includes must-see locations such as the site of 4 and French Commando attack; the Casino; and the coastal battery at the Grand Bunker Museum. We'll visit Lion-sur-Mer to understand the progress of 41 (RM) Commando, you'll spend time in Hermanville-sur-Mer to see how 1 South Lancs advanced and attacked the farmhouse, and of course, we'll go into Bois du Caprice to follow 6 Commando’s advance to Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay. There's more to discover in Beauville, Lebisey Wood, and Ouistreham too - Stephen's knowledge of the landings is unparalleled.

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Join us for this brilliant weekend on a battlefield tour that's one-of-a-kind - there's no better tour, and you'll be in excellent company. It's a four-day tour. Our coach will transport you between each key location, and then we'll all be walking the ground together (this is an active tour, covering between 2 and 4 miles each day). Staying in Ouistreham, surrounded by history. 

'Truly, the untold story of
D-Day's Forgotten Victory' 

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SWORD BEACH

Photo Credits: Authors Own / NARA (Public Domain)​

FOUR DAYS

Activity Level - Active

11th - 14th APRIL 2025

Pricing: £799pp

£100 single supplement,

(or we'll buddy you up)

 

A £200 deposit is payable to secure your place, balances will be due on 31st December 2024.

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Tour Code: S121

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"We landed in about 3 feet of water and immediately there was a cascade of mortars, shells, small arms fire." Lieut. Reginald Rutherford. 10 Platoon, B Company, 2 East Yorks.

PORTSMOUTH - optional visit to LCT 7074 - OUISTREHAM - to Sword Beach! - COMMANDOS - the east end, the story, the memorials - QUEEN, WHITE, RED BEACHES - walking the exits - 4 and FRENCH COMMANDO ATTACK - Free French memorial - CASINO - Coastal Battery - GRAND BUNKER - Lion-sur-Mer - 41 (RM) COMMANDO - Hermanville-sur-Mer - CWGC - Stade du Petit Bonheur - 2 EAST YORKS - Bois du Caprice- STRONGPOINTS 14, 12, WN17 - 1 Suffolk - HERMANVILLE - Periers Ridge - BEAUVILLE - LEBISEY WOOD - CAMBES-EN-PLAINE - CAEN​

"Then, Ramps Down! and all hell broke loose, mortar fire, machine gunning, shell fire. As we scrambled out of our craft, some were hit and fell in the sea. Many more were killed as we approached the beach up to our necks in water." Private Ron Major, 10 Platoon, B Company, 2 East Yorks.

WHAT KIND OF TOUR... ? This is an active tour - we're covering a lot of ground over the four-day tour. You'll need to be physically fit, but don't worry: we don't rush. We cover a wide area, and you'll see where the men fought and how they made progress up off the beach, and into the Normandy countryside. We've also built in opportunities to spend time in Ouistreham.

ACCOMMODATION IS...? To help make this a very accessible tour, we'll be staying in Ouistreham, quite close to the Ferry Terminal. Whenever possible, the accommodation is 3* or above, with a continental breakfast included. We'll provide full details, closer to the tour date.

HOW MUCH WALKING... ? As always with Istoria, we're keen to help you 'follow in the footsteps' as much as possible. We expect to walk somewhere in the region of 2 to 4 miles each day, with coach travel between each location. Please bear this in mind when booking. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED... ? Your Portsmouth to Caen return crossing (we promise it's more comfortable than a landing craft). All of your coach travel is included of course, as are your hotels and continental breakfasts. From experience, guests tell us they appreciate having more choice when it comes to lunches and evening meals, so they're not included. All entries to museums and sites of interest are included. 

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