2024 Tour De France D-Day Commemoration
Tour De France commemoration of British, Canadian and Commonwealth invasion of Normandy
This is a proposal for a 170km stage of the Tour De France to commemorate British & Commonwealth troops and their heroic deeds on D-Day.
In 2018 Le Tour incorporated remembrance of the Maquis at Glières plateau resisting German occupiers with a display of a frozen diorama of resistance fighters where the peloton slowed down in respect on the gravel road.
2024 is the 80th anniversary of invasion of Normandy and 2016 was the last time the region hosted stages of the tour. On the 103rd edition Stage 1 ended at Utah Beach commemorating the U.S. Army’s landing and Stage 2 an 183 kilometre etape started in Saint-Lô and finished in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin won by Belgian rider Greg Van Avermaet and putting Peter Sagan in the yellow jersey.
For the 111th edition [2024] it would be a fitting to have a similar commemoration to the British and Commonwealth troops that landed in France on D-Day incorporating the British and Canadian beaches and the 6th Airborne Division landing as well as its advance East to the Seine with the Commandos, Belgium & Dutch units liberating the occupied area between Dives River and the Seine. A stage running through the Calvados department would be a suitable tribute to these men but also to the Normans who assisted in the liberation.
The region offers diverse terrain for cyclists from Ouistreham to the Seine ranging from flats for sprints, valleys for descents and hills for climbs it would be an ideal course for riders along the coast through narrow lanes and highways. The Calvados department is largely agricultural, with vast swaths of farmland, Horse farms (Haras) and orchards covering the landscape, peppered with chateaus with well known productions of cheese, calvados and cider. The beautiful beaches and resorts with casinos attract and have attracted both the French and British alike. Further inland, the terrain becomes more gentle, with gentle rolling hills and plains dotted with small, picturesque villages and towns. The main river in Calvados is the Orne, which flows through the department from south to north and eventually empties into the English Channel at Ouistreham. Overall, the topography of Calvados is a mix of natural beauty and cultivated agricultural areas. Its distinctive landscape with a rich history, culture, and natural beauty of northern France.
Normandy has always had a place in the Tour de France with Caen especially which has been a starting and finishing point for stages from 1905. The tour has used Trouville (1948), Villers sur Mer (1986), Pont Audemer (1985) Deauville (1979) and Pont L'Eveque (1962). The 82nd Edition in 1995 where Stage 4 started from Alencon to Le Havre and the 93rd Edition in 2006 when Stage 5 started from Beauvais to Caen. From my research [happy to be corrected!] I have found The Tour has never crossed the Benouville and Orne bridges which were taken by airlanding troops from the 6th Airborne Division in the early hours of D-Day.
The proposal is for the stage to begin at Port-en-Bessin by way of Honfleur to Cabourg taking incorporate significant sites of the Normandy campaign such as Sword beach, Pegasus Bridge, Ranville War Cemetery and Troarn Bridge.
On 6th June 1944 70,000 British and Canadian troops landed on a 16 mile front on Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches after 07.00 hrs incurring 2,000 casualties and with some units advancing 8 miles inland. Georges Simenon’s set his 1931 Inspector Maigret novel Death of a Harbour Master in Ouistreham where the lighthouse is featured it sits prominently on the mouth of the Orne later used by Artillery observers to direct fire across the mouth of the river. It was here that British and French Commandos having left Sword beach headed East and attacked German strong points fortified at Riva Bella and at the Casino. Whilst these fortifications were being extinguished other elements of the Commandos headed North East to relieve the 6th Airborne Division.
The peloton would head South towards Benouville and Le Port tracing the route the Commandos took to relieve the 6th Airborne Division heading over the Caen Canal and Orne River Bridges the first objectives taken on D-Day by the 6th Airborne Division to go through Ranville the first village to be liberated and slow passing the Ranville War Cemetery which houses thousands of men graves. Heading South East to to Le Mesnil a vital crossroads that was taken and a mad dash St. Samson bridge one of many bridges which sappers demolished. Heading East into denser where the Airborne, Commando, Belgian and Dutch units began their advance in August 1944 for Operation Paddle all the way to the Seine.
The Benouville and Orne bridges were captured on the 6th June 1944 by the Coup de Main party of gliders crucial to whole of Operation Overlord, sitting over the Caen Canal and Orne River considered crucial to the success of the entire Overlord operation. Taken by 2nd Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry secure the bridges later reinforced by 7th Parachute Battalion to consolidate the positions and create a perimeter which would later be reinforced.
Ranville was the first village of France to be liberated on D-Day by 13th Parachute Battalion. The cemetery holds 2,418 graves which includes 700 men of the 6th Airborne Division and Glider Pilot Regiment, the youngest being 16 years of age. 90 of the graves are unidentified with 323 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities the adjoining churchyard contains 47 Commonwealth burials, one of which is unidentified, and one German grave.
Air Force 42
Army 2286
Navy 90
Australian 2 (RAAF)
Belgian 1
British 2066
Canadian 76
German 269
New Zealand 3 (RNZAF)
Polish 1
The peloton would pass the vital crossroads at Le Mesnil was taken by 3rd Parachute Brigade tasked with occupying this important position situated on high ground for which controlled movement around the Bavent Ridge. Testifying to the thoroughfare’s importance were the heavy losses of both defenders and attackers, as the Germans continued their attempts counter attack and break through Allied lines on D-Day and throughout the week. The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion were situated south of the crossroads at what was referred to as the brickworks this was a Potterie owned by M. and Mme Dupont who after the war employed German prisoners at the brickworks to work on making tiles.
North across the road M. Barberot’s farm was used by 3rd Parachute Brigade Headquarters and Medical Dressing Station which which came under a multitude of fire from artillery, mortar and machine gun fire where 112 operations took place; the H.Q. eventually moved to Chateau du Mesnil in the same grounds.
Taking a route South East to the town of Troarn an important location throughout the Normandy campaign, on D-Day the bridge between Troarn and St. Samson was identified as an objective to be demolished, when Operation ‘Goodwood’ was launched on 18th July 1944 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles task was to protect to the flank of VIII Corps and capture Troarn. It was not until Operation ‘Paddle’ the advance to the Seine that Troarn was seized by 47 Commando on 17th August 1944.
On D-Day it was the task of sappers of 3rd Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers to blow up Troarn Bridge to delay any German counterattack, this involved the squadron’s commanding officer Major John Couch Adams “Tim” Roseveare to blow the 5-span masonry arch bridge which was 110 foot long and sat astride the River Dives .
Major Roseveare reported in the War Diary:1
“We set off down the road at a moderate pace with everyone ready with a Bren and several Stens for any trouble. Just before the level crossing we ran slap into a barbed wire knife rest road block. One Bosche fired a shot and then went off. It took 20 minutes hard work with wire cutters before the jeep was freed. We then proceeded on, leaving behind it transpired later Spr. MOON; Two scouts were sent ahead to the crossroad…As they arrived a bosche soldier cycled across complete with rifle. On being dragged from his bicycle he protested volubly and we made the mistake of silencing him with a Sten instead of a knife. The town was now getting roused so we lost no time and everyone jumped aboard while I tried to make the best speed possible, as the total load was about 3000 lbs we only made about 35 m.p.h…here the fun started as there seemed to be a bosche in every door way shooting like mad. However, the boys got to work with their Stens and Spr. PEACHEY did good work as rear gunner with the Bren…”
Sapper Peachey was picked up by nuns outside the church after he had been thrown from the jeep but was later taken prisoner for the rest of the war; little is known what happened to Spr. Moon except that he was not captured and survived the war.
Roseveare continued
“…What saved the day was the steep hill down the Main Street as the speed rose rapidly and we careered from side to side of the road as the heavy trailer was swinging violently. We were chased out of the town by an MG34 which fired tracer just over our heads. On arrival at the bridge which was not held, we found Spr. PEACHEY and his Bren were missing. 39 General Wade charges were immediately placed across the centre span, a cordtex lead connected up, and the charged fired. The demolition was completely successful - the whole centre span being demolished giving a gap of 15 to 20 feet. The time taken was about 5 minutes. I decided TROARN would not be a healthy spot to return to so we drove the Jeep up a track due NORTH towards BURES as far as possible and then ditched it. Lt. BREESE made a recce of BURES which led him to believe it was occupied. It was now about 0500 hrs.”
The party returned to 3rd Parachute Brigade H.Q. at Le Mesnil swimming across rivers and streams making it there at 13.00 hrs. Later during the campaign Germans had partly repaired the bridge but it was sappers from 591st (Antrim) Parachute Field Squadron, Royal Engineers began repairing it on 17th August 1944.
After riders cross the River Dives follow the route of those that took part in Operation Paddle. The operation involved the advance of the 6th Airborne Division, Commandos, Belgian Piron Brigade and Dutch Princess Irene Brigade to advance to the Seine following the withdrawing German defenders that had been embedded in the area since D-Day. 1st Belgian Brigade taking the coastal route to liberate towns along the Côte Fleurie from Sallenelles to Honfleur, with other units taking other routes East. The advance lacked speed due to lack of transport anything with two or more wheels was commandeered and pressed into service.
The advance came as relief to the units that had been cooped up in the same area dug in and under fire for almost three months but now had to contend with blown bridges, mines and booby traps. The units leapfrogged one another in the advance crossing the River Touques & Risle eventually ending their advance on 25th August after advancing 45 miles in nine days taking 1,000 prisoners incurring 1,343 casualties.
The assessment for the 6th Airborne Division’s first three months reflects those of other units in the area
“It was no mean feat that the units of 6th Airborne Division had accomplished since the beginning of their campaign in that early hours of D-Day. In all phases of the operation, the initial assault, when in spite of dispersal they had speedily gained all their objectives; the long and trying period of holding the area between the ORNE and the Dives in the face of frequent and determined attacks by a more heavily armed opponent; and the final rapid advance to the RISLE River; during Which a very inadequate scale of transport had failed to keep them from maintaining contact with, the retreating enemy -- in all these phases they had borne themselves well.”2
These are just a few important events on and after D-Day that the Tour de France could consider to incorporate into stages next year, there are many Allied stories from Arromanches to Honfleur which could be commemorated.
Proposed route
TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE ROUTE 172.8km
1) Port en Bessin
2) La Breche/Arromanches
3) La Riviere
4) Coursouelles-sur-Mer/Bernieres-sur-Mer
5) St. Aubin-sur-Mer
6) Luc-sur-Mer
7) Lion-sur-Mer
8) Ouistreham - hug the Caen Canal south past Le Port & Benouville
9) Benouville “Pegasus Bridge”, then Head East over Orne River bridge
10) Ranville - south to village of Ranville passing War Cemetery
11) Le Mesnil
12) Troarn – Troarn Bridge
13) St. Samson
14) Saint Richer & Bassenville
15) Dozule
16) Le Bourg
17) Annebault
18) Beaumont-en-Auge
19) Pont L'Eveque
20) Beuzeville
21) Audemer
22) Bervilles-sur-Mer
23) Honfleur & The Seine
24) Trouville-sur-Mer
25) Deauville
26) Blonville-sur-Mer
27) Villers-sur-Mer
28) Auberville
29) Houlgate
30) Dives-sur-Mer
31) Cabourg
No. 139 Report Historical Section The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in France (6 June - 6 September 1944)