Normandy

The last two days of our battlefield tour have been in Normandy. Not so much Australian context here as our troops had been called home to defend Australia from the Japanese. It has been days of looking at beaches and gun emplacements and bunkers and hearing stories of ingenious planning, heroic actions by individuals and small groups of men, and unrelenting pressure on the Germans to finally break through and win World war 11.

To see the farm houses and villages that were occupied by the Germans, to hear stories and see recorded images and stories from the people who had to live under occupation, and to visit the enormous monuments and cemeteries has brought the facts of the war together for me, but I cannot say I can understand at all, the fear, courage, hardships, strength, of all involved, it is beyond me. 

I would recommend this tour with BackRoads to anyone, it has been an education and enlightenment and has given me so much more appreciation for the sacrifice of those who were involved.  You see commemorations everywhere for those who die, and rightly so, but I saw engraved on a memorial today something I think should be repeated on every war memorial ...

The dead shall not be forgotten,

The veteran shall be forever honoured.