Last day in Ouistreham
Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Sun 7 Jun 2015 21:05
000.14.872W
Port de Plaisance, Ouistreham
Our final day here in Ouistreham has been really very special. Waking early I was on a mission to find the statue to Piper Bill Millin. He had been ordered by Highlands Chief Brigadier Lord Lovat to pipe the Commandos ashore (against regulations!) which he dutifully did. Apparently he walked up and down the beach, single-mindedly ignoring the carnage around him, many men died with bagpipe music coming across the beach to them, many others cheered. And the Germans? Apparently they thought he was so utterly bonkers they chose not to shoot at him!
In recent years Bill Millin oversaw the design of this stunning statue of himself and returned in his 90's to see it in its place, overlooking Sword Beach. What is nice to know is that Bol's father recalled the bagpiper when speaking to Bol, and his main memory was that it was VERY LOUD!
Returning along the very empty beach was where a second ceremony took place yesterday. The six flags encircle another Memorial which was unveiled and marks the occasion last year when Ouistreham was at the centre of the world's attention with the Queen and 25 heads of state attending an enormous event here on the beach marking the 70th anniversary.
And then a real highlight for us. Life-long family friend Lucy with husband Andrew, and daughters Emile and Sophie, who live an hour away, scooped us up in two cars and whisked us away for the day. We headed up the coast towards Arromanches and en route Andrew-I-wish-you-had-been-my-history-teacher stopped in Bayeux to visit the War Graves Cemetery. Immaculate, harrowing yet utterly peaceful in beautiful June sunshine, we arrived as some elderly uniformed gentlemen were laying wreaths at the centre piece so we kept our distance and had a quiet look around.
Arromanches was not far and we were then treated to a First Class Picnic at the top of the hill overlooking the pea-green sea, and perfect timing, just as we sat down to lunch (tables and chair included) two Hercules flew by, great timing guys!
There is a 360 cinema which we all went to showing a 15 minute film, with ten? screens all around us showing different footage, you really didn't know which way to look. Then down to the beach and a closer look at the floating harbour, personally inspired by Winston Churchill, remains of which are still visible. There was a map of what the original Mulberry B harbour looked like with Red Cross vehicles loading up the wounded on one section, and trucks off loading supplies at another.
Thank you Caverhills for a very special day!
And so it is with our minds whirling and buzzing with information over-load from six days of exploring this fascinating part of the world, that we leave Ouistreham tomorrow.
Unable to top this amazing week, our thoughts are turning towards heading home.
