France, Normandy - Utah Beach D-Day Museum - Sainte Marie Du Mont 2017
Visited in June 2017, The Utah Beach D-Day Museum is located 47 miles from Caen turning off the RN13 at the D913 and at the end of the D913. Created in a German bunker in 1962 and continually expanded since, in 2011 it gained a glass and steel hangar to house a restored Martin B-26G Marauder. This is the sole complete aircraft in the museum but there is much more to see from landing crafts to vehicles and photographs, films and other memorabilia.
Open 09.30 to 19.00 June 1st - September 30th and 10.00 to 18.00 October 1st - May 31st, it is closed December 1st - 25th. There is a small shop at the entrance and Admission should be booked on their website which is currently 8 Euro’s Adults and 5 Euro’s under 15s.
The Marauder is that previously at Musee de’l Air et de ‘Espace, Le Bourget, Paris, but remarked to a B-26 flown by Major David Dewhurst USAAF and whose family have contributed so much to the expansion and renovation of this museum.
Quality can mean so much more than quantity and this is one not to be missed by history buffs – the sole complete B-26 in Europe and one of only six worldwide, please take some time when visiting the Normandy area of France.
Author & Photography
Nigel Roling