Beaches of Normandy Tours

The Star Wars franchise has always been known for drawing inspiration from World War II as a basis for its futuristic weapons. This snippet is from the latest Star Wars series, Andor. On the right, you can see rebel fighter Arvel Skeen with a dagger attached to his belt in its sheath. It is a slightly modified version of the famous Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife which was used by British Commandos, U.S. Army Rangers and other special units during WWII. If you want to know more about this iconic and deadly weapon, you can read our earlier article about it here:
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/The_FairbairnSykes_fighting_knife?id=3dfa43c684
(Photo: The Walt Disney Company)

All of us at Beaches of Normandy Tours wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Now, when we're together with our loved ones in safety, peace and happiness, it is perhaps more important than at any other time to remember the gallant men and women who answered the call and braved the darkest times of history for us, the future generations. Let us honor and cherish their memories and the freedoms their sacrifice has won for us.

We have the ideal offer for you that can save you from the shopping madness and can even spare your savings due to the beneficial payment options. On top of that, you can request a stylish, personalized gift certificate that you can place under the Christmas tree. You have one day left to get a 15% discount on our select tours by paying only the registration fee by midnight ET today and transferring the rest of the list price until January 31, 2023. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. The offer excludes those three tours in 2024 which include the 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations in Normandy. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.

Photo: Brigadier General McAuliffe and his staff having Christmas dinner on December 25, 1944 in the encircled Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. (Photo: U.S. Army)

Today, we remember the Angels of Bastogne, Renée Lemaire and Augusta Chiwy, the two Belgian nurses who selflessly worked to save the lives of wounded soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge. The volunteer nurses helped Battalion Surgeon Dr. Jack T. Prior from 20th Armored Infantry Battalion at an aid station in the besieged town of Bastogne. 78 years ago today, on December 24, 1944, their aid station was destroyed by a German bomber, killing nurse Lemaire and more than thirty wounded American soldiers. Chiwy and Dr. Prior luckily survived the attack. Earlier, Lemaire desperately wanted to get a white silk parachute to make a wedding dress out of. Prior brought Lemaire's remains to her parents, wrapped in the parachute she so dearly wanted. Streets were named after both nurses in the city for having saved many lives during the siege. Both nurses are buried in the Bastogne cemetery. Chiwy passed away on August 23, 2015, at the age of 94 and was laid to rest in a family plot in Bastogne. You can read their full story and how it was depicted in the Band of Brothers miniseries in one of our articles:
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/The_Angels_of_Bastogne?id=40127c2bda

The main photo was taken on December 25, 1944, the day after the bombing of the aid station when American soldiers were clearing the rubble. (Photos: U.S. Army, discoveringbelgium.com, Wikipedia)

Read our latest newsletter about General Patton and visit our website where you can find more information about our tours. (Photo: National Archives and Records Administration)
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/The_wars_of_George_S_Patton?id=af63cb43d2

The wars of George S. Patton The service of America’s most colorful general

This is a photo of one of the snow-covered foxholes in the Bois Jacques woods, Belgium, where soldiers of the 101st “Screaming Eagles” Airborne Division back-to-back with other units had to defend the small Belgian town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Surrounded by Germans, they had to dig their foxholes and had to fight under extreme weather conditions in deep snow and temperatures sometimes below -18 °F (-28 °C) with food and ammunition running low. Thousands of servicemen trying to find shelter in their foxholes among the fierce German shelling were affected by cold-related injuries such as trench foot and frostbite. From year to year, one can find improvised memorials, flowers and personal messages in remembrance of the men who fought here. The foxhole on the photo overlooks the village of Foy, where the paratroopers of the 101st launched a counterattack depicted also in the famous Band of Brothers miniseries. Join us on our 80th Anniversary Bulge Tour and our other respective tours to visit Bastogne and other iconic sites from the Battle of the Bulge. (Photo: Author’s own)
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/tour/Battle_of_the_Bulge_Tour/

Christmas offer - one week left to get 15% off

We have the ideal offer for you that can save you from the shopping madness and can even spare your savings due to the beneficial payment options. On top of that, you can request a stylish, personalized gift certificate that you can place under the Christmas tree. You have one week left to get a 15% discount on our select tours by paying only the registration fee by December 26, 2022 and transferring the rest of the list price until January 31, 2023. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. The offer excludes those three tours in 2024 which include the 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations in Normandy. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.

Christmas is approaching quickly. In just a couple of days, families are going to come together to celebrate in peace and happiness. It will be an opportunity also to share and discover never-heard family stories including those of your relatives who served in the armed forces of your country. Some of you might even have next of kin who fought in World War II, though their number is decreasing quickly every day unfortunately. With the Holiday Season upon us, many of you are certainly looking for the right present for your loved ones. What could be more fitting than to give the chance to some of your family members to discover those stories on the actual sites in Europe? Surprise them with an unforgettable trip to historic places where American soldiers fought for freedom.

Book here: https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/book/
(Photo: U.S Army)

78 years ago, on December 16, 1944, N**i Germany launched its last major counterattack on the Western Front during one of the coldest winters of all time. The offensive was called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (“Operation Watch on the Rhine”) by the Germans. It took the Allies completely by surprise and the campaign turned out to be the bloodiest battle for the American forces in World War II. Back-to-back with other units, the encircled 101st “Screaming Eagles” Airborne Division courageously held the line during the siege of the small Belgian town of Bastogne until they were relieved by General Patton’s Third Army. Read our latest newsletter about Brigadier General McAuliffe’s famous NUTS! reply to the Germans demanding the surrender of his troops. (Photo: U.S. Army)

https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/To_the_German_Commander_N_U_T_S_?id=7d89f141c9

Everyone knows the great entertainer, Walt Disney. He passed away 56 years ago yesterday, on December 15, 1966. At the same time, much fewer people know that his ancestors came from Normandy from the small seaside town of Isigny-sur-Mer which is famous for its dairy products and salted caramel. In 1066, William the Conqueror gave land to many of his trusted soldiers after the Battle of Hastings, including Disney’s ancestors who were given the title “Lords of Isigny”. They moved to England and the name d’Isigny was anglicized to Disney. Later, a part of the family moved to Ireland and from there to America, where Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago. During World War I, he wanted to join the U.S. armed forces but was too young to serve, thus he forged the date of birth on his birth certificate and ended up as Red Cross ambulance driver in France shortly before the end of the war. Taking advantage of being stationed in France, he visited Normandy for the first time after WWI in 1918 at the age of 17. During the Normandy landings, Operation PLUTO (standing for Pipeline Under the Ocean) and the two pipelines laid under the English Channel during the operation, Dumbo and Bambi, were named after the characters created by Disney. The famous Sleeping Beauty castle is said to be inspired by the picturesque island-abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy. Join us on our tours to learn more about his ties to Normandy. (Photo: The Walt Disney Company)

This original WWII German Sturmgewehr 44 (STG44) assault gun has been sold for 32,313 USD at an auction of Rock Island Auction Company last weekend. The magazine is absent on this model. The STG 44 was developed by the famous fi****ms developer, Hugo Schmeisser and around 426,000 of them were produced between 1943-45. It proved to be a revolutionary weapon on the battlefield and influenced many later designs. (Photo: Rock Island Auction Company)

Read our latest newsletter about the Medals of Honor earned at Pearl Harbor and visit our website where you can find more information about our tours. (Photo: Imperial Japanese Navy)
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/Medals_of_Honor_at_Pearl_Harbor?id=95ae76dfe4

Medals of Honor at Pearl Harbor The men who earned the highest decoration on the Day of Infamy

Christmas offer - 3 weeks left: get 15% off

We have the ideal offer for you that can save you from the shopping madness and can even spare your savings due to the beneficial payment options. On top of that, you can request a stylish, personalized gift certificate that you can place under the Christmas tree. You have three weeks left to get a 15% discount on our select tours by paying only the registration fee by December 26, 2022 and transferring the rest of the list price until January 31, 2023. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. The offer excludes those three tours in 2024 which include the 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations in Normandy. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.

Christmas is approaching quickly. In just a couple of weeks, families are going to come together to celebrate in peace and happiness. It will be an opportunity also to share and discover never-heard family stories including those of your relatives who served in the armed forces of your country. Some of you might even have next of kin who fought in World War II, though their number is decreasing quickly every day unfortunately. With the Holiday Season upon us, many of you are certainly looking for the right present for your loved ones. What could be more fitting than to give the chance to some of your family members to discover those stories on the actual sites in Europe? Surprise them with an unforgettable trip to historic places where American soldiers fought for freedom.

Photo: Guard of honor presenting arms to Santa Claus at Camp Lee, Virginia in December 1941. (Source: NARA)

Book here: https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/book/

Read our latest newsletter about the Allied war conferences (part 2) and visit our website where you can find more information about our tours. (Photo: NARA)

https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/Planning_World_War_II__Part_2?id=6ebf28cdc2

Planning World War II – Part 2 The Allied war conferences

Helping refugees from Ukraine

While the COVID-19 pandemic is reaching its end, another major tragic event occurred on February 24, 2022, when the conflict started in Ukraine, forcing millions of people to flee their homes seeking safety in other parts of the country and in neighboring countries. More than a quarter of Ukraine’s population has been forced to flee since February 24: over 7.6 million refugees – 90 per cent of whom are women and children – have fled to neighboring countries, with many immediately continuing their journey to other countries. The number of displaced people is still increasing. The humanitarian consequences for the civilian population are devastating and the needs in Ukraine and neighboring countries keep growing quickly. The war and the subsequent sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies upon the Russian Federation had historic effects on the world economy and the current world order. The war has intensified the already existing inflation challenges and supply chain disruptions. It threatens global energy and food supplies. Today, the international community is mobilized to respond to a massive humanitarian crisis, which could be the largest refugee crisis of the century in Europe. And behind each number, there is a family, a story, so many poignant testimonies that reinforce our determination to act.

In light of the current humanitarian situation, we at Beaches of Normandy Tours felt that we cannot stay passive on a war that is tearing families apart and is ruining the future of generations of children. As a company that strives to educate both young and old about armed conflicts with a goal to prevent future wars and to raise awareness about the horrors that wars can bring for civilians and soldiers alike, we felt obligated to support the efforts of UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, so they can continue to protect vulnerable populations. Created in the aftermath of the Second World War, UNHCR protects people forced to flee because of conflict or persecution. For more than 70 years, it has been working in more than 130 countries, in emergency situations to protect and assist people forced to flee, and in the longer term to help them rebuild their lives. UNHCR provides emergency shelter and relief items to forcibly displaced people. Against this background, we have donated $100 from every booking for 2022 to support the populations affected by the situation in Ukraine. We hope that with our modest means we can help bring the war and the suffering of affected people closer to its end. (Photo: Reuters)

Read our latest newsletter about the Allied war conferences (Part 1) and visit our website where you can find more information about our tours. (Photo: NARA)
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/Planning_World_War_II__Part_1?id=c13daaabbe

Planning World War II – Part 1 The Allied war conferences

We have received bad news again: WWII veteran Gilbert Herrera passed away at the age of 98 a couple of days ago. He was born in Walsenburg, Colorado in 1924. He fought as squad leader in B Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 17th Airborne Division in WWII. During the Battle of the Bulge, he was close to Bastogne in the Houmont area and took part in the Dead Man’s Ridge battle in early January 1945. He fought in Germany during Operation Varsity in March 1945. After the war, he returned to Belgium several times to do the “Dead Man’s Ridge Walk” to honor the soldiers of the 17th Airborne Division and also to raise funds for veterans to return to Europe to the battlefields. At the age of 97, his last visit to the battlefield was last year in October, 77 years after the battle. May he rest in peace. (Photos: Denver Post, US Army)

Read our latest newsletter about the Kristallnacht and visit our website where you can find more information about our tours. (Photo: Yad Vashem)

https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/Kristallnacht?id=a2434521e5

Kristallnacht The Holocaust begins

We are saddened by the recent passing of WWII veteran Thomas “Tom” Marcus Rice. He died on November 17, 2022, at the age of 101. Mr. Rice was born on August 15, 1921, in Coronado, California. He joined the U.S. Army in 1940 and became a paratrooper in C “Charlie” Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st “Screaming Eagles” Airborne Division. He jumped into Normandy during D-Day near Carentan, fought in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, and got seriously wounded by a German sniper during the Battle of the Bulge close to Bastogne in Belgium. Following his recovery, he joined his unit at the Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden, Germany. In December 1945, he was honorably discharged. After the war, he finished his studies and taught social sciences and history for 44 years. His memoirs were published in 2004 under the title “Trial by Combat: A Paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Remembers Division the 1944 Battle of Normandy.” At the age of 97, he jumped once again from a C-47 over Normandy during 75th anniversary of the landings in 2019. The 101st Airborne Division described Mr. Rice as "a humble man who just wanted to do his duty for his country." Memorial services for Thomas Rice will be held on December 3 at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church in Coronado. May he rest in peace. (Photo: American Veterans Center)

A “Long Tom” 155mm (6.10 in) M1 gun at Bastogne Barracks in Belgium with one of our buses in the background. It served as a heavy field gun in World War II and several other armed conflicts. It had a range of 14 miles (23 km). 1,882 were produced between 1940-1945.

We have the right Christmas present for you!

World War One changed the world forever and shaped the twentieth century. It marked the twilight of the British and French colonial empires, and signaled the emergence of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland and Poland as new sovereign states; brought about the end of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman monarchies; and propelled the United States of America to the status of global power. After these epic changes, it is no surprise that one hundred years later, the legacy of the Great War is still part of our everyday lives.

The two-volume book titled In the Centennial Footsteps of the Great War chronicles and explains the historical events of the Great War through photos taken by the author one hundred years later, between 2014 and 2021 in each and every theatre of this global conflict. From Sarajevo through the battlefields of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific, all the way down to Versailles, the book covers a total of 57 different countries. At the same time, it also foreshadows how the outcome of the Great War led to World War II.

Please note that those individual or group leader Passengers who pay for their tour and travel with us in 2023 will receive both volumes of this beautiful publication as a gift from us. Still, with festive season approaching, are you looking for the right present for your loved ones who will not receive this book from us? We have the ideal offer for you that the whole family would enjoy on Christmas Eve. If you want to know more about this history-changing event that shaped our modern world as we know it, discover the history by ordering your copies by clicking on this link: https://www.greatwarbook.com/us/?utm_source=bnt&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=greatwar

Veterans Day - Save up to 15%

Today, Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States. On this occasion, we are offering most of our tours in 2023 and 2024 at a discount price until midnight ET today. You can either save 10% if you pay the registration fee of $490 now, and the rest of the tour price 90 days before the tour, or 15% if you choose to pay in full now. This promotion applies only in case of new bookings. Please note that this offer cannot be combined with other special promotions and does not apply to those three tours in 2024 which include the 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day in Normandy.

Veterans Day is an annual opportunity to honor and pay tribute to all veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. It originates from Armistice Day marking the end of World War I, which formally ended at 11:00 on November 11, 1918. It is still known as Armistice Day in France and Belgium, while the UK and Commonwealth countries celebrate Remembrance Day (or Poppy Day). According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 167,284 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2022. According to statistics, 180 of them are dying each day. This means that, sadly, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024 less than 100,000 WWII veterans will be with us to tell us about their story. Join us on our tours to witness what these soldiers had to go through while fighting for our freedom.
(Photo: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)