Cycling the D Day beaches

Last week saw Bonwyke’s MD, Chris George, join with some friends in a bike tour of the D Day beaches along the Normandy coast. Taking Brittany Ferries’ fast cat service accross the channel we arrived in Cherbourg around lunchtime on day one. The afternoon was taken up with a 28 mile ride to St Vaast Le Hougue, a small fishing port just north of Utah beach.

We had all wanted to do something like this before and were inspired by others doing their bit for Help for Heroes. Eventually we ran out of excuses not to do it so set off blissfully unaware and un-prepared as ever. The second day was a liesurely 35 miles to Carentan via Utah beach and the American museum. The third day was more involved with another 35 miles but via the beaches of Omagh and Gold, arriving at Arromanche in the early evening.

We had half the fourth day to make the ferry port of Ouisterham ready to catch the afternoon ferry back to Portsmouth. Thankfully the weather stayed dry, unlike the stormy weather that the soldiers faced on 6th June 1944. Seeing the scale and enormity of the whole operation at first hand and walking through the American Cemetery, commemorating the bravest of the brave, was the most humbling of experiences. These were truely amazing young men who fought for our freedom.