Utah

In 2007 we returned to Normandy, specifically to make the trip to the Utah beach area of the Cotentin peninsula. With just one day in the area, there was much to see, and lots left for another trip to be planned for the future.We started with stopping to look in a field. For those who have seen "Band of Brothers", it was the field at Brecourt where the US Airborne troops took out the German gun battery.The Utah Beach Museum is not far down the road from there, and is excellent, well worth the visit. Moving up the coast there is the Le Clerc Memorial, and just a few yards away in the dunes is a whole line of bunkers and tobruk pits that formed one of the major defensive strongpoints.Then inland, see the gun battery at Cresbecq. The main casemates have the roof dropped on both of them, but the other bunkers have been cleared out and the battery makes a very interesting tour. A short drive beyond that is the battery at Azeville. This one is a must-see for the area, as a visit can include the guided walk through the underground passages that link all the casemates, which is just superb.Our day finished in the square by the church in St Mere Eglise. Alongside is the Airborne Museum, with some excellent displays, while the church now has a stone statue of the US Paratrooper hanging from the steeple. Even a Dodge Weapons carrier was parked in the square that added to the scene. I admit I found it an "emotional moment" just to be standing there and looking, knowing we were standing on the spot where so much had happened.

Utah

There is just no substitute for visiting the real battlefields of WW2 in Europe if you have an opportunity to do so.

Links to other Small Scale Scene sites:-

Small Scale Scene Main Site

Military Modelling website

Section 2 - Normandy, Battlefields and even more models...

Small Scale Scene - The Real Battlefields