WWII cemeteries in northern France: freedom to reflect

Gallipoli, Villers-Bretonneux, Fromelles, Kokoda, Normandy. We don’t visit them for their iconic structures, their spectacular cathedrals or their beaches. We visit them to learn from history and honour those who died making it.

Thousands of Australians will flock to Gallipoli next year to mark the 100th anniversary of Anzac commemorations. But another important milestone will be reached in Normandy next month when the world marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the north-west coast of France. Queen Elizabeth, Barack Obama and Tony Abbott will be among those attending commemorative services.

I’m staying in Bayeux, the first town liberated from the Nazis after the D-Day landings. It’s an easy two-hour train ride from Paris, about 20 kilometres from the Normandy beaches and, making a visit even more worthwhile, about an hour’s drive from the magnificent Mont St Michel.

There’s a clock outside the Bayeux tourist centre, counting down the days until the 70th anniversary. From every corner of this gorgeous town, the 1000-year-old medieval spires of the monolithic Bayeux Cathedral pierce a cloudy autumn sky.

Around the corner is Bayeux’s other famous attraction, the Bayeux Tapestry. Housed in a dimly lit museum, the 70-metre-long tapestry records the rise of William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy, on his path to becoming King of England.

The streets and their cafes are filled with tourists, mostly American and British, muttering away in the hushed tones that seem to separate the world’s traditional noisy tourist strips from those who accommodate those on somewhat of a pilgrimage. While the Americans favour Bayeux, British travellers prefer the nearby Caen, which formed the British quarter during World War II.

On June 6, 1944, about 155,000 Allied troops landed on five spectacular Normandy beaches. British, American and Canadian troops led the way. About 3000 Australians also participated in operations before, during and after D-Day.

Our tour started in Pointe de Hoc, the breathtaking headland above Omaha Beach. It is dotted with huge bomb craters and abandoned German bunkers. Rolls of razor wire stretch along the clifftop.

Below, death unmistakably lingers in the sand. It is thought that more than 3000 American troops died on this beach alone, although a real figure has never been determined.

Omaha formed the backdrop for the film Saving Private Ryan. The Oscar-winning war epic, remembered for its horrifically graphic opening scenes, tracks the daring rescue of an American soldier who was thought to be the last of four brothers left alive by the war.

While the film was applauded for its graphic recreation of the horrors that came with the D-Day landings, it was only loosely based on the plight of the real-life Niland brothers.

Three of four Niland brothers took part in the D-Day landings. Fritz Niland was brought home from the front line when it was thought his three brothers had been killed in action, two in Normandy and one abroad. It later emerged that only two of the brothers had died in Normandy while the third was found in a prisoner of war camp.

Two of the Niland brothers rest beside each other in the huge American war cemetery at nearby Colleville-sur-Mer.

French and American flags still fly above the war memorials on nearby Utah Beach. The British troops landed on the codenamed Gold and Sword beaches while the Canadian efforts landed between them at Juno Beach. Gold Beach (or Arromanches) still features the war- and ocean-scarred remains of the British man-made Mulberry harbours.

The full number of D-Day casualties is still debated, but the Allied forces lost at least 10,000 men that day. German losses are estimated at between 4000 and 10,000.

Many of those killed are laid to rest in the war cemeteries around Bayeux and Colleville-sur-Mer. By far the biggest and most haunting is the immaculately tended American Cemetery and Memorial where 9387 white marble crosses mark the graves of American troops, including 45 sets of brothers and the nephew of former American president Teddy Roosevelt. It has featured in countless American films and attracts more than a million visitors each year.

The Allied war cemetery contains the graves of a dozen Australians, alongside thousands of British and Canadians. There are six German military cemeteries in the region, including the eerily spectacular La Cambe where more than 21,000 German troops rest.

It’s a stunning history lesson. It was here that the German occupation of Europe began to fall. A day when the free world pushed back and regained its freedom. A day and a place where good men died for a world where weary travellers would be free to roam.

TO the south of Bayeux is a pilgrimage of a different kind.

The magnificent Mont St Michel rises from the sea like a fairytale castle. The 1000-year-old French monastery is as fascinating as it is picture perfect, but it is crowded and occasionally difficult to reach.

Conditions in the surrounding bay can change quickly, making access across the sands a dangerous exercise if you’re not in the company of a guide. Some tours, though, can take you to the gate, while most will take you to nearby car parks leaving visitors to make the final kilometre by foot along a new bridge and roadway being constructed by the French government. It’s not such a bad option given that, from a distance, the island monastery can be seen and experienced as intended by the Benedictine monks who built it – a spiritual refuge, withdrawn from the mainland and rising from the sand like a sentinel for weary pilgrims.

More than 3 million people visit Mont St Michel each year, making it the most visited destination in regional France.

From the famed Bavole Gate built in 1509, a single narrow street weaves its way through a mix of cafes and souvenir shops. The climb becomes quite steep as it leaves the tourist strip behind and meets the historic town hall and museums.

Climbing the massive stone staircases becomes more challenging as you near the hilltop abbey. Only one in three visitors to Mont St Michel make it all the way to the top of the monastery, which is a shame because the views are spectacular and the abbey itself leaves the most rusted-on atheist struggling with their convictions.

Perhaps we’re always pilgrims when we travel. Sometimes it’s just about paying homage to the sacred things that make the world such a fascinating place. Sometimes it’s just about honouring those who made it that way.

Note: It is not worth travelling to Bayeux and Normandy from Paris on a day trip. At least two or three days are required to really digest all that this remarkable region offers. RailEurope runs five first-class services daily between Paris and Bayeux (and Caen) for about $24. Tours to the Normandy beaches and Mont St Michel can be booked at tourist offices on arrival, but it is advisable to book ahead. Prices will vary.