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Highlights
- Real-time experience streamed live from the quaint town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise
- Visit the Church of Sainte-Mère-Église with its unique stained-glass windows
- Interesting stories and anecdotes about the first town in Europe to be liberated on D-Day
Description
The town of Sainte-Mère-Eglise in the Cotentin area of Normandy is known for having been among one of the first towns to be liberated in 1944. Located just a few kilometres from Utah Beach, German troops lost control over this landing beach when American soldiers parachuted into town the day before D-day. On this interactive Online Experience streamed live from Sainte-Mère-Eglise, you will get to learn about the fascinating events that took place at this historic location on D-day.
During the operation, US paratrooper John Steele's parachute had got caught on the steeple of the Church of Sainte-Mère-Église and he hung there, feigning death. Today an effigy of him, complete with a parachute, stays on location to remind us of past events. We will begin our tour at this location and learn more about the story of John Steele and some of his comrades. You will see the unique stained-glass windows at the church which memorialise the sacrifices of the paratroopers. Located near the Church is also the Airborne Museum, which offers an exhibition dedicated to the Landing of the 82nd American airborne division.
We will continue our tour and move on to some other memorials in town which will give you a bigger picture of the paratrooper actions in the area. You will visit the Rue Robert Murphy dedicated to a pathfinder from the war, see the Renaud Monument, and also witness the site of a farmhouse that caught fire during the action.
While taking you along the sites as they exist in the present, I will take you back in time with images and other clips that allow you to gauge the historic events you learn about more closely.
About this experience
Instructions
- Please have a good internet connection and Zoom app installed on your phone or laptop
- The instructions to join the meeting will be sent via email shortly after the booking
Know before you go
- Please sign in to the Zoom app five minutes before the beginning of the experience
- This tour involves travelling to various places, and the internet connection may sometimes be weak. However, we will attempt to minimize such disruptions (only for outdoor tours)
- You can book this tour for 75 EUR for a group of 3 screens or as a private session for 125 EUR for up to 10 screens joining this activity with you from all over the world. You will see the option to book this experience as a private tour on the checkout page if it is available for that time slot
- Since these are live tours, they may be subject to last minute cancellation due to inclement weather, Internet disruptions or other unforeseen circumstances.
Meet your Host
tourHQ Experiences
Though Jonathan Crowe has been working as a guide for the last 7 years, he has been interested in history all his life. He is proud to be a qualified Guide Conférencier de France and a Certified Interpretative Guide with the US National Association for Interpretation. It's a real pleasure to share stories of Normandy, France - the D-Day Landings, Vikings, Norman, and Medieval history. What he loves about his job is connecting with new people every day who share his passion for history.
Pierre-Samuel Natanson was born in 1987 in Cherbourg, Normandy. He grew up here, nurtured by the stories of Europe from my grandparents. As a child, he used to visit the sites of the battle of Normandy and grew a passion for WWII history. He went on to study military history at King’s College London and Caen University.
He started leading tours for the Caen Memorial Museum in 2012. During these fruitful years, he completed his knowledge of both the history and the geography of Normandy. This allows him to offer a rich, enlightening and friendly experience of one of the hardest battles ever fought in human history.
He became an independent guide in 2017 after several years of guiding on the Normandy battlefields. This allows him to offer a unique experience of Normandy. He offers tailor-made private tours of the battle of Normandy sites for guests. He seeks to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a deep insight into these formidable events. His objective is to share years of accumulated knowledge, experiences and stories with you.
From USD 82 / Group
Important Information
- Fully refundable in case of any cancellation upto 2 days before the tour.