A World War II historic guide to discover the D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy

Travel Normandy guide François Gauthron offers tours of the Normandy landing beaches, World War II battlefield. Come and discover the most famous part of Normandy where took place the Landing and the battle of Normandy in June 1944 to liberate France and Europe. You will be escorted by a qualified bilingual guide who will show you round the major sites of the beaches. Visit the highlights of World War II sites in Normandy with an expert license guide, first the most important sites of the landing beaches.

Normandy Travel

Travel in Normandy with Francois Gauthron


The Battle of Tilly-sur-Seulles

Memorial.

8-19 June

From Bayeux take D 6, stop to Jerusalem Cemetery, then continue to Tilly-sur-Seulles. From June 8 to June 19, 1944 fighting raged near that village between the 30th British Army Corps and the German Panzer Lehr Division. The British forces were able to break through on the evening of June 18 and after severe German counterattacks, Major General Fritz Bayerlein ordered a retreat. The area around Tilly-sur-Seulles had changed hands 23 times; finally on June 19 the 50th British Infantry Division was able to take and hold the area. During the fighting 76 civilians from the nearby village had been killed, one tenth of the population of Tilly-sur-Seulles.

Gebirgsiäger and German Panzer-Lehr-Division had 190 tanks at the start of the battle, of which 66 remained after the battle. In addition to the lost tanks, the Germans lost 5,500 men. Today there is a British military cemetery in Tilly-sur-Seulles, as well as a museum that gives information about the battle.

An M10 tank destroyed knocked out in the Villers-Bocage area, being examined by a junior officer from an Army (Heer) tank unit.

Jerusalem Cemetery: the smallest British Cemetery in France.  46 British soldiers and 1 Czech soldier are buried there, killed at Chouain the first day.

A Sherman of the Royal Armored Support Group on the way to Tilly-sur-Seulles on June 13.

The remains of a universal carrier blown up by a mine in Tilly-sur-Seulles, 19 June 1944. Note the massive destruction at the back.