Walk in the Footsteps of Heroes

With your specialist battlefield guide you’ll be taken on a truly emotive journey of discovery, insight and understanding of the circumstances surrounding the immense sacrifices made for the sake of future generations.

"Walking tours not only give us the opportunity to visit battlefield locations well off the beaten track that are hard to reach by vehicle, they also allow us more time on the ground to focus in greater detail on the events that took place there. You also get two guides on a walking tour, which means twice the chat, and twice the knowledge." - Paul Reed, Leger’s Chief Battlefield Guide

The popularity of our walking tours has increased over years so we have a NEW tour for 2011 - 5-day ‘Walking the D-Day Beaches of Normandy’ from only £349. It concentrates on the events of D-Day on 6th June 1944 and has been designed by Paul Reed (Leger’s Chief Battlefield Guide), based around some of the walks in his forthcoming ‘Walking D-Day’ book. Paul says, "Walking the ground, just as the soldiers did, means we can truly appreciate how terrain could affect battles, and that will certainly be true on the new D-Day walks where we will get to see some of the tough objectives facing our troops on the crucial day."

Paul believes our new walking tour is sure to be a hit because of the great places visited. "We’ll see a German bunker complex attacked by infantry and flame-thrower tanks, which doesn't feature in any other tour itinerary! The bunkers are in amazing condition and the ground has hardly changed since 1944. We’ll also be following some newly opened routes in the area where the US Paras fought on D-Day, near St Mere Eglise, seeing an isolated orchard where a group of them held out surrounded for four days."

The Walks

• Walk One: The first walk starts on Sword Beach where the men of the 3rd Division landed on D-Day. We see the remaining German defences, and where the 1st South Lancashires and 2nd East Yorks came ashore. Next we follow the route inland to Hermanville War Cemetery, and the Hermanville well, where for many weeks the entire water supply for British forces were drawn from, and then we walk out to the Hillman Bunker complex, captured by the Suffolk Regiment.
• Walk Two: In the afternoon the walk begins on Juno Beach at Bernieres-sur-Mer, seeing the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada house, and then following the Canadian assault inland to Tailleville, where Canadian soldiers fought hand to hand among a huge German bunker complex built into the houses of the hamlet and chateau. We end with a visit to the Canadian War Cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer
• Walk Three: We start at the huge American War Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, the bloodiest battlefield on D-Day, and walk down to the area where the 1st US Infantry Division – The Big Red One – came ashore seeing the German bunkers and memorials, before walking their beachhead. The walk then takes us to Les Moulins, seeing the area where the men of the 29th Division landed with appalling losses, and finishes at the ground around the Vierville Draw, immortalised in ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
• Walk Four: After lunch we travel to St Mere Eglise and look at US Paratroop operations. We start at the impressive Iron Mike Memorial at la Fiere, where US Airborne troops held out against infantry and tank attack, and walk across the marshland to Cauquigny seeing the chapel. Then on to ‘Timmes Orchard’ where Airborne troops held out for four days until relieved, ending with the story of the fighting for the key village of Amfreville.
• Walk Five: We start on the right flank of Gold Beach at Asnelles, seeing where the 1st Hampshires landed suffering some of the highest British casualties on D-Day, and follow the landing beaches where the Devons and Dorsets came ashore and then follow the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) in their advance on Crepon. We look at the story of the only D-Day VC Stan Hollis, and see the bunkers near Ver sur Mer captured by the Green Howards and flame-thrower tanks. The walk ends with a visit to the Green Howards Memorial in Crepon village. Lunchtime is spent in Arromanches and in the afternoon join us on an optional visit to Pegasus Bridge, scene of the glider landing of 2nd Oxs & Bucks, seeing the bridge, the Gondree Café and visiting the Pegasus Memorial Museum.

Paul Reed has taken many Leger customers on walking tours and believes combinging the popular hobby of walking with military history is what attracts so many.

Each walk takes a leisurely three to four hours, with plenty of stops to view the Battlefields, discuss the history and visit cemeteries and memorials on the way. Sturdy footwear is recommended, as it waterproof clothing.