British Tours
British Airborne & Sword Beach
About This Tour
The most easterly of the D-Day beaches, Sword Beach was the objective of the British 3rd Infantry Division, whose mission was to drive inland and link up with the 6th Airborne Division, which had landed by glider and parachute in the early hours of June 6th. This tour traces both operations: the extraordinary glider coup de main on Pegasus Bridge and the seaborne landings at Ouistreham. It is one of the most dramatically varied of all the D-Day stories, encompassing both elite airborne operations and conventional beach assault.
Detailed Itinerary
This tour traces two of the most celebrated British operations of D-Day, the 6th Airborne glider coup de main at Pegasus Bridge, and the seaborne assault on Sword Beach at Ouistreham.
Pegasus Bridge
In the early minutes of June 6, 1944, three Horsa gliders landed beside the bridge over the Caen Canal with extraordinary precision. The men of D Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry were the first Allied soldiers to land in France. Café Gondrée, the first house liberated in France, still stands beside the bridge today. Your guide covers the coup de main operation in full, with use of the original bridge now preserved beside its replacement.
Ranville Airborne Cemetery
The first Allied cemetery to be established in liberated France, Ranville was created on June 6, 1944. Walking among the graves of men who fell on the first day, your guide identifies individuals and explains the wider 6th Airborne operation that surrounded their actions.
Sword Beach, Ouistreham
The most easterly of the D-Day beaches, Sword was assaulted by the British 3rd Infantry Division alongside French Commandos of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins. The tour covers the Queen Red and Queen White sectors, the Ouistreham casino complex, and the Atlantic Wall fortifications that the assault had to overcome.
Hillman Strongpoint
The most formidable German defensive complex behind Sword Beach, Hillman held out for most of D-Day against the 1st Suffolk Regiment. Its concrete bunkers and command infrastructure survive largely intact, a remarkable insight into the defensive systems the assault had to penetrate.
Breville Ridge
The high ground at Breville was the critical point of the 6th Airborne bridgehead, whoever held the ridge dominated the entire eastern sector. A fierce counter-attack on June 12 tested the airborne division to breaking point, and its repulse ensured the bridgehead survived.
Tour Highlights
- Pegasus Bridge & Memorial Museum
- Sword Beach & Ouistreham
- Ranville Airborne Cemetery
- Hillman Strongpoint
- Breville Ridge
What’s Included
- Expert English/French-speaking guide
- Private vehicle
- Battlefield maps