WW2 memorials in Normandy

Walk along the Normandy coastline and around the towns and villages scattered alongside it and you will find a number of monuments, plaques and sculptures dedicated to remembering those who fought in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Many towns and cities throughout the region, as well as across France also have their own memorials to the fallen and the victorious.

The memorials across Normandy vary in type and size with some dedicated to regiments or units such as the Maison de Queen's Own Rifles or the Pointe du Hoc Memorial to the US Rangers, whilst others commemorate the actions of entire armed forces such as the Souvenir Gardens at the Memorial de Caen. Others, like the Bayeux Memorial, list the names of those killed in action who have no known grave.

Places to honour, respect and remember

Visit these memorials to remember those who fought and died, whether you are honouring a family member or are just interested in the history, and to commemorate the actions of the Allied forces in liberating France in 1944.

British Normandy Memorial

The British Normandy Memorial, situated just outside Ver-Sur-Mer, commemorates the soldiers who died under British command during the D-Day landings in World War II. Unveiled on June 6, 2021, the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the site overlooks Gold beach at Arromanches.

The memorial commemorates over 22,400 people from more than 30 countries who were killed fighting for Britain in the Battle of Normandy between June 6 and August 31, 1944. A separate memorial is dedicated to the many French civilians who died during this time.

Address: 13 Av. Paul Poret, 14114 Ver-sur-Mer, France

Bayeux Memorial

Standing opposite the British War Cemetery, the Bayeux Memorial is inscribed with the names of over 1,800 men who lost their lives in the early stages of the Normandy Campaign. All soldiers of the Commonwealth land forces, those whose names are featured here have no known grave and were killed during the D-Day Landings, the fierce fighting in the weeks that followed, and the advance to the River Seine in August 1944.

Memorial de Caen souvenir gardens

The souvenir gardens at the Memorial de Caen began when the Israeli president planted one tree here to symbolise life in 1988. Since then, the park has been creating different gardens and commemorative sites in memory of those who fought in the Battle of Normandy. The American Garden has a peaceful fountain at its centre and plaques dedicated to all 50 states, whilst the Canadian Garden was designed by 12 architecture students from Canada. The British Garden was inaugurated in 2004 by Prince Charles and each of the different armed forces are represented in the various sculptures and memorials in the garden. A peaceful place of reflection and contemplation.

Maison du Queen's own rifles

One of the most famous places in the D-Day Landings, featuring in many of the photographs and newsreels from the landings, the Maison du Queen's Own Rifles is commonly considered to be the first house liberated by the Allies on 6 June 1944. Located in Bernieres-sur-Mer at Juno Beach, the house was liberated by the Queen's Own Rifles regiment who led the infantry assault and took the worst casualties of all the Canadian regiments on D-Day. Today, a plaque on the side of the house remembers the men of the Queen's Own Rifles who gave the ultimate sacrifice and commemorates their involvement in the liberation of France.

Pointe du Hoc Ranger Memorial

Standing right at the tip of this rugged clifftop, the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Memorial was originally erected by the French in honour of the American Second Ranger Battalion who scaled the 100ft cliff to seize German artillery capable of firing on both Utah and Omaha beaches. Their mission succeeded but at a great cost with many lives lost. The simple granite monument is flanked by 2 tablets bearing an inscription to honour the Rangers who captured the Pointe du Hoc.

Montmortel Memorial

The Montmortel Memorial commemorates the Battle of the Falaise Pocket, a period of intense fighting that raged in the area around Falaise during the Battle of Normandy. Raised in honour of the Polish soldiers who fell here, the memorial features the divisional badges of the French, American, Canadian and Polish units that fought in the battle.

The site is also home to a museum about the Falaise Pocket and has a panoramic viewing room where you can observe the pretty green fields below that were a bloody battlefield during August 1944. Your visit to the museum ends with a well-researched documentary film.

Memorial de Bruneval

On the night of February 27th - 28th 1942, 120 British soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment were dropped over the Cap d'Antifer to carry out an assault on a radar station. Operation Biting - the first airborne operation carried out by the Allies in occupied France - was a success. A new memorial, inaugurated in 2012 in the commune of Saint-Jouin-Bruneval, pays tribute to these heroes.