75th anniversary of D-Day

There were

Military vehicle demonstrations and rallies

In partnership with the Musée des blindés de Saumur, we welcomed several German and American tanks (Panther, Panzer 4 and an M10 Destroyer) for several days of demonstrations in front of the museum. There was also the Sherman M4A3E8 tank that took part in the filming of “Fury” with Brad Pitt.

On 4 June 2019, 40 German vehicles from the Notek Column, part of one of Europe’s largest concentrations of exceptional machines, completed their historic journey at the Normandy Victory Museum. A journey full of pitfalls and unforeseen events completed by some courageous drivers.

Une projection exclusive du film : ” La fille qui portait la liberté “

“The girl who wore freedom” tells the story of a little girl, Dany Patrix, who lived through the occupation and liberation of Normandy in Sainte-Marie du Mont. Her story is the central theme of this documentary film, which was screened exclusively in our cinema in the presence of the film crew.

A project initiated by Normandy Stories and financed with the help of numerous donors, including the Normandy Victory Museum, other emblematic museums in our region, local authorities, various associations and American funds. The project team includes Christian Taylor and Terry Jun, both directors, writers and executive producers, as well as Flo Boucherie, daughter of Dany Patrix Boucherie and producer.

Information on the website: https://thegirlwhoworefreedom.com

Concerts on the theme of Liberty

We all remember the festive refrains of the American tunes that floated over Normandy at the Liberation. To mark the 75th Dday, the A10 Canteen (partner restaurant) organized a series of concerts featuring groups such as Nashville Exile, Madeeson and Co, Les Duchess of Swing and The Mash Farrows.

Moving encounters with veterans

Below Tom Rice, the American veteran of the 101st Airborne, who came 75 years later to parachute again over the Carentan marshes. (Read a nice article about him) and honored us with a visit to the museum.

A visit from General Brian Winksi of the 101st Airborne

General of the 101st Airborne Brian Winksi and Camp Chief Bryan Barker also turned up and took part in a guided tour led by Patrick Fissot, collector and one of the museum’s founding members.

An impromptu meeting with a former US Airforce pilot, James K. Kunkle

The Normandy Victory Museum had the honor of meeting a former US Airforce pilot who flew at A10 Airfield in 1944. It wasn’t planned, as the veteran was traveling with his family. James K. Kunkle, then aged 97, had come with his family to visit the museum and tell his fascinating story. It was a moving moment for his family, other visitors and our team.

A signing session with the cast of Band of Brothers

In partnership with the WW2 Foundation, we organized a signing session with the actors from the Band of Brothers series, directed by Steven Spielsberg and Tom Hanks. Twenty of them were welcomed by an enthusiastic audience: Shane Taylor (Doc Roe), Dale Dye (Robert Sink), Rick Warden (Harry Welsh), Peter O’Meara (Norman Dike) to name but a few.

The Enigma conference hosted by Edmond Kern

The Normandy Victory Museum also organised lectures on the Enigma machine with Edmond Kern, a collector and Enigma specialist. It was also an opportunity to offer our public a lecture on the Enigma coding machine, a copy of which is on display in the museum. The talk was given by Edmond Kern, collector and eminent specialist in this machine used to decipher the strategies of the German army.

Key figures

• From 1 to 3 June 2019, the museum welcomed around 8,000 visitors, and on 4 June, the flagship day, almost 10,000 visitors attended the many events.
• 500 veterans in Normandy.
• 200 commemorative ceremonies organised between 04 and 09 June.
• 1,000 paratroopers dropped on 09 June at La Fière.
• Over a million visitors in Calvados and La Manche on 5 and 6 June 2019