London/Normandy 2016: Day 9

Caen Memorial Museum

  Monday was our first full day in France and in the Normandy area. While things did not go according to the
original plan, this didn't stop us from having an enjoyable and thought provoking time today. One road block that tried to dampen our spirits was the realization that due to the holiday, some transportation services were limited. As a result our short bus ride turned into a nice hike to the Caen Memorial Museum.

Total War Board Game: Strategic Bombing, US, 1942

The museum is located on the edge of the small city and is close to the Atlantic coast. Once the location of a bunker housing the headquarters the German 716th Infantry Division, the museum is broken into several sections. The first exhibition charts the descent into the Second World War following the conclusion of the Paris Peace Conference. It then develops the notion of total war as it emerged during the 1939-1945 conflict. It emphasizes the roles of societies at war and how the various belligerent states targeted civilians through aerial bombardment, forced labor, and genocidal policies, including the Holocaust. 

German and Vichy Propaganda from the Occupation

During its look at the war, it offers a strong French perspective on war, occupation and resistance, with much information about how the development of the French resistance movement in its various guises. The museum also includes looks at war in the world in the post-1945 period, as well as a detailed look at how the Normandy regions and particularly its civilians fared during the fighting of the summer of 1944. Finally, one can also visit the underground bunker that housed the 716th Infantry Division's headquarters during war.

Abbey of St. Etienne

  After we finished with the museum, the holiday presented more challenges. Since trains were few and far between, the group was given free reign for the late afternoon. Everyone looked for restaurants that satisfied their appetites and browsed the local shops for goods and Normandy souvenirs. A few visited the burial place of William the Conqueror, the Abbey of St. Etienne. We then retired to the hotel early in order to be prepared for our day-long tour of the Normandy beaches tomorrow.