Classic Jeeps takes a look at the Normandy beaches 73rd D-Day anniversary. This years D-Day anniversary took place amid a very tight security screen, some of the tourists stayed away, giving the appearance of it being a quiet affair, but with the veterans, enthusiasts and WW2 vehicles it was business as usual. Events were taking place up and down the Normandy coast, all were well attended by re-enactors and WW2 military vehicles.The weather this year was a bit changeable but dry most of the time, this however was not the case on the 6th. Through out the day it switched from heavy rain to sun shine, but luckily it was dry when it needed to be. It was touch and go in Arromanches whether the veterans march would go ahead at 4.00pm, but the weather held.

We were visiting the Longues-Sur-Mer gun battery when we came across a gathering of Jeeps, this was a first time event called ‘The Jeep Picnic’. Organised by a German Jeep enthusiast, it attracted a good number of Jeeps. While we were there we met Bob Conway who was a Jeep driver in WW2. Bob said ‘I drove a Jeep off the Mulberry at Arromanches and all the way to Berlin’ he added ‘every where in between as well’.

At Arromanches this year things seemed to have changed, there was a marked increase in the amount of British uniforms and British marked vehicles, it was nice see Jeeps and other WW2 military vehicles marked with the double TT of the 50th Division and other British units.

Normandy beaches 73rd D-Day anniversary