NORMANDIA-OUISTREHAM

Ouistreham (French pronunciation: ​[wistʁe.am]) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandie region in northwestern France.

Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la Mer.

The name Ouistreham derives from ouistre - 'oyster' and Saxon ham= 'village'. It has been a trading port since the Middle Ages. The harbour is now a part of "Port de Caen-Ouistreham". Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been a bathing beach on the "Riva Bella".

On 6 June 1944, No. 4 Commando landed at Ouistreham (codenamed Sword) and fought their way to Pegasus Bridge, with the 177 Free French of the No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando given the honour of spearheading the advance.^[2] The assault on Ouistreham was featured in the movie The Longest Day, although the film location for Ouistreham was at the nearby village of Port-en-Bessin.

La flamme memorial.

The Kieffer Monument is in tribute to the commandos who landed on June 6th 1944 and was opened on June 6th 1984 by Francois Mitterrand the French President and Andre LEDTAN Mayor of Ouistreham.

The memorial "La Flamme" is large metal flame housed on top of a German bunker. The pathway leading to the memorial is lined with stones with the names of the French commando's who were killed on June 6th, 1944.

There is also a statue of Brigadier Lord Lovat who ordered his personal piper Bill Millin to play Highland Laddie as he led British Commandos ashore on D-Day as portrayed in the film The Longest Day.

A plaque on the "La Flamme" reads:

In tribute to commandos unloaded June 6, 1944
Opened June 6th 1984 by Francois Mitterrand,
President of the French Republic
and Andre LEDTAN Mayor of Ouistreham.

This Memorial is the work of Yvonne GUEGAN
and realized by the company TAILLEFER

FUENTE WIKIPEDIA.