Footsteps of WWII · Normandy
Sword Beach and the Grand Bunker, Ouistreham
Bunker · 6–9 Jun 1944
The story
Sword was the easternmost beach, assaulted on 6 June by the British 3rd Infantry Division and No. 1 Special Service Brigade, including Commandant Philippe Kieffer's French commandos, who fought through Ouistreham. The 17-metre concrete tower behind the seafront was the fire-control post for the coastal batteries guarding the Orne estuary. Commandos bypassed it after being driven back on D-Day. On 9 June Lieutenant Bob Orrell of the Royal Engineers and three men blew in its armoured door, which took about four hours. Two officers and about fifty men surrendered to them.
What to look for
The five-storey tower is restored as it was in June 1944: machine-room, dormitory, radio room and the rangefinder at the top, with views over the estuary. Sword Beach and the Kieffer commando memorial are a short walk away.
Plan your visit
Private museum with an entry fee. Opening hours and prices were not available online when checked; phone +33 2 31 97 28 69. Check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Merville Battery · 4 km
- Pegasus Bridge and Memorial Pegasus · 5 km
- Caen Memorial (Mémorial de Caen) · 14 km
- Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer · 16 km
- Hill 112, Esquay-Notre-Dame · 24 km
- Arromanches: Mulberry harbour and D-Day Museum · 27 km
All 160 sites in Footsteps of WWII →
Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
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