9. Sword Beach – German Command bunker Ouistreham
Sword Beach is popularly known as one of the code names used during the Allied invasion of Normandy. The operation which was carried out by the British 3rd Infantry Division, under the leadership of Major General Tom Rennie, was the most far-reaching objectives of D-Day. The British 3rd Infantry Division were to link up with the British 6th Airborne Division on their left flank and the Canadians on their right to capture the town of Caen which was situated ten miles south of the landing beaches.
While landing on the Sword Beach on the 6th of June, the 3rd Division were determined to take control of the tower but met resistance from the Germans at the bunker throwing heavy machine gun fire and grenades at them. While Lieutenant Bob Orrell of the Royal Engineers together with other groups managed to seize the bunker on 9th June, it still remained a permanent threat during the days that followed.
After some restoration work in 1987, the tower became a museum and was dedicated to the Atlantic Wall. The four-story-building contains mannequins in uniforms of the garrison with original equipment. The generator room, radio communication room, gas filter chambers, and the machine gun emplacements have been fully restored to make them look how they were on the D-Day.