TRAVEL THE WORLD - NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE

In 1999 we visited Normandy and saw the beaches where the allies landed on D Day in 1944. In the first two photos are war memorials. The third shows Juno beach and the fourth Omaha Beach.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POINTE DU HOC, FRANCE

In 1999 we toured the area in Normandy where the D Day landings were made in World War II. It was interesting and very moving. In the first photo you can see one of the German gun emplacements that were situated on the cliffs overlooking the coast. The second photo was taken at Pointe du Hoc where American airborne forces scaled the cliff under heavy fire and were able to gain a foothold in spite of heavy German defenses.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ASNELLES, NORMANDY, FRANCE

These Mulberry harbours, photographed in Asnelles, Normandy in 1999 are temporary prefabricated harbours that were used to offload cargo on the beaches of Normandy. They were taken across the English Channel from Britain in sections and assembled off the coast as part of the D-Day invasion in 1944.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - POINTE DU HOC, FRANCE

Pointe du Hoc, photographed in 1997, is 4 miles from Omaha Beach and, when the D-Day invasion occurred, was a strongly fortified position on top of a steep cliff. The US Army Ranger Assault Group were assigned the job of taking out the German guns, which they accomplished successfully though with big losses. I was amazed at how large the shell craters are. The area has been left just as it was following D-Day.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - OMAHA BEACH, NORMANDY, FRANCE

In 1999, we went to Omaha Beach early in the morning and were the only people there. It was easy to imagine soldiers landing and fighting to establish a bridgehead. We found the experience very moving. What impressed me most was how very narrow the beach is before the ground rises up to form quite a high hill, and consequently how difficult it must have been for the armies to gain a foothold.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - VALETTA, MALTA

The island of Malta has a long military history because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean. Valetta, the capital city, is heavily fortified, the walls having been upgraded by the Knights of Malta beginning in 1533. In 2000, while standing on the walls with a wonderful view of the city before us, we listened to a very interesting presentation by a local history teacher that brought the history of Malta to life. The military museum is also well worth a visit. It covers in detail the critical role the island played in Britain's war effort during the Second World War and the suffering caused by Nazi bombing. In 1942 the people of Malta received Britain's highest military award for civilians, the George Cross.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NORMANDY, FRANCE

This war cemetary at Beny-sur-Mer near Caen in Normandy is where Canada's World War Two war dead have been honoured. When we visited here in 1997, it made us sad to see how many graves there were and to think that each one represented the end of a young life.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LIEGE, BELGIUM

In 2008, my cousins who live near Liege took us here. The crosses are to commemorate members of the Belgian resistance who were killed in Word War Two. The lateness of the day with night approaching made for a very sombre occasion. Each cross bore the name of a person who had been put to death here during the German occupation. Five of these had on them my family name, Darimont. We also saw the brick wall where members of the resistance were shot. Seeing such things brings home the reality of these events as nothing else can.