Gold Beach - Jean-Pierre Benamou

In french and english Gold was a D-day landing beach that stretched across seven kilometres of sand and dunes, which at low tide spanned almost a kilometre towards the waterline. By June 6th 1944, the German defence troops of Fortress Europe had transformed it into a series of walls and anti-tank trenches flanked by concrete fortifications protecting formidable guns. The coastal area was flooded and dotted with mines and booby-traps. The beach area extended between the cliff at Saint Cme de Fresnto the west, and the battery at Mont-Fleury to the east. The invasion beach sectors of Item, Jig, King, and Love were located between these two points, through the hamlet of Asnelles to Ver sur Mer (La Rivire). One hour after H-hour (7:30 am), British troops proceeded inland after a show of force at Mont Fleury and the Commandos' feat of arms at Port en Bessin, two shining moments for the British Army and Navy. Gold beach was stormed on June 6th 1944 by British soldiers who had fought victoriously in 1942 in the North African desert, and General Montgomery would later hail Gold Beach as the most successful of Normandy's five D-Day beaches.