October, 2024.

Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy.

A short distance from the American Cemetery in Normandy, the Overlord Museum explores the story of D-Day in dioramas featuring equipment from the era and dioramas that realistically display the events featured.

The opening photo depicts two soldiers standing beside their truck, camouflaged for wartime operations. The road sign reading “FALAISE” anchors the exhibit to Falaise, in the Calvados region of France. The Battle of Falaise Pocket led to the destruction of most of the German forces west of the Seine River, effectively breaking their resistance in Normandy and opening the path to Paris.

To tell the stories, the museum places life-sized mannequins that depict soldiers outfitted in authentic military uniforms, complete with helmets, backpacks, and weapons. This exhibit depicts soldiers landing on Omaha Beach. A tank is positioned on the left to reference the machinery pivotal to the invasion.

Placards throughout the displays point out specifics of the equipment used in the invasion. This placard is at the edge of the display in the previous photograph.

Soldiers advance across Omaha Beach, escorted by a Sherman tank as the battle rages on the beach.

This diorama depicts an amphibious landing. Approximately 1,000 DUKWs (duck boats) were deployed during the D-Day landings, including at Omaha Beach. These amphibious vehicles were crucial in transporting troops, supplies, and equipment from ships to shore under challenging conditions.

The diorama portrays soldiers preparing for deployment. Deployment supplies for D-Day in addition to equipment needed to prosecute the mission, included personal gear, uniforms, helmets, boots, backpacks, and individual weapons like rifles, sidearms, and ammunition. Food and water rations and MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) were also provided to sustain troops. Medical Supplies included first aid kits, bandages, medicines, stretchers, and field surgical equipment for immediate care.

This diorama depicts field coordination. The sign references that the roads and road shoulders have been cleared of hazards for the passing soldiers.

Many of the dioramas included German soldiers as well as allied troops. The uniforms, complete with insignias and equipment, indicate the Wehrmacht. The German army commonly used the horse and wagon for transportation and logistics during the war.

As their distinctive red berets suggest, the soldiers in this image are part of the British Army’s airborne forces. This includes paratroopers, likely from the 6th Airborne Division, which played a significant role in the Normandy invasion. Their attire and interaction with civilians reflect a peaceful moment following the liberation.

Our visit to the Overlord Museum was a journey through the events of D-Day and beyond. The immersive dioramas, authentic artifacts, and detailed placards told the story in a stroll through the museum that lasted, for us, about thirty minutes. We could have spent more time in the museum, but the bus ride back to the ship was long, and it was time to leave Normandy. I would have loved to spend an hour or two studying the displays. I included only a few of the many dioramas in this post. Be sure to check their website here for open hours, as they are seasonal. As of this writing, the admission is less than 10 euros.

A note about photography: The displays are in dark environments. I gave my Z7 II Nikon a workout in high ISO photography. I used a higher f-stop to ensure deeper focus, necessitating ISOs between 3600 and 10,000. My camera was set to auto-ISO, and I controlled shutter speed and aperture to determine depth of field. My usual top limit for ISO is 6400. I raised the top limit to 10,000 before I started taking photos, and I’m glad I did. I used Adobe Lightroom’s noise reduction in the Details section. Be sure to shoot in RAW format rather than JPG to take advantage of Lightroom Classic’s powerful Denoise tool. My Flickr gallery features these images in 2K HD. You can see the specifics of the metadata for each image on my Flickr site here.

From the soldiers’ bravery to the logistical triumphs that defined the Normandy invasion, the museum offers a profound appreciation for the sacrifices and strategies that shaped history. It’s a moving tribute to the past, leaving visitors with a deeper connection to the stories of courage and resilience in trying times.

John Steiner