Wn18 Colleville Montgomery
Beach front bunkers and memorial statues
Wn18 site overview
What to see
The beach front complex stood at the western end of the extensive positions at nearby Ouistreham and although didn't feature as many concrete constructions, it did boast plenty of firepower.
Today you can see a single R612 casemate built for a 75mm captured French field cannon which was trained to fire to the west of this sector along the beach at Colleville- Montgomery - a town which changed it's name following the war in honour of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. Walk a few hundred yards back from the beach and you'll find a statue of 'Monty' too.
On the beach front is the statue dedicated to another remarkable man - Piper William 'Bill' Millin - a Canadian-born, Scotland raised member of No4 Commando and personal piper to Lord Lovat, the commander of the British 1st Special Service on D-Day.
The tartan kilt-wearing soldier - aged just 21 at the time - landed on Sword beach and led his compatriots into battle armed only with his pipes and a knife tucked into his sock. From Sword Beach he led the troops to Pegasus Bridge where they linked up with 6th Airborne Division of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry.
Millin survived the war, passing away in August 2010 aged 88.
The quote on the side of the statue's plinth states: “If they remember the bagpiper, then they won’t forget those who served and fell on the beaches” - Piper William ‘Bill’ Millin.