Band of Brothers road trip

monzer

monzer

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In the very early stages of planning a road trip based on the travels of the men of Easy Company in the HBO show Band of Brothers.

First stop would obviously be Normandy. In episode 2 Easy Company get scattered all over the place but eventually muster enough men to take out a German battery at Brecourt. Anyone been in this area and do you know if there is any kind of memorial or information?

Episode 3 takes place around Carentan with the battle of bloody gulch, again I am hoping there is somewhere close by to park up.

Operation Market Garden next and thinking about visiting Nuenen. Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne follows that and I am pretty sure there is plenty to see there. Foy in Belgium is the setting of episode 7 and episode 8 is in Haguenau.

Looks like there is plenty to see at the Kaufering concentration camp which Easy Company liberated in episode 9.

Last episode is Hitlers Eagles nest at Berchtesgarden and I am guessing this wont be particularly motorhome friendly :LOL: Hopefully find a base close by to stop and explore.

Anyone been to any of these places and got any hints, tips or advice please. I am hoping 2 weeks will be enough
 
There was a book called "Currahee" published in 1968. I might be wrong but I think that Band of Brothers was based on this book, maybe worth looking it up.
 
Sandancers said:
There was a book called "Currahee" published in 1968. I might be wrong but I think that Band of Brothers was based on this book, maybe worth looking it up.
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Didn't know that. Pretty sure that is the name of the hill they were made to run up in training before heading to England. I'll have a look out for the book thanks.
 
Ticked a few of the normandie ones off last year after wanting to go have a look for a few years

Normandie -

Belgium

Berchtesgaden - good car park with a bus upto the bottom of the eagles nest - awesome views, and stepping into hitlers lift to go up is a tad spine chilling thinking who had been on that lift!!
 
Hi
My wife and I have done many Battlefield tours while working for a well known Battlefield Tour Company.
There is a memorial to The Band of Brothers at Brecourt.
You will not get up to Hitler's Eagle Nest. You have to park in the coach park and take a mini bus up to the top, well worth it if only for the views.
If there is anything else I can help with just let me know.
As a side line we were thinking of setting up a little tour of well known Battlefields, this would have also used well known Battlefield Guides that we have worked with and that can bring the stories to life. Then Covid happened, but you never know.
 
books wise
Beyond band of brothers - the war memoirs of Major dick winters
Easy Company Soldier: the legendary battles of a sergeant in WW11 - don malarky
Parachute infantry - based on the notes/papers of Pte David Kenyon Webster - this is the book that alledgedly inspired the band of brothers book that Steven Ambrose wrote
 
Toby28 said:
Hi
My wife and I have done many Battlefield tours while working for a well known Battlefield Tour Company.
There is a memorial to The Band of Brothers at Brecourt.
You will not get up to Hitler's Eagle Nest. You have to park in the coach park and take a mini bus up to the top, well worth it if only for the views.
If there is anything else I can help with just let me know.
As a side line we were thinking of setting up a little tour of well known Battlefields, this would have also used well known Battlefield Guides that we have worked with and that can bring the stories to life. Then Covid happened, but you never know.
Click to expand...
I am pretty sure this would prove popular, hope you get it up and going again.

My problem is I am so indecisive. I'll stare at maps and apps all day trying to decide where to go so as I like the show so much and find all the war stuff so interesting I thought I would use that as my guide.
 
BTW in Berchtesgaden...most of the homes of the leaders are not there now...flattened soon after the war
 
I hope you make the trip, it's well worth it.
Be prepared for a few tears, I don't know anyone who has not shed a tear when you delve into the stories and realise what these young boys really went through.

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bungy said:
BTW in Berchtesgaden...most of the homes of the leaders are not there now...flattened soon after the war
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I wonder if the bunker where they found thousands of bottles of wine, champagne and cognac is still there :unsure:
 
Love that series.
Had a similar trip planned for Easter, but then ...........................
 
Toby28 said:
I hope you make the trip, it's well worth it.
Be prepared for a few tears, I don't know anyone who has not shed a tear when you delve into the stories and realise what these young boys really went through.
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I'm in no rush and am prepared to go anytime of year. Got plenty of work at the moment so just a case of saving up some funds.

Going to wait a while till we know exactly what Covid is doing also.
 
you may find this interesting

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Toby28 said:
Hi
My wife and I have done many Battlefield tours while working for a well known Battlefield Tour Company.
There is a memorial to The Band of Brothers at Brecourt.
You will not get up to Hitler's Eagle Nest. You have to park in the coach park and take a mini bus up to the top, well worth it if only for the views.
If there is anything else I can help with just let me know.
As a side line we were thinking of setting up a little tour of well known Battlefields, this would have also used well known Battlefield Guides that we have worked with and that can bring the stories to life. Then Covid happened, but you never know.
Click to expand...
If you should set up a little tour, I would certainly be interested.(y)
 
Toby28 said:
Hi
My wife and I have done many Battlefield tours while working for a well known Battlefield Tour Company.
There is a memorial to The Band of Brothers at Brecourt.
You will not get up to Hitler's Eagle Nest. You have to park in the coach park and take a mini bus up to the top, well worth it if only for the views.
If there is anything else I can help with just let me know.
As a side line we were thinking of setting up a little tour of well known Battlefields, this would have also used well known Battlefield Guides that we have worked with and that can bring the stories to life. Then Covid happened, but you never know.
Click to expand...
I would be interested as well. Good luck.
 
I am sooo envious! - this is my favourite historical event - favourite being that I'm interested in before anyone jumps on me!
Questions for you:
Are you planning on doing it all in the one trip or splitting?
It maybe worth your while to sail into say Cherbourg or port that side and work your way east. Otherwise you're going to double back on yourself if you go in & out of say Calais.

I've visited most of the Normandy sites, but I did not go specifically based on the Band of Brothers route.
I would suggest that you widen your search a little bit more and buy a pocket guide book called D Day by Major & Mrs Holt - approx. £8 on ebay.
It gives you itineraries with maps, focal points and history about each point.
Some places that may be of interest are below for you to consider which include Bayeux, Port en Bessin, Omaha, Utah, St Mere Eglise, Arromanches, Douvres radar, Juno, Sword, Gold, Ouistreham, Ranville, Pegasus Bridge, Merville & Longues sur Mer.
With regards to Bastogne - I stopped off there last year enroute to Italy.
There's plenty to see in town and theres a good Airborne museum in town. Just out of town is the Bastogne museum which is next to the US Memorial. I went to look around the memorial but ran out of time for that museum - it's meant to be very good.
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Cracking photos GAVLAD cheers for adding them. I do envisage spending more time in Normandy, going off the B of B theme momentarily, simply as there is so much to see there. After Normandy I would try and stick to the route. Like I say early days and not tied in to any specific date.

I would be doing it in one continuous trip but as for the specific route, I am nowhere near confirming it yet. I am aware that liberating mainland Europe would not have been easy and they may have been forced to go in a rather unnatural direction at the time.
 
Now I'm going to have to go and watch the series again.

Normandy is definitely on my wish list for a motorhome tour, when I pluck up the courage to drive my MH on the wrong side of the road.
 
Kannon Fodda said:
Now I'm going to have to go and watch the series again.

Normandy is definitely on my wish list for a motorhome tour, when I pluck up the courage to drive my MH on the wrong side of the road.
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Ask a hundred people on here (including me) how it is getting used to driving on the other side of the road and you'll get a hundred answers saying it takes about 3 minutes to get used to it :)
 
Sounds a great trip but be aware that a certain amount of poetic licence and TV /Film romance was used for the series but don't let that detract from the events that happened
 
Kannon Fodda said:
Now I'm going to have to go and watch the series again.

Normandy is definitely on my wish list for a motorhome tour, when I pluck up the courage to drive my MH on the wrong side of the road.
Click to expand...
i actually find it easier for some weird reason, and the steering wheels on the proper side as well...the right that is
 
AC/DC said:
Sounds a great trip but be aware that a certain amount of poetic licence and TV /Film romance was used for the series but don't let that detract from the events that happened
Click to expand...
Yes, see post #15. Particularly harsh on Lieutenant Dike who the show made out to be a bumbling coward. Seems they were well off the mark.

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AC/DC said:
Sounds a great trip but be aware that a certain amount of poetic licence and TV /Film romance was used for the series but don't let that detract from the events that happened
Click to expand...
theres a number of accounts from the vets themselves that says its was mainly bang on but taken in the context of a particular action some of the individuals true stories are a bit skewed.
 
There’s a memorial here ( Lat 50.0288636, Long 5.7565020), near to Foy, a few miles from Bastogne. Visited it in 2009 during a motorcycle tour. Foxholes can still be found in the woods.

An interesting area to visit.
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All thats left at Berchtesgaden is foundations of Hitlers Berghof home, The Kehlstein haus that is accessed by the lift , a park bench , that is in same location that the one Hitler used on way to tea house , and the Hotel that was used as SS barracks , and Albert Speers house.
 
We went to Berchesgaden last year. We stayed overnight in the rough carpark a little away from the main carparks but still within walking distance of the bus station for the coaches up.
I have put details on the write up of our trip to Germany which you can find here,
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

2 Trips around Southern Germany 2019

Unfortunately it said that the PDF file was too large to upload so I have put a dropbox link. Annie
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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