Courseulles-sur-Mer

Courseulles-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.

It is a popular tourist destination not only with locals but also with international visitors who come to tour the Normandy landing beaches. The population of the town can reach 15,000 people in the summer months owing to a large number of summer homes owned for the most part by Parisians.

The town is split in two by the river Seulles. Today the port of Courseulles bustles with fishing boats and pleasure craft, coming from as far away as the Netherlands, yet in the summer of 1944, the Canadian military used it to unload upwards of 1,000 tons of material a day for the first two weeks following D-Day on 6 June 1944.

History

German forces surrendering to Canadian troops in Courseulles.

German forces surrendering to Canadian troops in Courseulles.

Canadian soldiers land on the crowded beach at Courseulles, June 1944.

Canadian soldiers land on the crowded beach at Courseulles, June 1944.