Hillman - Suffolk Regiment

Widerstandnest 17 (WN17) was codenamed Hillman by the British and was headquarters to the German 736th Regiment, who had 150 men and officers stationed there. It was a fortified site with 18 underground concrete bunkers linked by a series of tunnels and trenches surrounded by Tobruk machine gun pits, barbed wire and minefields.

The site is located 2.3 miles inland from Sword Beach next to the village of Colleville-Montgomery and was constructed by the Germans from 1942. It was the control centre for the German defences in the area commanding a panoramic view over sword beach. Although the site did not have any artillery of its own it controlled the firing of the artillery at Widerstandnest 16 (WN16) codenamed Morris which is located 800 meters closer to the coast.

The main bunker is four meters underground and had an armoured observation cupola and housed the command headquarters, signal centre, mess rooms and sleeping quarters.

The site is open to the public all year round and free guided tours are provided by members of the association every Tuesday from the 1st July to 30th September at 3pm. The tours last approximately 2 hours.

Guided tours for groups are available all year round on request

Opening Times

While the access to the site and some of the bunkers is possible all year round the museum and tours have limited opening times.

Memorial and museum1st July to 30th August Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 12:00, 14:30 to 18:30

Free guided toursFrom July 1st to September 30th Every Tuesday at 15:00

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Listing: Hillman - Suffolk Regiment

Location

Rue du Suffolk Regiment
14880Colleville Montgomery
Calvados
France
Longitude:-0.30954838
Latitude:49.26483611
Parking: Free car and coach parking

Nearby

Morris Battery

Morris Battery

0.53 miles away

Morris Battery known by the Germans as WN16 consisted of four 105mm Czechs Howitzers and was controlled by Hillman - Suffolk Regiment (WN17) 800m to the south.

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The Royal Norfolk Regiment Memorial

The Royal Norfolk Regiment Memorial

0.74 miles away

A memorial to the 116 men of The Royal Norfolk Regiment Memorial who died on D-Day 6th June to 9th July 1944.

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Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay memorial to the First Special Service Brigade & 6th Airlanding Brigade

Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay memorial to the First Special Service Brigade & 6th Airlanding Brigade

1.05 miles away

A memorial to the First Special Service Brigade and liberation of Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay as well as the 6th Airlanding Brigade Operation Mallard and the civilian victims of Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay

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