Discover Villons-Les-Buissons: Church and D-Day memorial sites

Villons-Les-Buissons can be explored through a range of themes: a partly protected church, memorial sites connected with the history of the Second World War, and rural paths outside the built-up area. These landmarks highlight different aspects—from church heritage to Norwegian and Canadian remembrance, and the former B-16 airfield. If you are considering this destination for a hotel stay, these themes can help you decide what interests you during your trip.

Church and named memorial sites

The Église is located in the hamlet of Les Buissons and is partly protected as a historic monument. The choir and bell tower were listed as historic monuments by decree on 12 April 1927. The specific architectural features and the date of protection provide a clear point of reference for the church’s history. Place Helland also commemorates a specific person: the square is named after Lieutenant Johannes Helland, described as the first Norwegian pilot to land in France after the Allied invasion. Church heritage and the memory of wartime events thus sit alongside each other without sharing the same historical focus.

Two monuments, different locations

The monument to the Norwegian fighters of the Second World War stands east of the village at the intersection of the D79. A plaque on the monument bears the names of 52 Norwegian soldiers killed during the Normandy landings. The plaque was added in June 2019. The monument to the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade is a separate site: it stands beside the D220 at the southern edge of the village and commemorates the brigade’s battles in Villons-les-Buissons. The D79 and D220 identify two different locations and help distinguish the memorial sites when finding your way around. They also relate to different military contexts: the Norwegian fighters on the one hand and the Canadian brigade’s battles on the other.

The B-16 airfield in its historical context

A stele commemorates the B-16 advanced airfield in Villons-les-Buissons and displays a plan of the airfield. None of the original structural traces remain today. This memorial thus brings together a plan of the former airfield and a note that its structural traces no longer survive. Its historical context includes the fact that Supermarine Spitfires of the Royal Air Force’s 132nd Wing began landing at the B-16 airfield on 20 July 1944. The date places the airfield’s use in wartime; the plan and stele focus attention on how B-16 is commemorated. Those interested in military history will find a specific date and a named location that make the historical connection concrete.

Art and rural paths

L’écho des légendes by Raphaël Garnier offers a different, artistic perspective. The installations combine words, shapes and texts, leading the audience into a wondrous world. Language and design thus set a different tone from the military memorials and the preservation of church monuments.

Outside the built-up area, a 2014 planning report describes numerous rural paths used by pedestrians and cyclists. Conditions on individual paths may have changed since this description was written, so check their current state before planning a specific route. This information about the paths adds another perspective on the surroundings to the historical themes: the focus here is on rural paths and their use by pedestrians and cyclists.

The destination’s themes are easy to distinguish: the Église represents partly protected church heritage, while the monuments and the B-16 stele represent specific contexts of remembrance. The rural paths form a separate theme. When planning, you can therefore decide whether to place greater emphasis on the historical connections, the artistic perspective or the rural surroundings.

Discover more destinations: Maltot, Vire, Saint-Aubin-Sur-Mer, Eraines, Bénouville, Bonneville-La-Louvet, Hamars, Pont-D'ouilly

For the overview of the wider region: Calvados.