British Paratroopers Forced To Break Out the Passports After Skydiving Into Normandy

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, one of the most decisive conflicts in the European Theater during World War II. Hundreds of thousands of Allied troops landed on the beaches in Normandy, France, pushing inward on the occupying German forces. Though thousands died on both sides, the decisive invasion dealt a critical blow to the Germans and led to their eventual surrender the next year.

As surviving D-Day veterans and military members from the Allied forces gathered in Normandy to honor the conflict's 80th anniversary, hundreds of British paratroopers attempted a grand entrance by parachuting down into a field in Normandy. Their impressive arrival came to an anticlimatic end, however, when the skydiving troops were met in the field by French customs agents.

The scene captured in the @dailymailuk 's video is almost farcical, like a real-life Monty Python sketch: a squadron of paratroopers raining down from the sky only to find a gaggle of bureaucrats awaiting them in an open field, desk and all. No sooner had their boots touched ground then the paratroopers had to rifle through their gear and dig out their travel documents . Quite the fine how-do-you-do!

Related: People Having a 'Passport Portfolio' Is About to Be a New Travel Trend

Strictly Business or Sending a Message?

The paratroopers' unceremonious welcome to Normandy, France raised a lot of eyebrows, especially considering that, according to AP News , the squadron was recreating a historic paratrooper drop from the original D-Day invasion itself in commemoration of the conflict's 80th anniversary. Surely the passport checking could have at least waited until the squad wasn't standing in the middle of a field, no?

Apparently, many Brits felt that the act was a pointed response to the United Kingdom's controversial decision to leave the European Union in 2020 during "Brexit." According to AP News , border checks for Brits abroad have subsequently tightened in France and the other EU member states, but this odd display in Normandy seemed exceptionally pointed, at least to some.

But according to the French immigration officials working in the field that day, it wasn't anything personal- just strictly business. If anything, immigration official Jonathan Monti told The Sun that the oddly positioned checkpoint was an exceptional setup to " welcome UK soldiers ."

"We are doing immigration control and we are not supposed to do it in a field," said Monti. "But for this special event, for the 80th anniversary, we are welcoming the UK soldiers."

For more WanderWisdom updates, be sure to follow us on Google News !

Have you had a funny, interesting, or just highly memorable experience while traveling? We'd love for you to submit a video of your travels for a chance to be featured on WanderWisdom and our social channels! Click here to upload your clip and share your adventures with the world.