Poniente beach in Benidorm is transformed into Normandy for the recreation of D-Day

Poniente beach in Benidorm has become today, for the second time, the scene of the recreation of the most important military offensive of the Second World War: the Normandy landings that the Codex Belix association has staged in the thirteenth edition of ' Revive la historia ... del cine. ' Event that during the whole weekend has moved to the capital of the Costa Blanca to the center of a simulated war conflict, framed in the forties of the last century.
 
Throughout the morning, in Elche Park, there have been exhibitions of military uniforms and miniatures of the State Security Forces and Corps. There have also been parades of squads of Allied or German armies. Historical vehicles, some of them original, and military camps have attracted thousands of residents and visitors from the first hour. The mayor, Toni Pérez, the mayor of Fiestas, Jesús Carrobles, and other councilors, have also collaborated in the recreation 'inspecting' the troops with the president of Codex Belix, Antonio Lalaguna.

In the afternoon, while a Spanish Navy ship was sailing in the Bay, the sirens sounded on Paseo de Poniente. It was the announcement of the arrival of enemy units by sea. The first bombs exploded next to the bunkers defended by the Wehrmacht while the barges with the American, British and Canadian infantry, disembarked in the sand. For one hour, Poniente beach was transformed into Omaha or Utah (code names given by the allies to the Norman coasts in 1944). A pyrotechnic and sound show that could be seen along the entire walk where, practically, no one else could fit.

In the recreation participated an aircraft carrier that belonged to 'Príncipe de Asturias' which was flagship of the Spanish Navy and has been used to reproduce a 37 mm cannon. More than 300 recreadores, belonging to 30 associations of Spain and foreigners acted in Poniente, 200 of them on the sand. Thousands of blanks were also fired.

From the organization of Codex Belix, Raúl Matarranz, indicated that with this type of recreations what is intended is "to make known to the general public the military defense units, such as the Army or the Civil Guard" and the important role they play "in a society in peace." Matarranz said that Benidorm is "a magnificent setting" for a recreation like this and emphasized and appreciated the support received from the city, specifically from the Local Police and the National Police.