Presentation of the association

The AMERICA & GOLD BEACH Museums Association has its origins in an earlier association called “AMERICA”, created on 10 September 1988.

The aim of this first association was to create a museum dedicated to the Fokker C2 AMERICA aircraft and its crew, who made the first USA-France airmail connection in 1927. The founding members included French and American figures such as Senator Philippe de Bourgoing, former minister and sub-prefect Raymond Triboulet, Governor of New Jersey Thomas H. Kean, Mrs. Anneliese Gillespie, Director of the Emil Buehler Foundation, descendants of the AMERICA crew, and of course, the founding residents of Ver-sur-Mer, along with the municipality as a legal entity.

The aim was not only to pay tribute to the American pioneers of aviation : Richard Byrd, George O. Noville, Bertram B. Acosta, and Bernt Balchen, by collecting documents and memorabilia relating to their achievement, but also to encourage cultural exchanges between the residents of New Jersey and the commune of Ver-sur-Mer.

In September 1996, the association’s statutes were amended to include a second historical space commemorating the British landings on 6 June 1944 in the GOLD BEACH sector. The aim was broadened to honour the British and other Allied soldiers who landed in this sector, by gathering documents and memorabilia relating to the operation, and by fostering cultural exchanges between Ver-sur-Mer and the foreign countries involved, particularly the USA, the United Kingdom, and the European nations that took part.

The creation of this “GOLD” exhibition was largely made possible thanks to the efforts of Major Robert Kiln, a former officer in the 86th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, who worked closely with the first museum curator, Jean-Pierre Dupont, MBE, to bring the project to life.

The museum was unveiled on the 29th of June 1996, in the Coiffier House, the home of the deputy mayor of Ver-sur-Mer in 1927, on the very spot where the crew of the AMERICA found rest after their aircraft was forced to ditch at 2:30 a.m. on 1 July 1927. Since 1998, the association has managed the museums with a constant commitment to improving the collections and the historical spaces presented to visitors.

The Association in 2025:

With around fifty members, the association actively takes part in official commemorations and the regular maintenance of the SEXTON self-propelled gun displayed at Place du Major Robert Kiln. New members are always welcome to share in our passion and contribute their skills—mutual exchange is always useful and enriching! The annual membership fee is €20, of which €13.20 is tax-deductible. Membership entitles members who are up to date with their fees to free access to the museums, and their companions benefit from reduced admission.

Management is provided by the members of the board, whose composition for 2025 is as follows:
Jean-François Le Cuziat, President
Philippe Onillon, Vice-President
Jean Chanal, Vice-President
Eric Viel, Secretary
Marie-Christine Delhinger, Assistant Secretary
Dominique Famer, Treasurer
Laurence De Conceicao, Assistant Treasurer