Allied invasion
Date of news/blog: 6th June 2024Most people who were alive at the time will remember where they were on D-Day and how they first heard the news that the Allied invasion of Europe was underway.
June 6 1944 saw 160,000 Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy. Nearly a million more would follow that summer and gradually sweep north to free western Europe from the nazis and defeat Hitler
D-Day was a commonly used term in military planning. It meant the first day of an invasion and was used when an objective was known but the actual dates hadn’t been fixed.
In this case D-Day would be the first day of Operation Overlord, the mission to liberate France. Originally it was set for June 5 but was postponed for 24 hours when meteorologists warned of foul weather ahead.
The weather was just one of the factors the Allies Supreme Commander, General Dwight D Eisenhower, had to take into account when deciding a date for the invasion. Others included the amount of light the full moon would provide, the flow of the tide to aid the landings and an elaborate subterfuge to convince Hitler and his generals that the crossing would be at Calais, the narrowest part of the channel.
As the troops made their final preparations for D-Day, General Eisenhower famously told them: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”
The plan worked. The Germans had focussed their troops and their panzer tanks at Calais. In fact, the Allies came ashore further down the coast on five Normandy beaches in what would be the largest ever seaborne invasion. Though the fighting was fierce and thousands lost their lives, the mission was accomplished and the Allies established a foothold in France they would never relinquish.
At home anxious family and friends waited for news of the invasion on the radio, in cinema news reels or in newspapers and as the success of the mission filtered through there were widespread celebrations. June 6 1944 would forever become known as D-Day, the day the liberation of Europe began and a turning point in the war.
So, the 80th anniversary of D-Day gives an opportunity to pay tribute to the bravery of those who made the crossing that day and the thousands who didn’t come home. It is also a chance to celebrate the success of Overlord and admire the resolve and wartime spirit of the nation that came through adversity to triumph.
Torches of commemoration will be lit across the country and on 5th June, King Charles and Queen Camilla along with Prince William, will attend the start of the national commemorations in Portsmouth, a city that was one of the starting points for the landings 80 years ago.
They will then travel to Normandy along with surviving D-Day veterans to represent the nation at ceremonies marking the anniversary on 6th June. On that day the Royal British Legion will host a memorial service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Scores of other events will be taking place across the country including at Dormy care homes where we will be hanging out the bunting and encouraging residents to tell their stories of D-Day, whether they remember the time themselves or have had accounts from relatives and friends passed down over the years.
They include the recollections of Bramshott Grange resident Doreen Binks, which you can read by clicking this link (to be added).