In pictures: How the D-Day landings unfolded on June 6, 1944
Today marks 81 years since the the D-Day landings began on the Normandy beaches of France during World War Two.
June 6, 1944, was an important turning point during World War Two and is one of the biggest seaborne invasions in history.
Considered a key component in the defeat of Hitler and his forces during WWII, the D-Day operation against Nazi Germany was a combined effort, and included support from the UK, US and Canada.
Planning for the D-Day landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, began several months in advance.
British forces used military deception to mislead the German army of the date and location of the operation, so that what took place on that day held some element of surprise.
What happened on D-Day?
Approximately 156,000 British, American and Canadian forces landed on five different beaches along the coast of France’s Normandy region.
The coastline invaded by the Allied troops stretched over 50 miles and was heavily fortified by Nazi forces at the time, who had occupied France.
The invasion of Nazi-occupied France began before dawn with paratroopers and glider troops landing in the country from the air in order to secure bridges and roads for Allied forces.
The D-Day landings on Normandy beaches began at 6.30am with troops wading from the sea to the land whilst battling German resistance from the shore.
What does the ‘D’ stand for?
The term D-Day is used by the Armed Forces to refer to the beginning of an operation.
The ‘D’ itself actually stands for ‘Day’, meaning it’s short for ‘Day-Day’ – as it connotes the first day in a major military operation.
D-Day was the start of ‘Operation Overlord’, which was the official codenamefor the Battle of Normandy,
How many casualties were there on D-Day?
The Allies utilised over 5,000 ships and landing craft over the course of the day to land over 150,000 troops and gain a foothold on the five beaches – codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
It is estimated that 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives during the D-Day invasion, while thousands more were wounded or reported missing after the attack.
The genealogy website Ancestry found in 2019 that only 25 per cent of the 61,715 soldiers who took part in the Normandy landings ever spoke to family members about the invasion.
The study showed 31 per cent of veterans didn’t want to discuss their role in the historic WWII invasion with family members because they lost too many friends during the battle.
How D-Day veterans are still alive?
81 years after the historic landings and very few of the veterans who participated are still alive to share their stories.
Of the 150,000 troops who took part in the landings, only around 1% of them are still thought to be alive.
Many of the surviving veterans were in attendance at the 80th anniversary celebrations last year, although sadly 100 year-old veteran David Teacher died just days before he was planning to attend the celebrations.
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Share your views in the comments below.