Thursday 6th June 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe by allied forces.
The operation, known as Op OVERLORD saw 150,000 allied soldiers cross the English Channel and was the largest invasion in human history.
This piece, aims to tell the story of that day through the eyes of four Londoners whilst assessing how the act of remembrance might alter once the few remaining veterans move to their final RV.
Whilst the focus of this piece is predominately on combat forces on the ground, it in no way seeks to diminish the role played by others in one of the most impressive feats of logistical planning in human history.
From the Royal Navy clearing the channel of mines, the Royal Air Force beating back the Luftwaffe to provide air cover, the young private soldier marshalling traffic to allow troops on the frontline to be resupplied quickly to the dock workers of East London who defied Hitler’s bombs to sustain the nation and prepare the ships for sailing, each part played was crucial in the success of 6th June.
Though some of their stories might not have been confined to record and their names long since forgotten, their legacy lives on through the freedom we enjoy to this day.
This is the story of D-Day through the eyes of Londoners.
Link to the full piece: https://dcuk-news.shorthandstories.com/d-day-80-years-on/
Featured Image: DVIDSHUB via Wikimedia Commons License
