12,000 aircraft. 7,000 ships. 13,000 paratroopers. 150,000 soldiers from 12 countries. The Allied invasion on Normandy, June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibian assault in history. It is difficult to comprehend the epic scale of this operation, nor its historical significance. D-Day was the catalyst for the liberation and end of World War II. The victory came at a heavy price: more than 4,000 Allied soldiers died on D-Day alone, and tens thousands more in the battles which followed.
We've delved into the archives 80 years later to bring back a little of D-Days grandeur and significance. You'll find below 25 rarely-seen, amazing photos of D-Day along with the original captions. Check out this post for more incredible photos from WWII.
The four'stick commanders' of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company of the British 6th Airborne Division synchronising their watch in front of a Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Transport of No 38 Group of Royal Air Force at around 11 pm, 5 June 1944 just before takeoff from RAF Harwell (Oxfordshire). The pathfinder unit, which was parachuted in Normandy ahead of the rest, marked the landing zones. These officers were the first Allied troops in France.
The British Airborne soldiers admire the graffiti on their Horsa glider before they fly out to Normandy in the evening of 6th June 1944 as part of the 6th Airborne Division’s second lift.
Before taking off on an invasion of Fortress Europe, members of an airborne squadron perform a final equipment check at a British airbase.
Men of a infantry paratroop regiment are pictured inside a Douglas C-47, of the Ninth Air Force Troop Carrier Command. This was taken over France on June 6, 1944.
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