The Opening Ceremony was broadcast live to an audience at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, where more than one hundred Normandy Veterans gathered. On Sunday 6 June, the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the British Normandy Memorial was officially opened. Seventy-seven years on: an historic moment as the British Normandy Memorial to fallen servicemen and women is officially opened. If you’re a history buff interested in fascinating information about major battles, these facts about the Battle of Hastings will be sure to intrigue you.THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE BRITISH NORMANDY MEMORIAL This was a major win for the Allies and the world. Thankfully, despite a heavy loss of life, the Allies were ultimately successful in taking the beaches of Normandy and retaking Europe, which also resulted in the start of a victory over Hitler’s forces. Had the D-Day invasion not been a success, the result of World War II could have been very different. The Normandy landings were codenamed Operation Overlord and set in motion the larger plan to retake Europe. It was a tragic day, where many troops lost their lives fighting in Normandy on June 6th, 1944.
The magnitude and scale of the D-Day invasion and its significant role in World War II make D-Day facts fascinating, even today. The only person who could order German Panzers to counter-attack the Allied invasion on D-Day was Hitler but he happened to sleep till midday on June 6, 1994. Once the Allies had landed at Normandy, they took control of the beaches and ports and continued until all of Europe was free.ģ8. However, the Germans had no reinforcements to help them retake positions. German casualties were estimated to be between 40. Due to their positions, the Germans suffered fewer casualties than the invading Allied troops at Normandy. The high number of casualties was also, in part, due to the lack of artillery providing reinforcements for the troops.ģ7. The weather also led to the sinking of some tanks intended to provide support for the troops landing at Omaha Beach. This was due to the geography of Omaha Beach, and the weather that had blown the ships off their target.
Over 2,400 American soldiers were killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Many American forces and troops lost their lives because the Germans had gun positions on these high cliffs.ģ6. High cliffs lining the beach characterized the area of the Omaha Beach landing target. The geography and landscape of the area played a role in this. Omaha Beach was where the Allies suffered the most losses and casualties. The soldiers who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy did not do so in vain, as D-Day marked the beginning of the Allies retaking Europe.ģ4. There are many reasons for this but the sheer scale of the invasion seems to be the biggest fascination. Military historians, and many people for that matter, are interested in facts about the D-Day invasion. D-Day is seen as the turning point in World War II, one that dictated the rest of the war. We’ve gathered interesting facts about the day June 6th, 1944, when the large-scale invasion of Normandy, France took place and changed the course of World War II. For example, if you have a major deadline at work, you may say to your team, “today is D-Day,” but do you know exactly what this means and the significance around it? Let’s find out.ĭ-Day facts are fascinating, even more than 50 years after the D-Day invasion took place, there are still so many interesting things about the tragic day being uncovered that are very interesting. We even use it colloquially today when we know it’s the final day to take action. You’ve probably heard the word D-Day being used with reference to a past war or major battle.