D-Day and the Invasion of Normandy
On the morning of 6 June 1944, more than 7000 ships and landing craft landed Allied forces on five beaches along the Normandy coastline in the face of overwhelming fire from Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. In the skies above Normandy, Allied airpower defended the invasion force, attacked German fortifications, and delivered airborne troops to strategic objectives.
In order for the invasion to be successful, immense levels of bravery and sacrifice were required. Dubbed The Longest Day, thousands of Allied and German troops would die on D-Day and thousands more would follow during the Battle of Normandy. The Liberation of Western Europe had begun.
Discover what happened on D-Day and find out how the CWGC commemorates those who died on D-Day and beyond.
Join us in Normandy for The Great Vigil
Join us as we carry our flame of commemoration to Normandy. We will illuminate each CWGC grave and pay tribute to those who lost their lives at D-Day and in the Battle of Normandy.
Find out moreGo on a virtual visit to Bayeux War Cemetery
The first major town to be liberated on D-Day was Bayeux. It soon became a hub area for the allies, with soldiers passing through on their way to the front lines, or returning for supplies and medical care.
An area on the outskirts of the town was soon set aside for the burial of those who died while receiving medical care and casualties from the fighting in the local area.
Today, more than 4000 Commonwealth war dead of the second world war are buried here alongside around 500 burials of other nationalities. The cemetery also contains the Bayeux War Memorial, which bears the names of more than 1800 men of the Commonwealth land forces who have no known grave.
Access the Bayeux virtual tour via the Memory Anchor app, available on IOS and Android.
Download FREE app for iOS Download FREE app for Android
SHARE THE STORIES OF D-DAY AND NORMANDY
Visit For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen, our online commemorative resource to read and share the stories from some of the people who took part in D-Day and the Normandy Campaign.
All images © IWM unless otherwise indicated.