Remembering D-Day

82 years ago today, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen took part in the Normandy Landings as part of the liberation of Europe.

The largest contingents came from the USA, Britain, and Canada, but heroes from all round the word also took part, with at least twelve other nations, some occupied by the Nazi powers,  involved.

Some 54,000 Americans landed at the beaches at Utah Beach and Omaha Beach and about 15,500or were dropped by parachute into Normandy. About 61,700 British troops landed, mainly at Gold Beach, Sword beach or by parachute, and about 24,000 Canadians, mainly spearheading the assault at June Beach. There was also substantial Free French involvement at Sword Beach and some UK units supporting the Canadians at Juno.

 An armada of nearly 7,000 vessels—comprising 1,200 warships, 4,000 landing craft, and support ships—was manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight Allied nations. The Royal Navy supplied the vast majority (nearly 79%) of this naval force, while the US Navy and other Allied navies made up the rest.

 Over 11,500 Allied aircraft supported the landings, dropping paratroopers, gliding infantry, and providing vital cover. This included dropping or landing approximately 23,400 airborne troops in total.

Apart from the USA, UK, Canada and France, soldiers, sailors and airmen from other nations including Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) also took part in or supported the landings.

The official figure for the number of  Allied personnel confirmed killed or fatally wounded during the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 is 4,414. 

More than half of those died at Omaha Beach.

The verified death toll across the various Allied nations was:

• United States: 2,501, with particularly heavy casualties at Omaha beach where 800 to a thousand US soldiers died
• United Kingdom: 1,449
• Canada: 391
• Other Allied Nations: 73

In addition to those who died, at least 5,000 more Allied troops were wounded or went missing, bringing the total Allied casualties on the first day to approximately 10,000.

It was the largest and most complex amphibious operation in human history, and probably the most important. The D-day landings were a vital step in liberating Europe from what was arguably the worst tyranny in the history of the planet Earth.

The free world owes an enormous debt to everyone who took part in those landings. We must never forget their bravery, or the sacrifice of those who died.