Marking The 80th Anniversary of Operation OVERLORD

RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft conducting paradrops over Sannerville for D-Day 80 [Crown Copyright: Sgt Matty Matthews]

British Forces from all three services have been marking the 80th Anniversary of Operation OVERLORD aka D-Day in Normandy.

On Wednesday June 5th, RAF A400M Atlas transport aircraft, part of the Air Mobility Force out of RAF Brize Norton, flew 16 Air Assault Brigade personnel over Sannerville in France as part of a mass paradrop in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Operation OVERLORD. The allied invasion of Normandy on 6th June 1944 marked the largest multinational amphibious attack and operational military airdrop in history; D-Day is considered the beginning of the end of WWII in Europe.

More than 400 multinational paratroopers jumped into Normandy ton 5th June in a unique tribute to the soldiers who parachuted in on D-Day [Crown Copyright: Cpl Liz Brown]

Belgian, British, Canadian and US paratroopers jumped onto fields at Sannerville which in 1944 were designated as Drop Zone ‘K’ and used by 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion
[Crown Copyright: WO1 Rupert Frere]

Earlier in the day, kayakers from the Royal Marines Association (RMA) Paddle Group arrived at Port-en-Bessin after crossing the English Channel from Portsmouth to mark D-Day 80. The team consisted of nine serving and eight veteran Royal Marines and paddled through the night on their two-person Klepper folding kayaks.

RMA Kayakers arriving in Normandy to mark the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
[Crown Copyright: CPO Phot Si Ethell]

On Tuesday 4th, four veterans on a visit back to Normandy organised by the Royal British Legion shared their memories of landing on the D-Day beaches 80 years ago with serving soldiers on Sword Beach at Colleville.

D-Day Veteran Peter Newton talks to Cpl Paul Squires about his experiences 80 years ago at Colleville
[Crown Copyright: WO1 Rupert Frere]

D-Day 80, Featured, Normandy, Operation OVERLORD