D-Day

What were the D-Day landings?

On the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in German-occupied France, we explain what went on.

Eighty years since D-Day

D-Day 80: We Were There. Video, 58 minutes
Eighty years on, Rachel Burden hears the stories and memories of the UK's D-Day veterans.
Attribution
BBC Two
Available for 6 months
John McOwan: ‘We hoodwinked Hitler’ Video, 00:03:29
Posted
23 May
Joe Cattini: I saw teen soldiers crying for their mothers. Video, 00:03:13
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UK
Posted
4 June
Bill Redston: 'We knew it could have been us killed' Video, 00:03:31
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UK
Posted
21 June 2023
George Spencer: 'I had the best view of the landings' Video, 00:02:32
Posted
31 May
Ken Cooke: 'I'd never been on a boat before' Video, 00:03:03
Posted
21 May
Bill Gladden: 'I made a rather unorthodox landing' Video, 00:03:27
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Suffolk
Posted
26 April

The BBC is looking to gather first-hand accounts of World War Two. Please get in touch.

Do you or someone you know have a story to share?

Hundreds at D-Day veteran's funeral after plea
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Somerset
Posted
26 July 2019
Veteran's funeral plea sparks 'huge response'
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Somerset
Posted
19 July 2019
Resistance hero reunited with Spitfire. Video, 00:01:26
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Kent
Posted
11 July 2019
Smashed military gravestones replaced in woodland
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
Posted
28 June 2019
Eisenhower D-Day trip re-enacted
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Berkshire
Posted
23 June 2019
D-Day convoy returns to England. Video, 00:00:22
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Berkshire
Posted
23 June 2019
'On D-Day nobody knew where we were going' Video, 00:01:08
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Northern Ireland
Posted
17 June 2019
One of NI's D-Day veterans dies
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Northern Ireland
Posted
16 June 2019
Lovers reunited 75 years on from WW2. Video, 00:02:06
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Europe
Posted
11 June 2019
D-Day parachute jump: we catch up with veteran Harry Reed after his leap at 95 year old. Steve Harris. Audio, 00:01:48
Harry Reed from Bournemouth describes his D-Day celebration jump into Normandy.
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BBC Radio Solent
Posted
11 June 2019
Swastikas sprayed on D-Day bench
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Lincolnshire
Posted
10 June 2019
Storm diverts D-Day veterans' homecoming
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England
Posted
8 June 2019
Paratrooper who painted D-Day remembered
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Liverpool
Posted
7 June 2019
Vandals smash military gravestones
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Leeds & West Yorkshire
Posted
7 June 2019
D-Day veteran pays tribute to his late friend. Video, 00:01:16
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Europe
Posted
7 June 2019
Veterans mark D-Day on 75th anniversary
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UK
Posted
6 June 2019
Plaque remembers African-American soldiers
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Wales
Posted
6 June 2019
‘We didn’t want to fight’ Video, 00:01:37
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Europe
Posted
6 June 2019
Two female nurses honoured among 22,000 men. Video, 00:02:04
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Cambridgeshire
Posted
6 June 2019
Veterans mark D-Day at Enniskillen school
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Northern Ireland
Posted
6 June 2019
Desert Rat recalls D-Day 'armada'
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Isle Of Man / Ellan Vannin
Posted
6 June 2019
D-Day: 'We were pinned down by snipers' Video, 00:01:21
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Guernsey
Posted
6 June 2019
'I went in as a boy and I came out a man' Video, 00:02:17
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Tyne & Wear
Posted
6 June 2019
Commando's D-Day return to Normandy
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Wales
Posted
6 June 2019