D-Day, 6th of June, The Invasion of Normandy Collection

JUSTIN MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY

D-Day, 6th of June, The Invasion of Normandy

June 6, 1944

Welcome to the D-Day 6th of June, The Invasion of Normandy Collection, a gathering of Exhibits regarding the battle in which the Allied forces, opposed by the German Army, forced a landing on the shores of France. This was widely hailed as the first breach in the so called Fortress Europa, meaning the Nazi Occupied European Continent. Although the Allied Armies had in fact invaded the European Mainland in 1943 via Sicily and then the Italian Mainland, that front line had become stangnant. The Invasion of Normandy would break the German stranglehold on the continent, allowing a flood of American, British, Canadian and other Allied ground forces to sweep across France and the low countries and, within less than a year, Germany. The successful Allied invasion on D-Day, the 6th of June would be the end of the Third Reich.
That, however, was by no means clear in the hours preceding the dawn of June 6th, as Allied sailors, soldiers and airmen by the thousands crossed the English Channel, their destination, the beaches of Normandy. The pages below tell the tale of what happened when they arrived.

Original Exhibits

Bob Benvenuto, First Hand account of LST crewman who partook in the Battle

Forrest S. Clark, Biography of 8th AF veteran who flew prepartory strikes for Normandy

William Byer, Biography of man who flew pre and post invasion Atlantic Weather Recon flights

Hyman Haas, First Hand account of Weapons Unit Soldier who partook in the Battle

Victor J. "Baseplate" Miller, First Hand account of a Ranger who landed on Omaha Beach with the 5th Ranger Battalion

Harold Pelias, Brief First Hand account of LST crewman who partook in Battle

PLUTO, Brief description of a post invasion under channel supply system

Robert Sandel, Biography of Coast Guardsman who partook in preinvasion North Atlantic weather patrols

Elmer C. Sheppard, Biography of 101st Airborne soldier who partook in the Battle

John H. Taylor, Biography of 101st Airborne soldier who partook in the Battle

John G. Thiel, Biography of B24 crewman who bombed beaches prior to landings

Herbert F. B. Wright, Biography of Sailor who partook in the battle and helped design the Floating Docks of Normandy

Loaned Exhibits

Items located outside of the Museum, Use Back Key To Return

A Pep Talk from Ike, Article on 101st Airborne Division soldier Max Hedric's D-Day recollections. Site closed or moved, this link is to Internet archive copy of article

A Tree Marks the Start of One Soldiers War, article on paratrooper William H. Tucker's D-Day Recollections

Lt. Col. George Russel Barber, Article with First Hand Account by last living Chaplain from D-Day beaches

Bike Racer Fought the Germans, French Resistance Member's Normandy Recollections

D-Day Account of Lt.Col. John Burkhalter, Chaplain's Account of D-Day Landing

The D-Day & Normandy Fellowhip, This fellowship is welcoming new members who were either at D-Day, or who have an interest or wish to honour a relative who was there

D-Day: Battle of Normandy, June 6, 1944, Brief History of the Battle with map

'D' in D-Day not definitely defined, Article on origins of the term D-Day

D-Day Etat Des Lieux, Page in French on the Normandy Invasion

D-Day Museum, Website of New Orleans Museum of the Normandy Invasion

D-Day: One of the Great Half Dozen Battles in History, Article on Significance of Normandy

D-Day Picts, Collection of Photographs related to Normandy Invasion

D-Day Web, Collection of Photographs and D-Day links

Destroyer Harding's Crew Sets the Record Straight, Article on Destroyer's belated credit for gun fire support at Point Du Hoc

Eureka Military Book Shop, D-Day Collection, Online Book Store's D-Day related selections

Everything That Could Fly Was In the Air, Article on Air Support for the D-Day Invasion

Fact Sheet D-Day, 6 June 1944 Normandy, France Overview of the Invasion

Melvin B. Farrell, Omaha Beach - 2nd Platoon, Company B, 121st Combat Engineers Battalion

The First Wave at Omaha, 1960 Article by SLA Marshal detailing the horror faced by two companies of the 116th Regiment, 29th Division

Congressman Sam M. Gibbons' Recollections of D-Day, First hand Account of 501st Rgt, 101st Abn Soldier who partook in Battle

Memorial to Major Edward C. Green, HQ Btty, 29th Artillery, Memorial with some history to Artillery Captain who landed on Utah Beach

John D. Hinton, M Co, 3 rd Bn, 116th Regt, 29th Div, D-Day

The Historical Area of the Battle of Normandy, Website of the Normandy Battleground Museums

History of the Royal Naval Commandos, History with brief story of Operation Neptune portion of the Normandy Invasion

Hitler's Atlantic Wall, Article on the Normandy Defenses

In Desperate Battle, Normandy, 1944, The Valour & The Horror, Multi-Page site with History, Maps Photos, and other information

Invasion of Normandy June 6, 1944, Brief History with some First Hand Accounts

Harvey Jacobs, Pilot B26 - Martin Marauder, 497th Bomb Squadron, 344 Bomb Group, 9th Air Force

Joseph Jones, Gunner's Mate on LCI#5, LCI Flotilla Two, D-Day

LCI(L) 489, Veteran's Scrapbook, Ship History with Photographs and war diary excerpts, Omaha Beach, D-Day, WWII

LCT(5) Flotilla 18 at Omaha Beach, D-Day, June 6, 1944 Doubting and Critical Study of Events concerning this landing craft unit's duty in the invasion

News Reel Archive, site with downloadable MPEG and Quicktime movie footage, one from of D-Day

Normandy, US Army History of Normandy website

Normandy 1944, Brittanica Online's Muli-Page Site with History and several First Hand 116th Regiment, 29th Division and one German 352nd Division soldiers First Hand Accounts, written and Audio

Normandy 6 June - 24 July, 1944, Multi-page History of Campaign

Operation Overlord, Multi-page site with D-Day History and Information

Ron Plater, My D-Day Memory, First Hand Account by RAF Special Beach Unit member

Quartermasters on D-Day, History of Quartermaster Corps units at D-Day with First Hand Accounts

Retired soldier revisits Normandy, Brief article on Ted Liska's 1994 return

Roses For His Buddies, Article on 16th Regiment Soldier Lem Philip's 1994 return to Normandy

Seasoned GIs Survived, Vets Say, Article with Veteran First Hand Accounts

Tugs at Normandy Harbor on D-Day June 6, 1944 Role of Merchant Marine off Normandy on D-Day

Wilbur Gordon Wheeler, Company E, 355th Engineer Battalion, D-Day plus Five

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