An Aussie's travels to air shows, aviation museums and more around the world
D-Day: 70th Anniversary
70 years ago today brave Allied servicemen undertook the largest sea and airborne invasion in history: D-Day: June 6th, 1944. This was the Allied invasion of Normandy, France and a significant turning point in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
US landing craft approaches Omaha Beach on D-Day: June 6th, 1944
These men dropped from the sky and stormed the beaches of France to open a door to peace and freedom for western Europe. Sadly many were lost in battle.
D-Day June 6th, 1944 Allied Land, Sea and Air Assets (Image Source: BBC Education)
They were not alone though. From the sea, ships of the Allied navies provided fire support and overhead they had dedicated protection from RAF and USAAF aircraft. The sight of fighters and bombers flying over the beaches en masse must have been reassuring as the troops tried to get off those beaches.
RAF Supermarine Spitfires over Juno Beach on D-Day: June 6th, 1944 (Artist: Anthony Saunders)RAF Hawker Typhoon with D-Day stripes for easy recognition (RAF Museum – Hendon 2012)Martin B-26 Marauder “Dinah Might” at Utah Beach (Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont) in 2012USAAF Republic P-47D Thunderbolt “Touch of Texas” with D-Day stripes June 1944RAF North American P-51B Mustang from No.2 Army Cooperation SquadronUSAAF Douglas A-20 Havoc in D-Day markings (the stripes where to help with identification for the troops below)Great shot of a USAAF Lockheed P-38 Lightning with D-Day stripes
Honour the fallen. Their sacrifice was great and should never be forgotten.
A crashed USAAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt on the beach at Bernieres-sur-Mer, France June 1944
USAAF Spitfire Mk. VC JK707 served with 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, which supported the landing at Salerno operating out of Milazzo, an airfield on the north coast of Sicily. The Spitfire was reportedly shot down by “firendly fire” from US naval anti-aircraft gunners, October 1943, Salerno, Italy.
Thanks for that information. I should have realised! I was grabbing images from my collection to quickly put this together and slipped up. Removed now as it doesn’t belong here. Regards Deano
This may not be the appropriate place to ask the questions, but one has to begin somewhere. Does anyone know where I could find a list of all the troop units, by country, involved in the D-Day landings. I am speaking here of all of the army, navy and air combat units directly involved in the landings.
Aces Flying High 
USAAF Spitfire Mk. VC JK707 served with 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, which supported the landing at Salerno operating out of Milazzo, an airfield on the north coast of Sicily. The Spitfire was reportedly shot down by “firendly fire” from US naval anti-aircraft gunners, October 1943, Salerno, Italy.
LikeLike
Thanks for that information. I should have realised! I was grabbing images from my collection to quickly put this together and slipped up. Removed now as it doesn’t belong here. Regards Deano
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Lest We Forget and commented:
Another blogger to add in my reader…
LikeLike
True story…
http://elinorflorence.com/blog/d-day-spitfire-pilot
All of Elinor’s posts are precious gems!
LikeLike
I will take a look. Thanks!
LikeLike
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.
After you will probably want to read all she wrotes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This may not be the appropriate place to ask the questions, but one has to begin somewhere. Does anyone know where I could find a list of all the troop units, by country, involved in the D-Day landings. I am speaking here of all of the army, navy and air combat units directly involved in the landings.
LikeLike
This is a start
http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/Normandy/asltforce.html
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/page74.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Allied_forces_in_the_Normandy_Campaign
http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/d-day/history-of-d-day/facts-and-figures-of-d-day
LikeLike
[…] https://acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/d-day-70th-anniversary/ […]
LikeLike