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Sixty years have passed since that most mighty of armadas embarked across the English Channel. With hindsight, we know that Operation OVERLOAD was a resounding triumph but, at the time, the risks and stakes were immense and the outcome far from a foregone conclusion. Set against the invading force was not only a ruthless enemy in formidable defensive positions but the uncertainties of the elements.
As Bill Deedes points out in his Foreword, it was 'the ordinary man' who turned this great undertaking into a reality and Philip Warner's The D Day Landings reflects this by being a collection of personal accounts by just such individuals. We hear the experiences of RAF pilots who dropped the parachutists and towed the gliders; of sailors of the Royal Navy who had to negotiate minefields and other obstacles; and of a wide spectrum of soldiers. Some such as infantry, tank crews, gunners and sappers came face-to-face with the enemy while others, for example doctors and chaplins, provided vital support. Hostile fire does not distinguish between these roles any more than it does between high and junior rank. It is a fascinating privilege to share these widely diverse individuals' experiences and emotions at such a defining moment both in their lives and in the history of the world.
