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Private First Class Robert L Sales, 21st Infantry Division gets ready to leave Weymouth.

Troopers Fred Walker and Roy Cadman, 3 Commando leave Portsmouth.

Staff Sergeant Laurie Weeden, Glider Pilot Regiment takes off from Blakehill Farm in Wiltshire, ready to celebrate his birthday in France.

Captain David Tibbs, 225th Field Parachute Ambulance, 6th Airborne Division takes off by towed glider from Gloucestershire.

Staff Sergeant Ed Shames, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division leaves for Normandy.

Staff Sergeant Jim Wallwork, Glider Pilot Regiment lands the first glider on French soil in a daring bid to capture two key strategic bridges.

Staff Sergeant Laurie Weeden’s landing is jeopardized after pathfinders mark the landing zone incorrectly.

Acting Corporal Bob Stoodley, 22nd Independent Parachute Company is among the very first paratroopers to land.

Staff Sergeant Jim Wallwork and Airborne Division troops commanded by Major John Howard capture the first target, Pegasus Bridge.

Captain David Tibbs treats paratroopers injured in the descent.

Private John Perozzi, 505th Parachute Infantry Division’s plane gets hit by anti-aircraft fire over the Channel Islands.

Lieutenant Edward ‘Ted’ Pool, 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment parachutes in.

Staff Sergeant Ed Shames parachutes into Normandy dangerously close to a German strongpoint.

Staff Sergeant Ed Shames gets to his position at the road bridge over the River Douve, a couple of miles outside Carentan. His battalion’s mission was to attack and hold two bridges to prevent the movement of German Panzer divisions and troops.

Captain John C Raaen Jr, 5th Ranger Battalion approaches the Normandy coastline in a landing craft.

Sub Lieutenant Jim Booth, Combined Operations Pilotage and Reconnaissance Parties surfaces at Sword beach.

Acting Corporal Bob Stoodley is captured by German troops.

Sub Lieutenant George 'Jimmy' Green, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Combined Operations guides the first wave of U.S. troops on to Omaha beach.

Private First Class Robert L. Sales is among the second wave of troops arriving on Omaha beach.

Sub Lieutenant George 'Jimmy' Green rescues a boat full of U.S. troops that has sunk due to high seas.

Tank Commander Ian Hammerton, 22nd Dragoons gives the order for his tanks to begin rolling off the landing craft tank on Juno beach.

Private First Class Ray Tollefson, 2nd Ranger Battalion gets shot in the arm soon after landing on Omaha beach.

Captain John C Raaen Jr lands on Omaha beach. After seeing the previous wave of Rangers being massacred near to Vierville, the landing craft is diverted down to a slightly quieter section of the beach.

Captain John C Raaen Jr takes orders from General Cota.

Troopers Fred Walker and Roy Cadman land on Sword beach.

Troopers Fred Walker and Roy Cadman push inland.

Troopers Roy Cadman and Fred Walker are among the Commandos reinforcing the airborne troops at Pegasus Bridge.

Acting Corporal Bob Stoodley is interrogated by German troops throughout the day.

Staff Sergeant Ed Shames spends the day preventing German armoured forces from crossing the road bridge over the River Douve outside Carentan.

German troops continue to interrogate Acting Corporal Bob Stoodley.

Private First Class Ray Tollefson is severely wounded and drags himself off Omaha beach to find help.

Throughout the day Captain David Tibbs tends to injured toops at the field dressing station in a local chateau.

Private John perozzi sends mortars into the German advance at Neuville-au-Plain. Fierce fighting ensues but eventually Allied troops trapped there manage to escape.

Acting Corporal Bob Stoodley is put on a hospital train and taken to Germany. He would spend the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp.

Private First Class Ray Tollefson is transferred from the aid station to a boat carrying wounded.

Captain John C Raaen Jr sets up for the night 500 yards beyond Vierville, 5 miles away from his original target.

Lieutenant Edward 'Ted' pool, after fighting for 21 hours almost permanently under attack, is finally relieved many hours later than planned. He was to be awarded the Military Cross for holding out for so long.