Today is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which took place on 6th June 1944. D-Day was a pivotal Allied invasion during World War Two, marking the start of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Over 150,000 troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other nations landed on five beaches in Normandy, France, facing intense German resistance.

D-Day was the first day of Operation Neptune, a naval assault on the Normandy beaches,
and was part of the larger Operation Overlord – the largest sea and airborne invasion in history. Operation Overlord involved extensive planning, deception tactics (the Germans were misled into thinking the Allies would attack further east, near Calais), and airborne assaults. Despite heavy casualties, D-Day was a crucial success, leading to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

Alongside the naval assault, paratroopers landed behind the enemy lines to seize key roads and bridges to support the operation. In total, the operation included 11,000 aircraft as well as thousands of ships.

By the end of the day on 6th June 1944, the Allies had landed 156,000 troops ashore, but historians estimate that around 2,500 Allied troops had been killed.

I have a personal connection to D-Day, as my grandfather, James (Jim) Hildrew supported D-Day as part of the Royal Navy. He was involved in Operation Pluto, which stood for “pipe line under the ocean,” an operation to build submarine oil pipelines under the English Channel to support Operation Overlord. These pipelines supplied fuel from the south coast of England to the tanks, trucks and transports landed in France – an incredible engineering operation.

Every year I remember his contribution to the war effort and the freedom we now enjoy. He – amongst the thousands of others involved on the beaches, in the air, at sea and behind the scenes – helped to turn the tide of the war and bring an end to hostilities. When peace was eventually declared, my grandfather returned to his job as a teacher and, ultimately, headteacher – a family tradition I am proud to uphold.