Operation Overlord and D-Day

The international situation The situation in Britain Preparing for invasion Mulberry Harbours Building a secret port Operation Overlord On the beaches Send this story to a friend Printer-friendly version

The situation in Britain

In Britain the calls for a Second Front were being echoed on the streets and in the music halls. 

The British leader Winston Churchill seemed reluctant to commit to the invasion at first. Although Britain had managed to gain control in the skies, the sheer mass of supplies and organisation that would be required to mount an invasion seemed an impossible task.

There was considerable tension and excitement in Southampton when it finally became clear that something was at last happening. A local resident noted in his diary: ‘Southampton is packed with troops. There are camps on every available piece of spare ground… Invasion fever is gripping everyone.’  

Can you picture what is was like after years of bombing raids and fear of invasion to finally feel that the tide was turning? Imagine what it was like to wake up and find that troops and supplies are moving through the city. D-Day, the day the attack would start, was approaching.

The international situation The situation in Britain Preparing for invasion Mulberry Harbours Building a secret port Operation Overlord On the beaches Send this story to a friend Printer-friendly version