On the morning of 6 June 1944, D-Day, Allied forces launched Operation 'Overlord', the largest amphibious invasion in history. 

Allied forces landed troops across five assault beaches in Normandy - Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, which marked the beginning of the campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. 

This rare colour footage captures the aftermath on Gold Beach on 7 June 1944, where nearly 25,000 men of the British 50th Division had landed the day before.  

The beaches after D-Day

© IWM (ADM 1234A)
This rare colour footage shows Gold Beach on 7 June 1944.

Please note - This video has no sound.

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Second World War

Filming the D-Day Landings on Sword Beach

On 6 June 1944, Sergeant Ian Grant was among the thousands of men landing on Sword Beach in Normandy on D Day, armed only with a revolver and a cine camera. He was part of the Army Film and Photographic Unit (AFPU) and captured this incredible mute footage of the landings.

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D-Day

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D-Day

AFPU on D-Day

The official film and photographic record of the D-Day landings was taken by No. 5 AFPU (Army Film and Photographic Unit) under the command of Major Hugh Stewart. Members of the unit were ‘embedded’ with formations preparing for the invasion. 

Nearly 25,000 men of the British 50th Division landed on Gold beach on D-Day
© IWM (B 5140)
D-Day

What you Need to Know about the D-Day Beaches

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British troops and US sailors manning 20mm gun positions on board USS LST-25 watch LCI(L) landing craft head towards the beaches of Gold assault area, 6 June 1944.
© IWM (A 23894)
D-Day

How D-Day Was Fought From The Sea

On 6 June 1944, two naval task forces landed over 132,000 ground troops on the beaches of Normandy as part of Operation 'Neptune', the seaborne invasion of northern France. The Western Task Force was responsible for the American beaches at Utah and Omaha, and the Eastern Task Force was assigned to the British at Gold, Juno and Sword. 

Four visitors take in artwork in the BAFP galleries
© IWM
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Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries

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