  This small commemorative cairn is visible from my home, which is less than 100 yards from the shore. |
Sixty years ago today, on 6th June 1944, 'Operation Overlord' was launched, to start the process of recapturing territories in Europe which had been overrun by Nazi tyranny. A force of 156,000 was assembled, comprising 73,000 American and 83,000 British or Canadian troops, of whom 132,500 were transported across the English Channel to the Normandy beaches of France by sea, the remainder by air. All this was accomplished with the aid of 1,200 fighting ships, 10,000 planes, 4,126 landing craft, 804 transport ships, and hundreds of amphibious and other special purpose tanks.
Beach-heads were established and the process of liberating Europe had begun, but at a heavy cost in human life. Today I give thanks to the brave people who made possible the lives we all enjoy today.
UPDATE: (Monday 7JUN04 12.26PM BST) The BBC has a nice photgallery of a few moments from yesterday's day-long series of events.
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