This year, the UK will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944. There will be a series of major events across the UK and in France.
D-Day saw the Allied Forces mount a large-scale invasion of Nazi-occupied France that ultimately tipped the course of the Second World War in the Allies' favour.
Here at DIO, we have been reflecting on what we do to preserve this heritage.
D-Day Map used by Eisenhower is still preserved by DIO
In June 1944, the official order to launch the Normandy Landings was made from a small room in an Officers’ Mess. That room, and the history it holds, is cared for by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) as part of our commitment to preserving the history and heritage of our Armed Forces.
Grade II-listed Southwick House, in Portsmouth, was at the heart of preparations for D-Day, and became the headquarters for the main Allied Commanders... read more
How this wall was used to prepare for the Normandy landings
Hidden away deep in the Surrey countryside sits a piece of iconic British history. A structure that Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) proudly cares for that helped the Allies prepare for the D-Day landings in 1944.
A replica of the Nazi-built Atlantic Wall can be found on Hankley Common on the MOD training estate. The reinforced structure measures 100m long, 3m high... read more
Op Nightingale: Digging Band of Brothers
Defence Infrastructure Senior Archaeologist Richard Osgood led an Op Nightingale Dig at a site in Aldbourne, Wiltshire which has significant links to the preparations for the D-Day landings.
The dig, which aligns with the 80th anniversary year of D-Day landings, excavated where the US Army’s 506th regiment of the 101st Airborne Division were... read more
Leave a comment