Today seventy eight years ago, Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Code named Operation ‘Overlord’, the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation.

The majority of troops who landed on the D-Day beaches were from the United Kingdom, Canada and the US. However, troops from many other countries participated in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland.

The Australians who supported the D-Day invasion included between 2,000 and 2,500 RAAF airmen in Australian squadrons and British Royal Air Force units, and approximately 500 members of the Royal Australian Navy serving on Royal Navy vessels, as well as a small number of Australian Army officers and merchant seamen. The army personnel and thousands of Australian airmen also took part in the subsequent Battle of Normandy between June and August 1944, and an RAAF fighter squadron operated from airfields in Normandy.

Throughout the campaign, Australian airmen provided direct support to the Allied ground forces by attacking German military units and their supply lines, as well as forming part of the force that defended the beachhead from air attack and manning transport aircraft. Australians also indirectly supported the campaign by attacking German submarines and ships that threatened the invasion force.

No 464 RAAF Squadron

Our nation’s main contribution obviously came in the air, where approximately 1,000 Australian airmen flew with Royal Australian Air Force squadrons, and a further 1,800 operated on attachment to the Royal Air Force. On top of this, 10,000 Australians waited in training and reserve pools, ready to join operational squadrons as the campaign’s casualties mounted.

Fourteen Australians, two members of the Royal Australian Navy and twelve members of the Royal Australian Air Force, were killed on 6 June in Operation Overlord, and hundreds more were killed over the course of the campaign while flying in support of the ground forces in Normandy.

Australian members of No. 196 Squadron RAF with one of the unit’s Stirling aircraft in the background. This squadron towed gliders to Normandy on D-Day.

In fact, in terms of total casualties June 1944 was the worst month in the history of the Royal Australian Air Force. RAAF forces that were involved included Nos 451,453,455,460,461,462,463, 464,466 and 467 RAAF Squadrons.

The 13 Australian Army officers who took part in the campaign filled a variety of roles in British units. These officers had been posted to the UK to gain experience in planning and conducting large-scale amphibious operations, which would improve the army’s procedures ahead of Australian landings in the Pacific.

This offensive to land the veteran 7th Australian Infantry Division at Balikpapan was the largest amphibious operation conducted by Australian forces during the Second World War. Within an hour some 16,500 troops were ashore and pushing inland, along with nearly 1,000 vehicles. Ultimately more than 33,000 personnel from the 7th Division and Allied forces were landed in the amphibious assault.

Although our contribution was small in comparison to other nations we can be proud of those who served on this day seventy eight years ago.

Thanks to Wikipedia and the Australian War memorial for some of the information contained in this post.