The D-Day Experience, 6 June 1944: From the Invasion to the Liberation of Paris; Special Sixtieth Anniversary Edition

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Please note -museum staffreserve the right to search bags and all visitors must agree to this as a condition of entry to the museum. At the centre of the museum sits the Overlord Embroidery, whichwas commissioned by Lord Dulverton of Batsford (1915-92) as a tribute to the sacrifice and heroism of those men and women who took part in Operation Overlord.The embroidery is 83 metres (272 feet) in length, and is the largest work of its kind in the world. This text was adapted from an article written by David Traill, a teacher at South Fork High School in Stuart, FL, and the article: Schamel, Wynell B. and Richard A. Blondo. "D-day Message from General Eisenhower to General Marshall." Social Education 58, 4 (April/May 1994): 230-232. Eisenhower's pride and confidence in the battle-tempered men he had met the preceding night—men he was about to send into combat—is also evident in his message. He closed on a confident note, describing the steely readiness of the men he sent to battle, recalling the resoluteness in their faces that he termed "the light of battle...in their eyes." This vivid and stirring memory doubtless heartened him throughout the day until conclusive word reached him that the massive campaign had indeed succeeded. Open by appointment outside normal opening times - For groups only. Extra charge, available on application.

So in July 1942, Churchill and Roosevelt decided on the goal of occupying North Africa as a springboard to a European invasion from the south. Invading Europe from more than one point would also make it harder for Hitler to resupply and reinforce his divisions. In November, American and British forces under the command of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed at three ports in French Morocco and Algeria. This surprise seizure of Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers came less than a week after the decisive British victory at El Alamein. The stage was set for the expulsion of the Germans from Tunisia in May 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy later that summer, and the main assault on France the following year. According to his secretary-chauffeur Kay Summersby, as recounted in David Eisenhower’s book, "Eisenhower spent most of the day in his trailer drinking endless cups of coffee, 'waiting for the reports to come.' Few did, and so Eisenhower gained only sketchy details for most of the day about the British beaches, UTAH and the crisis at OMAHA, where for several hours the fate of the invasion hung in the balance."

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All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors - All areas inside the main museum. Some areas of LCT 7074 are not accessible.

After learning about the preparations for the Normandy jump and attending Colonel Wolverton's briefing, take a seat in a real C-47 converted into a dynamic flight simulator to relive the crossing of the Channel on the night of D-Day. Thanks to a modern and immersive museography including from June 2019 a new space of 500 m², follow the evolution of the fighting from 6 to 12 June 1944, date of the final liberation of Carentan. During World War II, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill jointly planned strategies for the cooperation and eventual success of the Allied armed forces. Audio Tours - Available in English. There is also an audio tour of the Overlord Embroidery specifically for those with visual impairments.

The museum contains many exhibits not previously displayed to the public, in galleries that feature the words and perspectives of those involved - from both a military and a civilian viewpoint. There are also spaces for learning andevents, plusinteractive displays featuring maps, uniforms and other memorabilia, as well as several vehicles and even a real LCVP landing craft.