D-Day 80 Years On: The Soldiers’ Story

D-Day was the greatest seaborne invasion in history: this immersive documentary follows the unfolding events through the experiences of those in the frontline of battle – Allied, German, French. Using the raw, unvarnished accounts of the first young men ashore, presenter Giles Milton reveals an astonishing tale of fear, courage, and heroism.

00:00:00 – Part 1: Giles Milton visits the key D-Day sites along the Normandy coastline including Omaha Beach and Pegasus Bridge. We hear the stories of the men and women on both the attacking and defensive lines from undercover spies to radio operators to those manning the machine gun nests. We also visit the beach of Morfa Bychan in West Wales to see where the Allies built replica defences for their invading army to do practice runs of the greatest seaborne invasion in history.

00:46:09 – Part 2: Giles Milton guides us round the critical locations in Normandy where the D-Day invasion proved successful on June 6th 1944. From the gliders who silently went behind enemy lines to paratroopers who ambushed vital German generals to soldiers who ran the gauntlet of machine gun fire and mortar fire on the beaches. We hear from local experts as well as 100 year old veteran Trooper William Gladden who was part of the airborne assault which captured the vital Normandy bridges during the might that helped win D-Day.

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